On Friday, Instagram revealed a new “Watch History” tool that allows users to revisit Reels they’ve already seen. This function has been present on TikTok for several years.
This update makes it possible to locate videos you didn’t get a chance to save. For instance, you might be watching a Reel and get interrupted by a phone call, accidentally close the app, or lose your spot in the feed due to a distraction.
“Have you ever tried to find a reel you watched on Instagram but couldn’t locate it?,” said Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, in a statement. “Now, there’s a new option to help with that. If you visit ‘Profile,’ then go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Your Activity,’ you’ll find Watch History, where you can view every reel you’ve watched.”
Similar to TikTok, Instagram’s Watch History lets you filter your viewed Reels by date, such as the last week, month, or a custom time frame. You can also delete specific Reels from your history if you wish.
Instagram’s version of Watch History provides additional options compared to TikTok’s, including the ability to sort videos by time order or by creator.
According to Instagram, this feature was in high demand. Previously, users had to resort to downloading their data and searching through it to recover lost videos. The new tool streamlines the process of retrieving missed Reels and eliminates the need for such workarounds, making Instagram’s experience more comparable to TikTok’s.
Since introducing Reels as a competitor to TikTok, Meta has continued to add features that mirror those on the popular short-video platform. Recently, Instagram enabled creators to link multiple reels into a series and introduced Picture-in-Picture playback—both features that TikTok already offers.
