Improving how reels are ranked and recommended

We’ve been working hard to improve how reels are ranked and recommended on Instagram. Our goal is simple: serve the right reels to the right people at the right time. In April 2024, we announced initial updates to how we recommend reels, giving creators of all sizes a way to break through and be seen by new audiences. We’re excited to share that these changes are now fully launched, and the reels you’re recommended today are more relevant, personalized, and timely. For creators, this means you can grow more quickly as people discover you through your reels.

As a reminder, we use signals to predict which reels people might like. Signals include user activity like watch time, retention, shares, likes, and comments. We also use audience-matching techniques by looking at people with similar interests as you, because what they’re engaging with gives us a sense of what you might be into.

When you post a reel on Instagram, it’s shown to both followers and non-followers. Among non-followers, your reel is initially recommended and shown to a small audience of people we think will enjoy it. As this initial audience responds to these reels, the best-performing reels are then shown to a slightly wider audience, then the best of those are shown to an even wider group, and so on. This process is designed to level the playing field by distributing content based on its engagement, not just the creator’s follower count.

Shifting engagement behaviors

We’ve also seen changes in how people engage with content and behave on Instagram. These changes aren’t just passing trends and have already begun to shape how creators can be discovered on Instagram today. Here are some of the biggest trends we’ve noticed:

More reels and recommendations

• Global video time grew by double digit percentages year-over-year on Instagram in Q4 2024. As people spend more time on Instagram watching reels we recommend, that increases the overall amount of reach available to creators. This ultimately enables engaging creators to reach even more people and grow faster with each reel they post.
• Reels are also being recommended by friends and sent to one another, with people resharing reels over 4.5 billion times every day across Instagram and Facebook.

More growth for creators

• Recommendations help not only people dive deep into their interests but also creators get discovered by wider audiences.
• The rise in recommendations especially benefits creators who want to increase their reach and gain followers. When your content is recommended to new viewers, those people could become your future followers. Creators who regularly publish engaging reels and follow our Recommendation Guidelines are best positioned to grow.
• Recommendations also provide creators with significantly higher upside today than in the past, as your reels have a greater opportunity to go viral if they continue to resonate strongly when shown to broader audiences.

Making the most of these changes

There’s never been a better time for creators to find their audience and break out on Instagram. As people spend more time discovering and enjoying content from accounts they don’t follow, we anticipate that for creators who lean into creating recommendation-friendly content, such as reels, more of their overall reach will come from non-followers. For creators, understanding these shifts can help you create more relevant and impactful content. Here are a few other ways you can take advantage of these shifts:

• Post regularly. One of the most effective ways to grow is to post consistently. Because people often watch reels from accounts they don’t follow, every reel you post has the potential to reach a massive, new audience.
• Create content that can stand on its own. If your goal is to reach new people, your reels should make sense to those who may not know you. Start with a compelling hook in the first 3 seconds that compels people to stick around, monitor your View Rate within Insights to understand what percentage of people continue to watch after the first 3 seconds, and keep exploring relatable, shareable ideas.
• Amplify your content with audio. Incorporating audio to reels can bring them to life and grab attention with new audiences. And if you prefer photos and carousels, adding audio to your posts can also help them be shown to more people.
• Keep experimenting. Not everything you post will be a hit, but you can learn each time. Your knowledge will compound over time as you continue to stretch your creativity and see what connects with people. A great way to experiment is through trial reels which allow you to post a reel just to accounts that do not follow you, and then you can decide if you want to share it to your followers.
• Embrace unpredictability. Recommendations make it more difficult to predict the reach of every post, but it’s the best way to give all creators a fair shot. This volatility is an opportunity to explore different ideas and get in front of new people.

These updates have already helped countless creators experience explosive growth on Instagram. @pov_husband’s unique take on home cooking has connected with millions. Since the account’s creation in April 2024, @pov_husband has garnered over 1.2 billion views across reels and gone from 0 followers to over 2 million followers in less than a year.

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Learn more

For ongoing guidance and tips for making the most of Instagram in 2025, be sure to check out these resources:

• Read The Latest with Instagram for a recap of updates
• Review best practices and insights in your professional dashboard
• Follow @creators to keep up with everything in real time