Instagram has rolled out a long-requested feature that lets users view their previously watched Reels. The new “Watch History” option helps users easily find videos they’ve seen before but didn’t save, a feature rival TikTok has offered for years.
Announced by Instagram head Adam Mosseri, the update can be accessed through Profile → Settings → Your Activity → Watch History. From there, users can browse every Reel they’ve watched, sort them by date, author, or time range, and even delete specific videos from their historyThe feature comes as a relief to users who’ve struggled to recover lost videos, often resorting to downloading their Instagram data to locate them. Now, the process is as simple as a few taps.
Beyond convenience, the update also brings Instagram closer to TikTok’s short-form experience. It follows a string of similar feature rollouts, including Reel Series (which lets creators connect multiple Reels in sequence) and Picture-in-Picture viewing, both inspired by TikTok’s popular tools.
Related: Instagram Adds PG-13 Content Limits for Teen Users
With “Watch History,” Instagram continues to enhance user experience and keep pace in the competitive short-video space, making it easier than ever to rediscover the Reels that caught your attention.
