Facebook introduced Reels in 2020 as a way for users to create and share short, entertaining videos similar to TikTok. While many people enjoy watching Reels, others find them annoying and would prefer not to see them in their News Feed or Groups. Fortunately, Facebook does give users some options to control how often Reels appear in their feeds. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps to hide or limit Reels in both the Facebook mobile app and desktop site.
Why Do Some Facebook Users Want to Hide Reels?
There are a few key reasons why some Facebook users want to hide Reels from their feeds:
- Find Reels annoying or irrelevant – Some people simply don’t enjoy the types of short form video content that Reels showcase and find them disruptive to their News Feed.
- Prefer text-based content – Other users visit Facebook primarily for text-based content like status updates, articles, and links. Video Reels clutter up the feed for those looking to consume text-based content.
- Data usage concerns – Watching videos uses more data than simply scrolling text posts. Those with limited data plans may want to minimize video content.
- Slow internet connections – Similarly, videos can load slowly and buffer endlessly for those with slow internet speeds.
- Privacy concerns – Facebook Reels default to being public and searchable by all Facebook users. Some users may wish to limit the videos they appear in.
While Reels are quite popular with some demographics, such as teens and young adults, plenty of other Facebook users have valid reasons for wanting to remove Reels from their feeds or reduce their frequency. Luckily, Facebook provides a few ways to do this.
How to Hide Reels in the Facebook Mobile App
If you browse Facebook primarily on your iPhone, Android, or other mobile device, here are the steps to hide Reels:
- Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu icon in the bottom right corner.
- Scroll down and select “Settings & Privacy.”
- Go to “Settings.”
- Tap on “Media and Contacts.”
- Under “Reels,” tap on “Reels Notifications.”
- Select “Off.” This prevents Reels from sending you notifications.
- You can also toggle “Show Reels” to “Off” so they don’t appear in your feed at all.
Following these steps will stop Reels from popping up in your mobile News Feed. Do note that some Reels may still appear if shared directly by one of your Facebook friends or groups, but your overall exposure will be greatly reduced.
Limiting Reels in the Facebook App Feed Preferences
In addition to fully hiding Reels, you can also use Feed Preferences to see fewer Reels in your mobile News Feed:
- In the Facebook app, tap the three-line menu icon and go to “Settings & Privacy.”
- Select “Settings.”
- Choose “News Feed Preferences.”
- Scroll down to “Reels.” Use the slider to reduce the frequency Reels appear in your feed.
Adjusting this slider lets you find a middle ground where you still see some Reels content but less frequently.
How to Hide Reels on Facebook Desktop
If you primarily use Facebook through their desktop website, here is how to hide Reels:
- Log into Facebook in your desktop web browser.
- Click the down arrow at the top right and select “Settings.”
- Choose “News Feed Preferences” on the left sidebar.
- Scroll down to the “Reels” section.
- Uncheck the box next to “Show Reels.”
- Click “Confirm” to save your settings.
Now Reels will no longer show in your desktop News Feed. As with mobile, friends may still share Reels directly, but you’ll encounter them far less frequently.
Limiting Reels through Facebook Feed Filtering Extensions
Beyond Facebook’s built-in settings, browser extensions provide another option for limiting Reels and customizing your News Feed.
Extensions like News Feed Eradicator and News Feed Filter let you create filters to hide specific post types, keywords, friends, groups, and more from your News Feed.
You can use these tools to set up a filter to remove Reels and other unwanted content from your desktop News Feed. The filtering happens right in your browser instead of relying on Facebook’s built-in settings.
Using Shortcuts to Quickly Hide Reels
Both desktop and mobile Facebook provide shortcuts you can use to quickly hide a Reel rather than fully blocking the format from your feed:
- Mobile: Tap the three-dot menu on any Reel and choose “Hide all from [Page/Profile].”
- Desktop: Hover over a Reel and click the “X” icon to hide that specific Reel.
While not a comprehensive solution, utilizing these shortcuts on annoying Reels as you come across them can moderately reduce their prevalence in your feed.
Leaving Reels Groups and Pages
Part of the reason you may see so many Reels is that you’ve joined Groups or followed Pages that frequently share Reels as part of their content strategy.
Review the Groups and Pages you’ve liked or followed and leave any that primarily share Reels or other content you don’t want cluttering your feed. This helps refine the Reels showing up to be more relevant to your interests.
Why Reels May Still Appear Sometimes
Despite your best efforts to banish Reels fully from your Facebook feed, a few may still sneak through on occasion. Here are some reasons why:
- Friends directly sharing Reels – Even if you hide the format, friends can still directly share Reels to your News Feed.
- Paid promotions – Facebook sometimes includes Reels in paid promoted posts.
- Relevance to your interests – If Facebook’s algorithm detects you have an interest in travel, fitness, or other common Reels topics, it may serve up more Reels.
- Testing feed variations – Facebook constantly tests slight feed variations among users, which may surface more Reels for some.
Seeing the occasional Reel doesn’t necessarily mean your changes didn’t work. But if you notice Reels becoming more prominent again, you may need to revisit your settings or filters.
Providing Feedback to Facebook
If you strongly dislike the prevalence of Reels in your Facebook experience, let them know directly via feedback:
- User Facebook’s feedback form to request changes related to Reels.
- Submit feedback from the Facebook mobile app via Settings > Help & Support > Give Feedback.
If enough users provide consistent feedback about too many Reels in their feeds, Facebook may make adjustments to how heavily Reels are promoted.
Using Alternatives to Facebook
If Facebook’s algorithm continues showing you Reels content despite your feedback and settings tweaks, another option is spending less time on Facebook altogether. Consider directing more of your social media energy into alternative platforms like:
- Instagram – Owned by Facebook but more photo-focused and lower emphasis on Reels.
- Twitter – More text-based sharing and discussion.
- TikTok – Video-first but dedicated to the short video format.
- YouTube – Videos but tends toward longer form content.
- Reddit – Discussions and links focused around topic-based communities.
Each platform has its own format norms and algorithm biases. Sampling multiple can help you find an experience better aligned with your preferences if Facebook itself continually frustrates you.
Conclusion
While Reels are immensely popular with some Facebook users, others find the format disruptive and want to eliminate or reduce Reels in their feeds. Luckily, Facebook provides settings to hide Reels on both mobile and desktop. Third-party browser extensions offer even more granular feed filtering options. With a mix of built-in settings, extensions, feedback to Facebook, and exploring alternative platforms, you can tailor your Facebook experience to avoid Reels as much as possible. What tactics have you found most effective for hiding Reels? Let me know in the comments!