Instagram Will Let Your Friends See Which Reels You’ve Liked

INSTAGRAM REELS:

Instagram is reintroducing one of its more controversial features, reworked for the short-form video era. A new tab in the Reels feed will now display videos liked or commented on by a user’s friends, as announced by Instagram leader Adam Mosseri in a video message. This feature will allow users to see which friends have liked a particular Reel, reviving elements from the old Instagram “activity” feed that was removed in 2019.

Mosseri emphasized that the aim is to make Instagram not just a place for consuming content but also a space where users can connect with friends over shared content. In this new feed, users will be able to see which of their friends have liked a post or left a temporary “note” on a Reel.

However, this could be uncomfortable for some users, especially those who don’t want their friends to see every video they’ve liked, particularly when these likes may be less socially shareable (like niche or personal content).

While platforms like X (formerly Twitter) have opted to hide liked posts to protect user privacy, Instagram’s move may encourage drama and increase engagement in the Reels feed, but it might also deter users who prefer keeping their activity private. Meta has not yet clarified whether users will be able to opt-out of showing their liked activity in the new Reels feed. As Instagram looks to compete with TikTok, this new feature could have both positive and negative impacts on the user experience.