You cannot fully disable Reels, but you can hide them from your feed and reduce how often they appear

Instagram does not offer a setting to turn off Reels entirely. However, you can remove Reels from your home feed, mute them in your Stories, and tell Instagram to show you fewer Reels recommendations. The steps differ depending on whether you want to stop seeing them altogether or just see them less often.

If you use Instagram on a phone, you have more control than on a desktop browser. The mobile app lets you hide the Reels tab, adjust your feed to prioritize posts from people you follow, and mark individual Reels as uninteresting. A desktop browser shows Reels in your feed but offers fewer ways to customize what you see.

Key Takeaways

  • You can remove the Reels tab from your Instagram navigation menu by holding down on it and selecting "Remove" on both iPhone and Android.
  • Swiping left on a Reel in your feed and selecting "Not interested" teaches Instagram's algorithm to show you fewer similar videos.
  • Switching your feed to "Favorites" mode shows only posts from accounts you have marked as favorites, which excludes most Reels.
  • On desktop, you cannot hide Reels from your feed, but you can scroll past them or mute individual videos.
  • Instagram may restore the Reels tab or show Reels in your feed again after app updates or account changes.

Removing the Reels tab from your navigation menu

The Reels tab appears as a film-strip icon in the bottom navigation bar on iPhone and Android. To remove it, press and hold the Reels icon until a menu appears, then tap "Remove." This hides the dedicated Reels section but does not stop Reels from showing up in your main feed.

After you remove the tab, you will still see Reels mixed into your home feed between regular posts. If you want to prevent that, you need to use a separate step to adjust your feed settings. Removing the tab is most useful if you simply do not want a shortcut to browse Reels by category.

Switching to Favorites feed to see fewer Reels

Instagram's "Favorites" feed shows only posts from accounts you have marked as favorites. To create a Favorites list, go to your profile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select "Favorites," and add accounts. Once you have a Favorites list, you can switch to that feed by tapping the Instagram logo at the top of your home feed and selecting "Favorites" from the dropdown.

The Favorites feed contains mostly regular posts and Stories from the accounts you chose. Reels still appear occasionally, but far less often than in your main feed. This is the closest you can get to disabling Reels without leaving Instagram entirely, because it lets you control exactly whose content you see.

Telling Instagram you are not interested in specific Reels

When a Reel appears in your feed, swipe left on it and tap "Not interested." You can also tap the three dots in the top right corner of the Reel and select "Not interested" from the menu. Each time you do this, Instagram's algorithm learns that you do not want to see similar videos.

This method works best if you do this repeatedly over time. Instagram does not immediately stop showing you Reels, but it gradually shifts what it recommends based on your feedback. If you mark dozens of Reels as uninteresting, you will notice fewer Reels in your feed within a few days.

Muting Reels in your Stories settings

You can prevent Reels from appearing in your Stories feed separately from your main feed. Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, select "Settings and privacy," then "Notifications," and toggle off "Reels." This stops Reels from showing up in the Stories section at the top of your feed, though they will still appear in your main feed below.

This setting is useful if you want to keep your Stories feed clean but do not mind seeing Reels elsewhere. It does not affect how many Reels show up in your home feed or in the Explore page.

What happens on desktop and web browsers

If you use Instagram on a computer or tablet through a web browser, you cannot remove the Reels tab or switch to a Favorites-only feed. Reels appear in your home feed mixed with regular posts, and you can only scroll past them or mute individual videos by clicking the three dots and selecting "Not interested."

Desktop Instagram has fewer customization options overall. If hiding Reels matters to you, using the mobile app gives you significantly more control. You can also use browser extensions on desktop that hide certain elements of Instagram, though these are not made by Instagram and may stop working after app updates.

Why Instagram may restore Reels after updates

Instagram regularly updates its app and sometimes resets user settings. After a major update, the Reels tab may reappear in your navigation menu even if you removed it before. You may also notice more Reels in your feed than usual after an update, because Instagram resets some of your "Not interested" feedback.

If this happens, you can remove the Reels tab again and repeat the process of marking Reels as uninteresting. Instagram does not announce these resets in advance, so checking your settings after an update is the best way to catch them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Instagram bring back Reels if I delete and reinstall the app?

Yes. Reinstalling the app resets many of your customizations, including the removal of the Reels tab. After reinstalling, you will need to remove the Reels tab again and rebuild your "Not interested" feedback by marking Reels as uninteresting.

Can I hide Reels on Instagram without using the mobile app?

Not fully. Desktop and web browsers do not have the option to remove the Reels tab or switch to a Favorites feed. You can only scroll past Reels or mark individual ones as uninteresting. For the most control, you need to use the iPhone or Android app.

Does marking a Reel as "not interested" affect what the creator sees?

No. The creator does not receive a notification that you marked their Reel as uninteresting. It only affects what Instagram shows you in the future. The creator can still see their view count and engagement, but they cannot see individual users who were not interested.

What is the difference between removing the Reels tab and hiding Reels from my feed?

Removing the Reels tab hides the dedicated section where you can browse Reels by category. Hiding Reels from your feed prevents them from appearing mixed in with your regular posts. You can do both, but they are separate actions that work on different parts of Instagram.

If I add an account to my Favorites list, will they know?

No. Adding someone to your Favorites list is private. They cannot see that you marked them as a favorite, and it does not change how your posts appear to them or affect your relationship on Instagram.