You can now watch previously viewed Reels on Instagram
What's the story
Instagram has introduced a new feature called "Watch History," allowing users to revisit previously viewed Reels. The move comes as a response to user demand and is aimed at improving the overall experience on the platform. The feature is similar to one that has been available on TikTok for some time now.
User convenience
'Watch history' can be found under 'Your Activity'
The new "Watch History" feature comes in handy when users lose their place in the Reels feed due to interruptions like phone calls or accidental app closures. Instagram head Adam Mosseri explained this need, saying, "Have you ever tried to get back to a reel that you'd seen on Instagram and you just can't find it?" He added that now users can go to 'Profile,' then 'Settings,' and under 'Your Activity,' find Watch History to see every Reel they've watched.
Feature details
Sorting options and deletion
The "Watch History" feature also offers sorting options to make navigation easier. Users can sort their watched Reels by date, the past week or month, or a specific date range. If you don't want certain Reels to appear in your history anymore, there's an option to delete them too. This added flexibility makes the feature even more user-friendly than TikTok's version of it.
User feedback
User feedback drives change
The introduction of the "Watch History" feature is a direct response to user feedback. Before this, users had to rely on workarounds like downloading their data from the app and going through it to find their watch history. The new feature simplifies this process and makes Instagram's Reels experience more in line with TikTok's.