How to See Friends' Liked Reels on Instagram (2025 Guide)

Instagram Reels have become one of the most popular ways to consume and share content on social media. Millions of users scroll through short, entertaining videos every day, and the “like” feature plays a huge role in showing appreciation for a Reel. Naturally, you might wonder: can you see which Reels your friends have liked on Instagram?

The answer isn’t as straightforward as it once was. Over the years, Instagram has changed its privacy and activity settings to protect user data. Features that once allowed you to easily track friends’ activity have either been removed or redesigned. Still, there are some tricks, workarounds, and smart methods to check the kind of Reels your friends interact with most.

In this detailed guide, we’ll cover:

Whether it’s possible to see friends’ liked Reels on Instagram in 2025
How Instagram’s activity tracking works now
Workarounds and alteatives to view similar Reels your friends engage with
Privacy conces you should be aware of
FAQs about likes, Reels, and Instagram engagement

By the end, you’ll know exactly what’s possible, what’s not, and the safest ways to keep up with your friends’ Instagram activity.

Can You Still See Friends’ Likes on Instagram?

A few years ago, Instagram had a “Following” tab in the Activity Feed. This allowed you to see exactly what your friends were liking, commenting on, and following in real-time. However, Instagram removed this feature in October 2019 due to privacy conces.

That means:

You cannot directly see a list of all the Reels or posts your friends have liked anymore.
Instagram wants to prioritize personalized recommendations rather than showing you others’ activity.

So, unlike older versions of Instagram, there’s no official setting that lets you open your friend’s profile and check their “Likes” tab.

But — don’t worry. While you can’t see likes directly, there are indirect methods that can help you discover which Reels your friends might be engaging with.

1. Check Reels That Your Friends Commented On

One of the easiest ways to see what your friends like is by checking where they leave comments.

Open your Instagram feed or explore page.
Tap into Reels that show up.
If your friend has commented, it will be visible under the post.

This method isn’t as direct as “likes,” but friends often comment on Reels they really enjoy, which gives you insight into their activity.

2. Follow Suggested Reels Based on Your Network

Instagram’s algorithm heavily relies on your social graph — meaning it shows you Reels based on who you follow and interact with. If your friend is frequently liking or engaging with certain Reels, chances are:

Instagram will suggest similar Reels to you on the Explore page.
The “Suggested for You” feed will include Reels liked by people you follow.

This isn’t always 100% accurate, but it’s the closest official method Instagram currently provides.

3. Use the “Following” List on Reels Creators

If your friend likes a particular creator’s content often, you might notice:

They follow that creator.
They watch and engage with their Reels regularly.

To check this:

Visit your friend’s profile.
Tap Following.
Browse the list of accounts they follow.
Open those creators’ profiles to see their recent Reels.

This gives you a sense of which content your friend might be enjoying.

4. Directly Ask or Share Reels

Sometimes the simplest method is the most effective:

Friends often share Reels they like directly via DM (Direct Message).
You can start a Reel-sharing habit — if you share funny, interesting, or trending Reels with your friend, they’ll likely do the same in retu.

This creates a shared Reels library between you and your close friends.

5. Third-Party Apps and Why to Avoid Them

There are many apps and websites that claim to show you what your friends like on Instagram. They often advertise features like “track your friend’s activity” or “see who liked what.”

âš ï¸ However, be careful:

Most of these apps are unsafe and may steal your data.
Instagram’s policies strictly prohibit sharing your login with third-party services.
Using them could result in your account being suspended.

Instead of risking your privacy, stick with the safe, official methods described above.

Privacy Conces

Instagram removed the “Following Activity” tab because many users felt uncomfortable having their every like and comment displayed. Likes on Reels are still public (anyone can see the number of likes), but the detailed breakdown of who liked what is not accessible to friends anymore.

This shift is part of Instagram’s larger trend toward:

More private interactions (DMs, Close Friends stories).
Less emphasis on public activity tracking.

So while it might feel limiting, it also respects your privacy as a user.

FAQs About Friends’ Liked Reels

Q: Can I see exactly which Reels my friend liked?
A: No, Instagram no longer allows you to see a full list of posts or Reels your friends have liked.

Q: Can I see likes if I go to a Reel directly?
A: Yes, you can tap on the likes count and see a list of people who liked that specific Reel. If your friend’s name is on the list, you’ll know they liked it.

Q: Will Instagram bring back the Following Activity tab?
A: Highly unlikely. Instagram is focused on privacy and won’t retu to the old system.

Q: Are third-party apps safe for tracking likes?
A: No, avoid them. They violate Instagram’s terms of service and can compromise your account security.

Conclusion

In 2025, there’s no direct way to see all the Reels your friends liked on Instagram. The platform values privacy and removed the Following Activity tab years ago.

However, you can still get a good sense of what your friends enjoy by:

Checking their comments.
Looking at suggested Reels.
Exploring creators they follow.
Building a habit of sharing Reels with each other.

If you truly want to know what your friend likes, the safest option is to interact naturally and share content directly. Avoid third-party tracking apps at all costs.

At the end of the day, Instagram Reels are about fun, creativity, and connection — so focus on enjoying the content and creating meaningful interactions with your friends.