Instagram has quietly rolled out a feature that could be far more significant than it seems on the surface: creators can now link multiple Reels in a series, enabling seamless navigation from one video to the next. While it’s a feature TikTok users have enjoyed for some time, this addition represents a strategic shift in how Instagram values storytelling, discovery, and audience retention.
Until now, creators who produced multi-part content were forced to rely on prompts like “check back for part 2,” hoping viewers would manually search or stumble across sequels. That all changes today. Through a simple menu in captions or overflow settings on previously posted Reels, creators can link related videos. Viewers then see a “Next” button—nestled discreetly at the bottom left—that effortlessly moves them to the next part.
This may sound small, but it’s telling. Instagram isn’t just interested in letting users upload content. It’s aiming for narratives, for mini-series that demand engagement instead of scrolling past. They’re essentially giving creators the tools to build episodes, sagas, or tutorial chains and to keep audiences hooked.
From a user perspective, this is a welcome breath of clarity amid the chaos of random algorithmic feeds. It transforms storytelling from fragmented uploads into a coherent journey, making it easier for casual viewers to become engaged fans.
And for creators, the potential is profound. This feature unlocks new ways to structure content: crafting multipart tutorials, revealing product launches over successive Reels, or even hosting serialized entertainment that plays like micro TV episodes. Keeping viewers engaged is now just another tap away, reducing the risk that someone clicks off mid-narrative.
That said, it’s not a complete revolution yet. You still can’t link to external sites or other parts of Instagram beyond Reels. But Instagram’s angle seems clear: keep attention within the app. For now, at least, “Linked Reels” serve as a modest but meaningful bridge from one piece of content to the next. Eventually, I wouldn’t be surprised if Instagram expands this to include Stories, feed posts, or even cross-posting between formats.
What Instagram is slowly building is a new architecture of engagement—one where creators are encouraged to think in sequences, not just standalone moments. It’s less about virality and more about retained attention. If creators lean into this with discipline and creativity, this could spark a new era of storytelling on the platform.
Because the truth is, what creators need most isn’t more editing tools or filters—it’s a path. A path that turns one Reel into two, then three, and eventually through a whole storyline. If Instagram continues to make those paths smoother, they’ve achieved something far more valuable than another feature highlight—they’ve handed creators the backbone for longer arcs, more meaningful connection, and real narrative momentum.
