Instagram Friends Tab: How to Use, Find, and Turn Off the New Reels Feature

Instagram has been steadily shifting toward more social, collaborative discovery. One of its newest additions—the Friends tab in Reels—puts your close social circle front and center by showing you public content your friends have liked, commented on, or created, plus recommendations from Blends you’ve started together.

It’s a clear move to make Reels not just a “For You” experience, but also a “From Them” one—highlighting what the people you care about most are enjoying.

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What Is the Friends Tab on Instagram?

The Friends tab is a new section in the Reels interface where you can:

• See public Reels your friends have interacted with (likes, comments, reposts)
• Get recommendations from Blends—shared, personalized feeds you start with other users
• Spot new Reels created by friends in one place

Think of it as your friends’ activity feed for Reels, designed to spark conversation and engagement.

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How Does the Friends Tab Work?

• Location: At the very top of the Reels page, next to the standard “Reels” tab.
• Content Sources:
  • Public Reels your friends have liked or commented on
  • Reels from Blends you’ve joined
  • Your friends’ own newly posted public Reels
• Privacy Controls:
  • You can hide your own likes/comments from appearing in others’ Friends tabs
  • You can mute specific people so their activity bubbles don’t appear in your Friends feed
• Rollout: Initially tested earlier in the year; now launching globally in 2025.
  
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How to Get the Friends Tab on Instagram

If you don’t see the Friends tab yet:

1. Update Instagram to the latest version (App Store or Google Play)
2. Go to Reels—look for the “Friends” tab at the top
3. If missing, it may not be rolled out in your region yet—Instagram is enabling it gradually

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How to See Friends Tab on Instagram

1. Open Instagram
2. Tap the Reels icon at the bottom
3. At the top of the Reels feed, select Friends
4. Browse Reels from your friends’ recent activity or Blends

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How to Turn Off the Friends Tab on Instagram

While you can’t remove the tab entirely, you can control what appears in it:

• Hide your likes/comments: Settings → Privacy → Reels → “Hide activity from Friends tab”
• Mute specific people: In the Friends tab, tap their profile bubble → “Mute activity”
• Limit what you see: If you’re not interested in Friends feed suggestions, you can stick to the standard Reels tab.

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How to Remove “With Friends” Tab Content

Some users refer to it as the With Friends tab—same feature, different name in early tests.
To reduce its visibility:

• Mute users whose activity you don’t want to see
• Avoid joining Blends if you don’t want shared recommendations

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Why Instagram Added the Friends Tab

Instagram says the Friends tab aims to:

• Make Reels more personal by mixing algorithmic recommendations with real human signals
• Encourage conversations around content you and your friends enjoy
• Give creators a new path to discovery via friend-to-friend sharing

It’s part of a broader trend across social apps: blending “for you” content with “from people you know.”

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Benefits for Users and Creators

For Users:

• Discover content vetted by people you trust
• Engage more easily—commenting on the same Reels as friends
• Keep up with friends’ creative projects

For Creators:

• Your Reels can appear in more feeds if friends engage with them
• Friend-driven discovery can outperform algorithmic reach in certain niches
• Encourages “viral by network” growth

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Troubleshooting: Friends Tab Not Showing

Possible reasons:

• App not updated
• Region rollout delay
• You haven’t interacted with friends’ public Reels recently (feed may look empty)
• Instagram glitch—try logging out/in or reinstalling the app

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Best Practices for Using the Friends Tab

• Engage intentionally: Likes and comments are now more visible—use this for positive interactions.
• Protect privacy: Adjust settings if you don’t want your activity shared.
• Creators—encourage saves & likes: This boosts the odds your Reel appears in more Friends tabs.
• Start Blends strategically: Curate with people whose taste aligns with your brand or interests.

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Final Thoughts

The Friends tab is Instagram’s way of bringing trusted recommendations into the short-form video space. For casual users, it’s a social discovery tool; for creators, it’s a new distribution channel fueled by real relationships. Like any social feature, the key is knowing how to use it—and how to control it—so your feed feels inspiring, not overwhelming.

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FAQ

What is the Friends tab Instagram?‍

A Reels feed showing public content your friends have engaged with or created, plus recommendations from Blends.

How to get Friends tab on Instagram?‍

Update your app, go to Reels, and look for “Friends” at the top.

How to see Friends tab on Instagram?‍

Tap Reels → Friends at the top → browse your friends’ activity.

How does the With Friends tab on Instagram work?‍

It aggregates friends’ public Reels likes/comments/posts into one feed.

How to turn off Friends tab on Instagram?‍

You can’t remove it entirely, but you can hide your activity or mute others from appearing.

How to remove With Friends tab content?‍

Mute specific people or opt out of Blends.

Friends tab Instagram not showing—why?‍

Likely due to regional rollout or app version; update or wait for feature enablement.

Is the Friends tab the same as Close Friends?‍

No—Close Friends is for Stories; Friends tab is for Reels.