Have you ever been in that moment where you’re just scrolling through Instagram reels, stumble upon a video that caught your attention, but then it disappears from your feed? It can be frustrating when you can’t find that gem of a reel you just watched.
Unlike YouTube, Instagram doesn’t have a built-in feature to show your watch history. Although you can save reels on Instagram to watch them later, but let’s face it, sometimes we forget to do that.
Luckily, there are some workarounds that can help you find that Instagram reel you recently watched. In this article, I will show you how to see your Instagram Reels watch history. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Method 1: View your liked reels on Instagram
One of the easiest ways to find a reel you recently watched is by checking your liked content. Whenever you come across a reel that catches your eye, double-tap it to like it. Instagram conveniently saves all your liked content in one place, making it a breeze to revisit later. To access your liked reels, simply follow these steps:
- Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
- Select the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner.
- Tap on “Your Activity” from the menu.
- Go to “Likes” under Interactions. Here you will find all the Instagram reels you have liked.
- Scroll through the list to find the reel you’re looking for.
- You can also use the filter options at the top to select a particular date, content type, or account.
Method 2: Find the video in your Reels tab
If you recently watched a reel and haven’t closed the Instagram app, you can easily find it in your Reels tab.
Simply, open the Instagram app and go to the Reels tab or tap on the search icon at the bottom (if you have watched the reel in Explore tab).
Scroll up to see the reels you’ve recently watched. If you are lucky enough, you will find the reel you are looking for.
Method 3: Find the video in your Saved Reels
Instagram has a feature that allows you to save reels for later viewing. If you have saved the reel to your collection, you can easily find it again by accessing your saved posts. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Tap on your profile picture in the bottom right corner of the Instagram app.
- Select the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner.
- Tap on “Saved” option from the menu.
- Next, choose All Posts. Here you will find all your saved posts.
- Go to the Reels section.
- Scroll through your saved reels to find the one you are looking for.
Method 4: Find the reel from the Instagram account
If you remember the Instagram account that posted the reel, you can easily navigate to their profile to find it again. Open the Instagram app, go to the Explore tab and search for the account using the search bar at the top.
Once you’ve found the account, tap on their profile picture to view their profile. Scroll through their posts or navigate to the “Reels” tab to find the reel you’re looking for.
Method 5: Find the reel in your Instagram DM
Did a friend send you the reel via direct message (DM)? If so, you can quickly access it from your DM inbox. Here’s how:
- Open the Instagram app and tap on the paper airplane icon in the top right corner.
- Select the conversation where the reel was shared.
- Scroll up through the conversation history to find the reel.
- Alternatively, tap on the user’s name at the top.
- On the chat info page, you will find all the reels shared by both you and the other person.
Method 6: Search for the reel manually
If none of the previous methods work for you, you can always try searching for the reel manually. Keep in mind that this method may take some time, especially if you don’t remember specific details about the reel. Here’s how to search for a reel manually:
Open the Instagram app and tap on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom. Enter keywords or hashtags related to the reel in the search bar. After searching, scroll through the results to find the reel you’re looking for.
If you remember the song or audio used in the reel, you can also search for that song or original audio. It’s likely that the reel will appear in the search results.
Method 7: Download your account data
Instagram allows users to download their account data, which includes details about the reels they’ve watched, like the account name and the time the reel was watched. If all else fails, this is the last method you can try.
- Open Instagram and tap on your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
- Tap the menu button and select “Settings and privacy“.
- Next, choose “Your activity” option.
- Go to Download your information > Download or transfer information.
- Select your Instagram profile from the list and tap on Next button to continue.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the download process. Instagram will email you a link to download your data. It might take up to 30 days for Instagram to make this data available for download.
- Once your data is ready and you have received it via email, download it your device.
- Now look for the “ads_information” folder in it and then go to “ads_and_topics” folder. Next, open the “videos_watched” file.
- In this file, you’ll see a list of accounts that posted the reels you watched, along with when you watched them. Check out the reels on these accounts and you should find the one you’re searching for.
Conclusion
There you have it – seven easy methods to see your recently watched reels on Instagram. Whether you liked, saved, or just stumbled upon a reel, these methods will help you find it in no time.
Make sure to save the reel next time you come across an interesting video to avoid missing out on it. If you have any questions in your mind, feel free to share them in the comments below.
Read other similar articles:
- How to Fix Instagram Reels Not Uploading
- How to Upload Instagram Reels in Highest Quality
- How to Fix Audio Unavailable on Instagram Reels
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