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    Beginner
    3 min read 5 stepsApril 19, 2026Verified April 2026

    How to Watch and Enjoy Instagram Reels

    Instagram Reels are short videos — funny, informative, or heartwarming — that play automatically. Here's how to browse them and control what you see.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Social Media
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    3 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    instagram
    reels
    short video
    social media
    beginners
    tips

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Find the Reels tab
    2. 2.Browse and swipe through Reels
    3. 3.Like, comment, and share
    4. 4.Tell Instagram what you like (and don't like)
    5. 5.Mute or adjust volume
    1

    Find the Reels tab

    ~18s
    Open Instagram and look at the bottom navigation bar. Tap the icon that looks like a movie clapperboard (or a triangle inside a circle, depending on your app version). This opens the dedicated Reels feed.

    Quick Tip

    You can also find Reels on the Explore tab (the magnifying glass icon) or mixed into your regular Home feed.

    2

    Browse and swipe through Reels

    ~15s
    Reels play automatically as you open the feed. Swipe up with your finger to move to the next Reel, or swipe down to go back to one you already watched. Videos loop automatically until you swipe away.
    3

    Like, comment, and share

    ~17s
    On the right side of each Reel, you'll see icons: a heart (like), a speech bubble (comment), a paper airplane (share), and three dots (more options). Tap the heart to like a Reel. To share it, tap the paper airplane and choose a friend from your contacts to send it to.
    4

    Tell Instagram what you like (and don't like)

    ~16s
    Instagram customizes your Reels based on what you interact with. Tap the heart on videos you enjoy to see more like them. Tap the three dots on a Reel you dislike and choose "Not Interested" or "Hide" to see fewer like it.
    5

    Mute or adjust volume

    ~20s
    Reels play with sound by default. Tap once anywhere on the video to mute it; tap again to unmute. You can also use your phone's physical volume buttons to adjust the level while a Reel is playing.

    Quick Tip

    If you find Reels overwhelming, you can also scroll past them in your regular Home feed without opening the Reels tab at all.

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    Instagram Reels are short videos — anywhere from a few seconds to three minutes long — that play automatically as you scroll. They can be funny clips, cooking demonstrations, travel highlights, or news from people and organizations you follow. Many people find Reels are the most engaging part of Instagram.

    You don't have to post Reels to enjoy them. You can scroll through them entirely as a viewer and Instagram will learn what kinds of videos you like based on which ones you watch all the way through, which ones you skip, and which ones you tap the heart icon on.

    To find Reels, tap the movie clapperboard icon at the bottom of the Instagram app. This opens the Reels feed, which plays videos one after another. Swipe up to move to the next video or swipe down to go back. If a video is too loud, tap anywhere on the screen to mute it, or tap again to unmute.

    If you see a Reel you enjoy: - Tap the heart icon to like it (Instagram will show you more like it) - Tap the speech bubble to leave a comment - Tap the paper airplane icon to share it with a friend via Direct Message - Tap the three dots to save it, download it, or tell Instagram you don't want to see this type of content

    You can also find Reels mixed in on your regular Home feed from accounts you follow. They look the same as regular posts but play automatically.

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    instagram
    reels
    short video
    social media
    beginners
    tips

    Official Resources

    Facebook Help CenterAARP Social Media GuideFTC — Social Media Safety

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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    How to Watch and Enjoy Instagram Reels — Step-by-Step Guide | TekSure