Instagram Starts to Display Share Counts for Reels Content

Source: Matt Navarra/Twitter

Instagram has begun displaying share counts for Reels to some users. When viewing a Reel, users can now see the number of times it has been shared, along with the number of likes and comments.

Why it Matters: Creators and brands can use this additional metric to gauge the success of their Reels content. A high number of shares can indicate how well it resonates with viewers. TikTok has long displayed the number of shares for videos, which is likely why Instagram started doing the same. Twitter's recent display of the number of Bookmarks a tweet gets may have also influenced this change.

Instagram has also recently consolidated all Reels sharing options into a single location. Previously, users could only share Reels via direct messages by clicking on the share icon. To share Reels outside of Instagram, users had to click the three dots icon. Now, by clicking on the Share icon, which contains all of the sharing capabilities, users can share Reels via direct messages or on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Twitter. This consolidation provides a better user experience and makes it more likely that users will share Reels with others.