Summary
- Instagram is making it easier to see what reels your friends have liked by adding a dedicated new feed.
- You can find the new feed in the top-right corner of the Reels page.
- Instagram head Adam Mosseri says the new reels feed will help users spark conversations with their friends over common interests.
With TikTok’s impending doom fast approaching, many users could find themselves browsing Instagram Reels as an alternative. Ahead of this potential surge in users, Instagram is adding a new feature that makes it easier to see what Reels your friends have liked.
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, announced the new feature in a video message posted to the platform. The new feature allows Instagram users to browse a dedicated feed of reels their friends have liked.
“We want Instagram to not only be a place where you consume entertaining content, but one where you connect over that content with friends.” Mosseri said. “Now, when you go to the Reels tab, you’ll see a dedicated feed of reels your friends have liked or added a note to in the top right and start a conversation with them right there.”
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How to find the new Reels tab
Be careful what you like if you don’t want your friends to see it
To find the new dedicated reels tab on Instagram, open the app, navigate to Reels, and look in the top-right corner of the page to see a pill-shaped box with your friends in it. Tap that, and you’ll be brought to the new tab. If you don’t see it yet, it’s likely because the update is still rolling out. The feature is available in the US to start.
Mosseri says the feature intends to encourage more conversations with friends about things they may have in common. “We’re doing this because we want Instagram to be not just a lean-back experience but a participatory one, a social one, one where you actually explore your interests with your friends.”
This feature seems like a double-edged sword. I like the idea of interacting with my friends more easily about Reels they’ve liked, but some users may prefer to keep the Reels they’ve liked private. It will be interesting to see how this feature plays out on Instagram. In 2019, Instagram killed a feature similar to this called the Following tab, which showed users posts their friends had liked or commented on. Will this feature eventually share the same fate as the Following tab? Only time will tell — but for now, be careful what you like if you don’t want your friends to see it.
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