Instagram Friends Tab: What It Shows and How to Hide Likes

If you've noticed a new word at the top of your Reels screen, that's the Friends tab. It turns Reels into something closer to a group chat: instead of only seeing what the algorithm picks, you see what the people you know are watching and reacting to. Here's what it shows, how to use it, and how to keep your own activity out of it.

What the Friends tab shows

Meta describes Friends as a tab in Reels where you can see public content your friends have interacted with. In practice that means:

• Reels your friends have liked.
• Reels they've commented on.
• Reels they've reposted or created.
• Recommendations from any Blends you've started with friends.

The point is conversation. When you spot a reel a friend liked, you can message them about it straight away, which is how Instagram wants Reels to feel more social.

How to open the Friends tab

1. Open Instagram and tap the Reels icon.
2. At the top of the screen, tap Friends.
3. Scroll through the reels your friends have engaged with.
4. Tap Reels at the top when you want your usual feed back.

Meta says the feature started rolling out earlier and was launched globally in 2025, so if you don't see it, update the app first.

How to keep your likes out of other people's Friends tab

This is the part most people want to know. If your likes show up for friends, you might feel watched. Meta rolled out controls with the feature, including the ability to hide your own likes and comments on reels from the Friends tab, and to mute activity bubbles from specific people you follow.

What you want	Control Meta describes
Stop friends seeing reels I liked	Hide your own likes and comments on reels
Stop seeing one person's activity	Mute activity bubbles from that person
Go back to normal Reels	Tap the Reels tab at the top

Look for these options in the Friends tab itself or in your Reels settings. Menus move around between app versions, so if you can't spot them, update Instagram and check again.

Only public content appears

Meta is clear that the Friends tab shows public content your friends have interacted with. That matters both ways. You won't see reels from private accounts you can't access, and your friends' interactions with private content won't be exposed there either. It's still worth remembering that a like on a public reel is no longer as quiet as it used to be.

Friends tab vs Blend vs shared activity

Instagram now has a few features that show what you and your friends have in common. They're easy to mix up:

Feature	What it does
Friends tab	A Reels tab of public reels your friends have interacted with
Blend	A shared feed of reels you start with a friend, which can also feed the Friends tab
Shared activity	Tags, likes and comments between you and one account you follow or who follows you
Reposts	Public reels and posts you share to a separate tab on your profile

Shared activity is the most private of these. You open someone's profile, tap Options and choose See shared activity. Instagram says it's only available when one or both accounts follow each other.

Why is the Friends tab missing?

• Old app version. Update Instagram, then close and reopen it.
• Gradual rollout. Meta rolled the tab out in stages before the global launch, so accounts didn't all get it on the same day.
• Few friends to show. If you don't follow many people who follow you back, there may be little to fill the tab.

Is it useful for creators and businesses?

For creators, the Friends tab is another way for a reel to travel. When someone likes your reel, it can now be seen by their friends in this tab, on top of any recommendations Instagram makes. Reposts work the same way: Meta says reposted content is credited to the original poster and may be recommended to the reposter's followers. Content people want to share with a friend, like a relatable joke or a handy tip, benefits most.

Want to see how your reels are doing after you post? Here's how to edit an Instagram reel after posting, and if you're wondering how private the rest of your activity is, read whether Instagram monitors your DMs.

Tips for using the Friends tab well

• Use it to start chats. Seeing a reel a friend liked is an easy reason to message them, which is the whole idea of the tab.
• Mute rather than unfollow. If one person's activity floods the tab, muting their activity bubbles keeps the friendship and clears the noise.
• Start a Blend. If you and a friend share a sense of humour, a Blend gives you a joint feed and feeds the Friends tab with picks you'll both enjoy.
• Check your likes before you tap. On public reels, a like can now be seen by friends unless you've hidden your activity.

My verdict

The Friends tab makes Reels more social by showing you what your friends are enjoying, and it's a handy conversation starter. If you'd rather keep your taste in reels to yourself, use the control to hide your own likes and comments, and mute anyone whose activity you don't want filling your feed.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Friends tab on Instagram Reels?

It's a tab at the top of Reels that shows public reels your friends have liked, commented on, reposted or created, plus recommendations from Blends you've started.

Can my friends see the reels I like?

They can see public reels you've interacted with in their Friends tab, unless you use the control to hide your own likes and comments.

How do I get back to normal Reels?

Tap the Reels tab at the top of the screen to return to your usual Reels feed.

Why is the Friends tab missing on my Instagram?

Update the app first. Meta rolled the tab out gradually before launching it globally in 2025.