Instagram users like Instagram Reels because they have short bits of information, entertainment, and inspiration. But, unlike the mobile app, the desktop version only lets subscribers see Reels through their profiles. There are ways around this, though, and you can use a desktop to use the mobile app version of Reels.
How to Watch Instagram Reels on a Windows PC
With the desktop version, you can only look at Reels on people’s profiles. You can find a broader range of games by searching Google or using an emulator. Here’s how.
Enter a Google Search for Instagram Reels
With this method, you can find Reels about a specific topic.
- Go to Google.com.
- In the search box, type SITE: InstagramReel. There will be a list of tens of thousands of Instagram Reel results.
- Now place your cursor at the end of the search query you’ve just entered and hit the space bar twice.
- Type in your Reel topic of interest besides the query, for example, SITE: InstagramReel dancing.
- Click Enter, then click on a result to go to Instagram.com and see the Reel footage.
Use BlueStacks 5 Emulator
You can also use an Emulator to access the mobile app version of Reels from your PC if you don’t want to use Google to find it. Emulators like GameLoop, LD Player, MEmu Player, and BlueStacks 5 are available. Installing an Android emulator like BlueStacks 5 lets you watch Instagram Reels on your PC without any problems.
BlueStacks will work well on your computer if it meets these requirements.
- Windows 7 or higher
- Intel or AMD Processor
- At least 2GB of memory
- 5GB Free Disk Space
- Graphics card driver that is up-to-date
Download and Install BlueStacks
- Go to the BlueStacks 5 for Windows 11 page on the official website.
- Click the Download BlueStacks button in the upper right corner. The setup file for BlueStacks will download.
- Right-click on the setup file to Run as administrator.
- From the BlueStacks setup window, you can click Install Now or Update. The installation of the BlueStacks 5 Emulator will now begin.
- The Emulator will start up once the installation is done.
Install Instagram App in BlueStacks
- When you open BlueStacks, the Play Store icon will be on the home screen.
- Sign in to your Google account after clicking on it
- Find the Instagram app, then put it on your phone.
- Once installed, open Instagram, then signs in.
How to Watch Instagram Reels
If you have BlueStacks on your PC, you can watch Instagram Reels on your phone. There are several quick ways to get to and watch a Reel. Here are three of them.
- Go through your feed until you find a Reels video.
The icon will show up in the bottom left corner of the video. Tap it to start watching. - Alternatively, tap the magnifying glass icon to the “Explore” feed.
At the top of the screen should be a large Reels video.
To see more Reels videos, tap “Reels” and swipe down. - Or, if you have posted Reels, you can watch them by tapping the “Reels” icon on your profile page.
How to Watch Instagram Reels on a Mac
When accessing Reels using the desktop, you can only view Reels by opening subscribers’ profiles instead of browsing for Reels. But you can get the mobile app experience on your Mac by searching for Reels on Google or installing an Emulator.
- Enter a Search Query in Google
- Find your way to Google.com.
- Enter the following into the search box SITE: InstagramReel.
- Put the cursor at the end of the search query and hit the space bar twice.
5. Type a Reels topic of interest next to the query. For example, for Reels about “dancing,” the real question should read SITE: InstagramReel dancing.
6. Hit Enter, then click on a result to watch it on Instagram.com.
Use BlueStacks 5 Emulator
If you don’t want to use Google, you can use BlueStacks 5 Emulator to make your computer act like an Android phone so you can use Instagram’s mobile app. Other Android Emulators include GameLoop, MEmu Player, and LD Player. BlueStacks for macOS is easy to set up and will work well if your Mac meets these system requirements.
- macOS 10.12 (Sierra)
- Intel or AMD Dual-Core processor
- More than Intel HD 5200
- 4 GB RAM
- 8 GB of available disk space
Download and Install BlueStacks
- Visit the official BlueStacks website, then click the Download BlueStacks for Mac button.
- After you’ve downloaded the installer file, double-click it to open it.
- To start the installation, double-click on the BlueStacks icon in the BlueStacks Installer window.
