Does Instagram Count Your Own Views In 2023? Know The Facts Here!

They often ask me how many times I watch my own reels. And well, I don’t keep a count. There’s something appealing about watching the reels you made. It hits differently. Reviewing the comments that people have left on your post, obsessively counting the views you received. But does Instagram count your own views when it totals the number of views your reels have received? Because if it does, then I’m sure you at least own 1k views on your reels yourself. But, just to be sure, you need to read this article till the end. 

Does Instagram Count Your Own Views Or Not?? Read This To Know For Sure!

People say all kinds of things when they find out that you watch your own reels and stories. Some say that it can be harmful to your growth. But how? Well, they don’t tell you that. For some, watching reels that you create is okay. In fact, they even think that they are increasing their views by doing so! But is it really so? Having all kinds of information on this matter doesn’t really help much. You need a definitive answer. 

So, does Instagram count your own views or not? Well, you will have to read this article till the end to find out; keep scrolling!

Does Instagram Count Your Own Views?

Gettings thousands (or even hundreds) of views on your Instagram reels and stories is no easy feat. But, the thrill of receiving a large number of views is incomparable. Plus, the number of views is often used as a metric to determine how successful you are on the gram. More views translate to more success.  

And so, a lot of people resort to watching their own reels just to have more views. But does this actually increase their overall view count or not? Well, to understand this, you will first have to see what counts as a view on Instagram. 

What Is A View On Instagram?

When a reel of yours, regardless of its length, is watched by someone for more than 3 seconds, it garners a view. When someone watches your reel for anything lesser than 3 seconds, it doesn’t count. Let’s say they are mindlessly scrolling through their reels and don’t pause to watch yours for even half a second, then, your reel showing up in their feed isn’t going to count. And so, neither is it going to help you with your engagement nor your views. 

It is said that the same thing applies to your stories as well. People really need to view your stories for at least 3 seconds for their view count. If they simply keep tapping to get past them, then it is not going to count even as a single view. 

Do Your Views Count?

Now, coming back to your question, does Instagram count your own views? Well, if you watch your reels or stories for more than 3 seconds, then it is going to count as a view. And so, yes, watching your own reels does help in increasing your view count. 

You can test the same by creating a private account for yourself on Instagram and uploading a random video on it. Make sure that you don’t have any followers so that they don’t get to see the video. Then, watch the video by yourself multiple times. However, make sure that you’re watching the video for more than 3  seconds each time. 

You will notice that by doing so, your video does get views. One view for every three seconds watched.

Should You Watch Your Own Reels?

Watching your own reels sound like the solution to getting more views, right? You won’t have to depend on anyone to engage with your reels so that it reaches more people. You won’t have to ask anyone to share your reels for more views. That would be so cool. 

But, will it really matter in the long run? Although you’ll be watching your own reels multiple times, the engagement (likes, comments, etc.) is still going to be low. Since this is going to be low, your content is not going to reach people. Instagram is not going to push your reels for your growth if you’re going to watch them yourself to increase your view count. 

Plus, you should also know that the view count on Instagram isn’t always accurate. Likes, comments, saves, and shares, are still going to be a more important metric and determinant of your growth in comparison to views. 

So, instead of being so worried about view count, you should focus on creating quality content, posting at the right time, using the right caption, the right hashtags, etc. This way, growth and views will surely follow! 

Final Words

Alright then, you’ve finally scrolled to the bottom of this article! So, does Instagram count your own views? Well, I hope you’ve been able to arrive at an answer of your own! But, to sum the article up: Yes, watching your own reels does help in increasing your view count, however this is not something you should be doing! If you like to watch your reels again and again, then it would be better to download them to your device and watch it offline! Now, if you have any more doubts about the topic, please feel free to drop them below!