If you remember liking or commenting on the Reel you’re trying to watch again, you can find it in the history of your interactions. This is where Instagram maintains a record of your recent interactions, including likes, comments, tags, sticker responses, and more, for posts and Reels you’ve engaged with.

To check your activity, tap on the profile icon in the bottom-right corner, tap on the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner, and go to “Your Activity.” Within this section, explore each interaction type to view the Reels you’ve engaged with and see if you’re fortunate enough to find the Reel you want to re-watch. If it’s not here, you probably didn’t interact with it when you first watched it. So, move on to the next option.

Find the Instagram Account That Posted the Reel

If you remember the username (or part of it) of the account that posted the Reel you want to re-watch, you may be able to find it on their page. Tap on the magnifying glass icon, enter the username you recall, and check if you can find the account in the suggested search results. If successful, navigate to the Reels posted by that account, and you should see the Reel you want to re-watch there.

If you don’t find it through a search, see if you’re following that account. Tap on the profile icon in the bottom right corner, tap “Following” next to your profile icon, and browse the list. Maybe a name will ring a bell.

Manually Search for the Reel

If you recall the caption, the music used, or the tags inserted in the Reel, you may be able to locate it using the Instagram search feature. Tap on the magnifying glass icon, enter the keyword(s) you remember from the tag, caption, or music, and perform the search.

Then, navigate to the “Audio” tab, choose the relevant song, and you’ll find recently posted Reels using that song. Check if you can find your Reel among them.

If unsuccessful, go to the “Tags” and “Reels” tabs to find the Reel with the relevant tag or the one containing the keyword in its caption. If none of these approaches are successful, brainstorm all the details you remember about that Reel and try searching for it in any browser using those details.

Download Your Instagram Account Data

Instagram allows users to download their account data, which includes details about the Reels they have watched, mainly the account name and the time the Reel was watched. With this data, you can locate the Reel you’re searching for. However, note that Instagram can take up to 30 days to make the data available for download. If you are patient enough to wait, you can request the download.

Click on “Request a Download,” followed by “Complete Copy.” Specify the date range during which you watched the Reel, provide your email for Instagram to contact you, and then click “Submit Request.” Instagram will notify you via email when your data is available, and you can check this section later to download the requested information.

To request the data through the Instagram app, tap on the profile icon in the bottom-right corner, tap on the three horizontal lines in the top-right-corner, and go to “Your Activity.” Here, scroll down and tap on “Download Your Information.” Then, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Once Instagram sends you the data, visit the same Instagram page (accessible through the link in the email) and download it. After downloading the data, open the “ads_information folder,” navigate to the “ads_and_topics” folder, and open the “videos_watched” HTML file.

Within this file, you’ll find a list of account names that posted the videos (including Reels) you’ve watched, along with the corresponding date and time. Explore Reels on these accounts, and you should be able to locate the specific Reel you are looking for.