Pages / #instagram / #reels

Instagram Reels

Reels is Instagram's feed of short videos, mostly from accounts you don't follow, ranked by how likely you are to reshare, finish and like each one.

1 version

5 sections 7 versions kept 1 owner changed 11 Oct 2026

History

Make a reel, watch its reachInteractive

2 of 2 quotes found in their sources

Instagram Ranking Explained (Instagram, 2023) about.instagram.com such as low-resolution or watermarked reels, reels that are muted or contain borders, reels that are majority text Quote found in the source
Instagram for Creators: Frequently Asked Questions creators.instagram.com We recommend videos to unconnected audiences that are 3 minutes or less Quote found in the source

First signal: Your activity
Top prediction: Reshare
Longest reel recommended: 3 minutes
Candidates scored: About 100
US recommendations that are original: 75% (2026)
Impressions retired (API): April 21, 2025

Six kinds of reel Instagram shows less

1 of 1 quote found in its source

Instagram Ranking Explained (Instagram, 2023) about.instagram.com We aim to make certain reels less visible for other reasons, such as low-resolution or watermarked reels Quote found in the source

In words

What Reels ranks on

5/5

Roughly in order, Instagram ranks reels on your activity, your history with the poster, information about the reel such as its audio, visuals and popularity, and information about the poster such as followers ¹²³. Its most important predictions are whether you will reshare a reel, watch it to the end, like it, and open its audio page ⁴. A light model picks about 100 reels, which are then ordered by a relevance score ⁵. Compare the TikTok For You feed and Watch time.

5 of 5 quotes found in their sources

Instagram Ranking Explained (Instagram, 2023) about.instagram.com The most important signals, roughly in order of importance, are: Your activity Quote found in the source
Instagram Ranking Explained (Instagram, 2023) about.instagram.com These are signals about the content within the video such as the audio track or visuals in the video, as well as popularity Quote found in the source
Instagram Ranking Explained (Instagram, 2023) about.instagram.com We consider popularity signals such as number of followers or level of engagement Quote found in the source
Instagram Ranking Explained (Instagram, 2023) about.instagram.com The most important predictions we make are how likely you are to reshare a reel, watch a reel all the way through, like it, and go to the audio page Quote found in the source
Instagram Reels Chaining AI system (Meta Transparency Center, updated 2025) transparency.meta.com the system calculates a relevance score for about 100 reels and puts them in order by this score Quote found in the source

What gets demoted

5/5

Instagram aims to make some reels less visible: low-resolution or watermarked reels, muted reels or ones with borders, reels that are mostly text, and reels already posted on Instagram ¹. Reels over 3 minutes are not recommended to people who don't follow you ². Its creator FAQ adds three tips: drop third-party watermarks, upload the highest resolution possible, and know that trending audio can affect distribution ³⁴⁵.

5 of 5 quotes found in their sources

Instagram Ranking Explained (Instagram, 2023) about.instagram.com We aim to make certain reels less visible for other reasons, such as low-resolution or watermarked reels, reels that are muted or contain borders, reels that are majority text, or reels that have already been posted on Instagram Quote found in the source
Instagram for Creators: Frequently Asked Questions creators.instagram.com We recommend videos to unconnected audiences that are 3 minutes or less Quote found in the source
Instagram for Creators: Frequently Asked Questions creators.instagram.com The 3rd party watermark on your reel may be impacting its reach Quote found in the source
Instagram for Creators: Frequently Asked Questions creators.instagram.com Upload the highest resolution possible Quote found in the source
Instagram for Creators: Frequently Asked Questions creators.instagram.com Using trending audio can also impact distribution Quote found in the source

Originality and views, 2024 to 2026

5/5

In 2024 Instagram stopped recommending accounts that mostly repost others' reels, and in April 2026 it extended the rule to photos and carousels; an account becomes eligible again once most of what it posted over 30 days is original ¹². Instagram says 75% of its US recommendations now come from original posts ³. In January 2025 its insights API added a views metric, and impressions and plays were retired for all versions on April 21, 2025 ⁴⁵.

5 of 5 quotes found in their sources

Rewarding original creators on Instagram (Instagram for Creators, 2026) creators.instagram.com The same protections we introduced to reels in 2024 will now apply to photos and carousels Quote found in the source
Rewarding original creators on Instagram (Instagram for Creators, 2026) creators.instagram.com can become eligible again when most of their recently posted photos, carousels, and reels are considered original in a 30-day period Quote found in the source
Rewarding original creators on Instagram (Instagram for Creators, 2026) creators.instagram.com with 75% of recommendations in the US now coming from original posts Quote found in the source
Instagram Platform changelog (Meta for Developers) developers.facebook.com Introducing the following metrics field for media and user insights: * `views` Quote found in the source
Instagram Platform changelog (Meta for Developers) developers.facebook.com Will apply to all versions April 21, 2025._ * `clips_replays_count` on media insights * `ig_reels_aggregated_all_plays_count` on media insights * `impressions` on media and user insights * `plays` on media insights Quote found in the source