Instagram Launches Feed of Reels Friends Are Engaging With to Foster Connection Over Content
Instagram has rolled out a dedicated feed of Reels showcasing content your friends have engaged with. When users visit the Reels tab, they will see a pill-shaped icon featuring a few accounts they’re connected with. Tapping it redirects them to a feed of Reels their friends have interacted with through likes and Notes. Users can scroll through this feed, watch videos, and access a reply bar at the bottom to start a conversation with friends who have engaged with the Reel.
This feature is launching in the US, but likely to expand to other regions in the future.
Why It Matters: Instagram’s focus this year is on creativity and connection, and this feature leans into the latter. By showing users the content their friends are engaging with and offering an easy way to reply via direct messages, which have become a major channel for discovery and content consumption, Instagram fosters more social and interactive discovery.
That said, knowing others can see what they like might change how users interact with Reels. In today’s social and political climate, engaging with certain content could have unintended consequences for relationships, whether with close friends or broader online connections.