- The BlueStacks Installer will ask you to confirm that you want to use it. Click Open to continue.
- Click Install Now in the new BlueStacks window.
- Your username and password will need to be checked. Fill in the information that is asked for, and then click on Install Helper.
- In the pop-up window that says “System Extension Blocked,” click on “Open Security & Privacy.”
- In the Security & Privacy settings window from the General tab, click on Allow.
- Do the following if you’re using macOS 11 Big Sur:
- Click on Restart to reboot your Mac. If you get a message that says “BlueStacks was interrupted,” click “Cancel” and then close BlueStacks.
- Go to the Security & Privacy menu, then Restart.
- Open the BlueStacks app using macOS 10.15 Catalina or a lower version.
Install Instagram App in BlueStacks
- Open Play Store in BlueStacks.
- Sign in to your account on Google.
- Find the Instagram app by searching for it, then install it.
4. Open Instagram, then go to your account and sign in.
5. If you can’t find the Reels icon, try closing and reopening Instagram.
How to Watch Instagram Reels
With BlueStacks, you can use Instagram Reels just like you would on your phone or tablet. Here are three ways to get to Reels videos quickly.
- Check your feed until you find a video from Reels. To watch the video, tap the Reels icon in the screen’s bottom left corner.
- Tap the magnifying glass icon to use the “Explore” feature of the feed. At the top of the screen, you should see a large Reels video. Tap “Reels,” then swipe down for more videos.
- Tap the “Reels” icon on your profile page to watch your Reels.
How to Watch Instagram Reels on a Chromebook
You can use Google searches or install the BlueStacks 5 Emulator on your Chromebook to reach a broader range of Reels
Enter a Search Query in Google
- In the search box on Google.com, type SITE: InstagramReel.
- Put your cursor next to the search term and hit the space bar twice.
- Type in a topic to find the Reels videos you want to watch. For example, if you want to find dancing Reels on Instagram, your full query will be SITE: dancing reels on Instagram.
- Click on a result after you hit Enter to see the Reel on Instagram.com.
Use BlueStacks 5 Emulator
If you don’t want to use Google, you can also use an Emulator to make it feel like the Instagram app on your phone. With an Android emulator like BlueStacks 5, you can use your Chromebook to watch Instagram Reels.
Installing BlueStacks is easy once your computer has the following requirements.
- The most recent version of ChromeOS
- Intel or AMD Processor
- At least 2GB of memory
- 5GB Free Disk Space
Download and Install BlueStacks
- Go to BlueStacks.com, then click the Download BlueStacks button in the top right corner.
- Right-click on the setup file and choose “Run as administrator.”
- In the window for setting up BlueStacks, click Install Now. The BlueStacks 5 Emulator will start the process of installation.
- BlueStacks will start up once the installation is done.
Install Instagram App in BlueStacks
- The “Play Store” icon should be on the home screen of the BlueStacks app.
- Click on it to sign in to your Google account.
- Find the Instagram app by searching for it, then install it.
- Launch Instagram to sign in once it’s been set up.
How to Watch Instagram Reels
In BlueStacks, you’ll benefit from the mobile app version of Instagram Reels with quick access to them; here are three ways.
- Browse through your feed until you find a Reels video you like. Then, to watch the video, tap the icon in the screen’s bottom left corner.
- Click on the magnifying glass to get to the “Explore” feed. A large Reels video should be shown at the top of the screen. To see more Reels videos, tap “Reels” and swipe down.
- You can watch the Reels you’ve created by tapping the “Reels” icon on your profile page.
Time to Access Reels From Your Desktop
Instagram Reels can only be used entirely on the mobile app, and only some can be seen on the desktop.
Lucky for you, you can search Google for specific Reels videos from your desktop to get access to a more extensive selection. Or, you can use an emulator like BlueStacks 5 to make your computer act like a mobile device and install the Instagram app on your phone to see more Reels. BlueStacks used to only work on Windows but now works on macOS and ChromeOS.
Did your desktop give you access to more Reels videos? Which way did you do it? Tell us in the section below for comments.
