How long does an Instagram Reel keep getting views?
Mostly the first week. A typical Reel has about 58% of its first-year views after one day, 70% after a week and 80% after a month. TikToks last much longer: about half their first-year views come after the first week.
What we found
- After 1 day: about 58% of first-year views. After a week: 70%. After a month: 80%. After 3 months: 89%.
- 71% of Reels over 3 months old were still gaining views, but slowly.
- On TikTok a typical video has only 49% of its first-year views after a week.
- So the first days decide most of a Reel's reach: post when your audience is around (mornings did best in our data).
Share of first-year views by age
| Age | TikTok | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 58% | 40% |
| 1 week | 70% | 49% |
| 1 month | 80% | 58% |
| 3 months | 89% | 66% |
| 6 months | 95% | 76% |
A typical video, from how fast videos of each age were still gaining views.
How we know: We recorded the views of 3,099 Reels twice, about a day apart, and measured how fast Reels of each age were still gaining views. Adding those rates up gives the curve for a typical Reel. It's a smaller sample than our TikTok one, so treat the later months as rough.
Related questions
Can an old Reel go viral?
It happens, but rarely: most Reels have nearly all their first-year views within a couple of months.
How many views does a Reel get in the first 24 hours?
For a typical Reel, about 58% of the views it will have after a year.
Should I repost Reels that flopped?
We didn't measure reposts, but since most Reels stop growing within weeks, a fresh upload is the only way to give an idea a second first week.