How to Delete Instagram Reels Watch History (and Reset Reels)
To delete Instagram Reels watch history, open your profile, tap the menu, go to Your activity and look for Watch history, then select the Reels you want gone and remove them. If your app doesn't show a Watch history option yet, the next best move is Settings > Content preferences > Reset suggested content, which clears the recommendations Instagram built from what you watched. Clearing search history and tapping "Not interested" finishes the job.
If you're clearing your Reels history because the feed knows you a little too well, Brainrot Test shows how deep that scrolling habit goes and gives you a two-minute drill a day to shrink it: Check my brainrot.
Can you delete Reels watch history?
Short answer: yes in newer versions of Instagram, and partly in all of them.
Instagram has been adding a Reels Watch history view inside Your activity, where you can see Reels you've watched and remove them. Not every account or app version shows it at the same time, so if you can't find it, you're not doing anything wrong.
Here's what you can clear no matter what:
| What you can clear | Where it lives | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Reels watch history (if available) | Your activity > Watch history | Removes past Reels from your history |
| Search history | Your activity > Recent searches | Removes past searches |
| Suggested content | Settings > Content preferences > Reset suggested content | Restarts Explore, Reels and feed recommendations |
| Individual topics | "Not interested" on any Reel | Shows you fewer like it |
| Likes and saves | Your activity > Likes; your Saved folder | Removes signals you gave by liking or saving |
Menu names shift between updates. If something has moved, use the search bar at the top of Instagram's Settings.
Steps on iPhone and Android
The steps are almost identical on both. The only difference is where the menu icon sits.
How to check Instagram Reels history
- Open Instagram and tap your profile picture (bottom right).
- Tap the menu (three lines, top right).
- Tap Your activity.
- Look for Watch history. If it's there, tap it to see Reels you've watched.
How to delete Instagram watch history
- In Watch history, tap Select (on some versions, tap and hold a Reel).
- Choose the Reels you want to remove, or select all.
- Tap Delete or Remove and confirm.
On Android, the icons look slightly different, but the path is the same: profile > menu > Your activity > Watch history.
If you don't see Watch history
Your account may not have the feature yet. Update Instagram from the App Store or Google Play and check again. Meanwhile, use the reset below, which does more to change your feed anyway.
Clear search and suggested content
Watch history is only one of the signals Instagram uses. Your searches matter too.
How to clear Instagram search history
- Profile > menu > Your activity.
- Tap Recent searches.
- Tap Clear all and confirm.
You can also swipe on a single search to remove just that one.
Unlike and unsave
If you've liked or saved a lot of Reels in a topic you want less of, go to Your activity > Likes and remove some, and clean out old items in your Saved folder. Both tell Instagram what you want to see.
Reset your Reels suggestions
This is the strongest tool for anyone wondering how to reset Instagram Reels.
- Go to Settings (profile > menu).
- Tap Content preferences.
- Tap Reset suggested content.
- Read the screen, then confirm.
Instagram then clears the recommendations it built for Explore, Reels and your feed. It may also offer to show accounts you follow so you can unfollow any you don't want shaping your feed anymore.
After a reset, your Reels will feel random and a bit off for a few days. That's the point: the algorithm is starting to learn again, and you get to teach it differently.
What changes after you clear it
Deleting Instagram watch history and resetting suggestions does change things, but not everything.
What changes:
- Your past Reels no longer show in your history.
- Explore and Reels feel less tuned to your old habits for a while.
- You may see more general, popular content at first.
What doesn't change:
- The accounts you follow still shape your feed.
- Your DMs, including Reels friends sent you, stay.
- Instagram keeps learning from everything you do next. Watch the same type of Reels for three days and you'll be right back where you started.
That last part is the big one. Clearing your history is a fresh start, not a force field.
Keep your feed from sliding back
The first few days after a reset are when your new feed gets built. What you watch now matters most.
- Tap "Not interested" on any Reel you don't want more of. Three dots > Not interested.
- Don't linger. Pausing on a Reel, even without liking it, is a signal. Swipe past things you don't want fast, or better, close the app.
- Follow accounts you actually want, like hobbies, school subjects or friends, so the algorithm has good signals.
- Use the Following feed. Tap the Instagram logo at the top of your home feed and pick Following to see only people you follow.
- Set a daily limit in Your activity > Time spent so a fresh feed doesn't turn into fresh hours.
If you want to cut back on Reels overall, not just clean them up, our guide on how to quit Instagram Reels addiction has a seven-step plan. For the same problem on TikTok, see how to quit TikTok addiction without deleting.
The catch is that a clean feed only stays clean if your habits change too, and it's hard to tell from inside the app whether they are.
Brainrot Test tracks the habit, not just the feed. Your 17-question score shows how much of your day scrolling takes right now, one two-minute drill a day takes a point off, and a re-check every Sunday shows whether your fresh start is actually sticking. Check my brainrot
Pair your fresh feed with a fresh score
You just learned how to delete Instagram Reels watch history and reset what Reels shows you. Take Brainrot Test now to get a brainrot score from 0 to 100, a tier and your rank against everyone else who has taken it, so you can see if your new feed comes with a new habit.
FAQ
How do I see Reels I watched on Instagram?
Go to your profile, tap the menu, then Your activity, and look for Watch history. If it isn't there, update the app; the feature may not have reached your account yet.
Does clearing Instagram watch history reset my Reels?
It helps, but the stronger tool is Reset suggested content in Settings > Content preferences. That clears the recommendations Instagram built for your Explore, Reels and feed.
How do I clear Instagram search history?
Go to profile > menu > Your activity > Recent searches and tap Clear all. You can also remove single searches one at a time.
Can other people see my Instagram Reels watch history?
Watch history is shown in your own Your activity section, not on your profile. Things you do publicly, like comments, are a different story, so treat those as visible.
Why does my Reels feed go back to the same stuff after a reset?
Instagram keeps learning from what you watch, pause on and like. If you go back to the same kinds of Reels, the feed rebuilds itself around them, so use "Not interested" and follow new accounts in the first few days.