Instagram Introduces 'Watch History' Feature: Here's How To Revisit Your Watched Reels

Instagram is introducing a much-anticipated tool that allows users to revisit previously watched Reels. According to an Instagram spokesperson, users will have the option to narrow their search by selecting a particular date or range of dates, and can also track down Reels posted by specific accounts on the platform.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri revealed the launch of the Watch History feature for Reels in a video message. The new feature can be found within the app’s Settings under the Profile section. Users simply need to open the three-line menu at the top-right corner, then head to Settings > Your activity > Watch history to view it.

The new option is expected to function like YouTube’s Watch History tool. However, Instagram’s version includes additional options to search previously viewed Reels. According to Mosseri, users will find three separate tabs to help locate specific clips.

By default, it displays Reels watched over the last 30 days, but viewers can delete selected items from their watch history whenever they choose. The first tab allows users to organise their Reels chronologically, either starting with the newest or the oldest clips.

The second tab offers additional filtering tools, letting viewers browse content by specific dates. By default, it’s set to All dates, but users can switch to options like Past week or Past month for a more refined search.

Beyond these options, Instagram users can choose a custom time frame to look up Reels they’ve already viewed within that selected period. A third tab has also been introduced to refine searches further. Users who recall which account posted a particular Reel can now look it up by creator using the new ‘Filter by author’ option. “So, now hopefully you can find that thing that you were trying to find that you couldn't find before,” Mosseri added.