Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Amazon Prime Day
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
Apple Watch Series 10
Smartwatches I've been wearing an Apple Watch for 10 years, and it changed me in ways I never expected
An image of the iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Control
iPhone I finally found a use for Camera Control on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, but in the weirdest way possible
Instagram
iPad Instagram could finally get an iPad app soon – but here’s a workaround while you wait
Apple WatchOS
Smartwatches watchOS 26: these are the 6 big updates coming to your Apple Watch soon – including an AI Workout Buddy and a Notes app
Instagram Blend lead
Instagram Latest Instagram feature asks if you’re ready to reveal your innermost Reel personality to your besties
Apple Watch OS 26
Smartwatches Workout Buddy? Forget it: watchOS 26's most exciting addition was only hinted at
Two iPhones on a blue and green background showing the iOS 26 Camera app
iPhone iOS 26 is giving the iPhone's Camera app an upgrade I've been waiting years for
  1. Health & Fitness
  2. Smartwatches

How to use Instagram on Apple Watch

How-to
By MacFormat published 6 October 2015

Watching photos

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Make the most of Instagram

Make the most of Instagram

Instagram started out five years ago as an app for taking and easily sharing photos and quickly became synonymous with heavily-processed images and the overuse of some pretty wild filters.

It has, however, morphed into a social network that's become more popular than parent company Facebook's eponymous platform with some groups of users – most notably among those in their teens and early twenties.

It's the social aspect that the Apple Watch app concentrates on. Like other Watch apps, it's limited in the functions it can access – you can't, for example, use Instagram to control your iPhone's camera the way you can with the Camera Remote app.

Nevertheless, the app has plenty going for it, particularly if you're a regular user of the platform. It allows you to view photos in your stream, see comments, and find out what others have been saying about your photos.

You can also see truncated versions of other people's profiles. If you see a photo that makes you smile, you can 'like' it, or you can send an emoji as a comment. Meanwhile the Instagram glance displays the latest photos in your feed when you swipe upwards from a Watch face.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Enable glances

Enable glances

Instagram allows you to see snippets of information by swiping upwards over a watch face. Apple calls these Glances, because they allow you to glean information with nothing more than a quick glance at the screen.

You can't interact with Glances, they're strictly a one-screen snippet, but tapping the screen opens the full app. You need to enable Glances, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, then Instagram, and set the Show In Glances slider to the on position.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Switch on notifications

Switch on notifications

Instagram can notify you when a friend you've specified posts a new photo, but you need to set it up on your iPhone. To enable Notifications, launch the app on the iPhone paired with your Watch.

Now scroll through your feed until you find a photo from someone you want notifications from. Tap on their name to go to their profile page, tap the three dots next to their name, and from the menu, choose Turn On Post Notifications.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
View your feed

View your feed

Tap the Instagram app on the Watch's app screen to launch it. You'll see two options: Feed and Activity. Tap Feed and you'll see the most recent photo posted by someone you follow.

To view more images in your feed, swipe upwards to scroll through them in the order they were posted. It's tricky to swipe at just the right speed to see the photos one at a time, so you might need a bit of practice. You can only zoom into photos or make them larger on your iPhone.

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
View details

View details

Launch the Instagram app on your Watch and tap Feed. Below each photo is a button for liking and one for getting more details.

Tap on the More Details button and you will be taken to the details screen, which shows you how many likes and comments the photo has, and allows you to tap a button to view the profile of the friend who posted it.

You can also tap the Comments button to read comments and leave one of your own, limited on the Watch to emojis.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Read comments

Read comments

Tap Activity on the first screen and you'll see a stream of comments, notifications of users who have recently started following you, and Likes on your photos.

Tap a comment and you'll be taken to the photo it relates to. Tap the Comments button below the image to see all the comments on it. You can reply to comments by tapping the Quick Reply button but you can only reply with an emoji.

Tap Quick Reply and you'll be taken to the first of four screens displaying available emojis.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
View a profile

View a profile

Tap Feed and swipe upwards until you find a photo posted by someone you want to view. When you find it, tap it and swipe up again to scroll to the bottom of the screen, then tap Profile.

You'll see their profile picture and their four most recently posted images. To view more details on a profile, or to edit your own, you'll have to use the iPhone app or a web browser as frustratingly when you tap on one of the recently posted images, nothing happens.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
TOPICS
Apple Watch
MacFormat
See more Smartwatch How Tos
Read more
Apple Watch Series 10
I've been wearing an Apple Watch for 10 years, and it changed me in ways I never expected
An image of the iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Control
I finally found a use for Camera Control on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, but in the weirdest way possible
Instagram
Instagram could finally get an iPad app soon – but here’s a workaround while you wait
Apple WatchOS
watchOS 26: these are the 6 big updates coming to your Apple Watch soon – including an AI Workout Buddy and a Notes app
Instagram Blend lead
Latest Instagram feature asks if you’re ready to reveal your innermost Reel personality to your besties
Apple Watch OS 26
Workout Buddy? Forget it: watchOS 26's most exciting addition was only hinted at
Latest in Smartwatches
Apple Watch Series 10
Google just gave Apple Watch fans a Calendar app, but simultaneously removed an even more useful one
Woman checking fitness tracker
Trump's Health Secretary RFK Jr. wants every American to wear a fitness tracker and "take control of their health" – but we have questions
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 plummets to a new record-low price on Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
I hope Samsung Galaxy Watch 8's new Ultra-style squircle design rumor is actually true
The OnePlus Watch 3 43mm against a white background.
OnePlus reveals how impressively light the Watch 3 43mm is – and says it’s the ‘most compact’ smartwatch it’s ever made
An Apple Watch with an optional strap on a grey background
Apple issues ‘do not update’ warning to some Watch owners with latest watchOS 26 beta, as crashes show the dangers of pre-launch software
Latest in How Tos
Google Chrome logo on desktop and mobile
How to private browse in Chrome on Windows, Android and ChromeOS
Coco Gauff practicing for Wimbledon 2025
How to watch Yastremska vs Gauff at Wimbledon 2025 on BBC iPlayer (it's free)
Emma Raducanu preparing for Wimbledon 2025
How to watch Raducanu vs Xu online: live stream Wimbledon 2025 tennis FREE
A woman dances on a friend's shoulders at the Glastonbury Festival held at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset on June 29 near Glastonbury, England. The festival, founded in 1970, has grown into one of the largest outdoor green field festivals in the world.(Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
How to watch Glastonbury replays on BBC iPlayer (it's FREE)
Max Verstappen leads the pack at the beginning of the 2024 Austrian GP.
How to watch Austrian Grand Prix F1 on ORF On today (it's free)
Jake Paul and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in their face off for their fight on 28 July.
How to watch Jake Paul vs Chavez Jr live on DAZN tonight – best PPV prices, start time
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    Netflix will start streaming NASA content soon – and the results look out of this world
  2. 2
    International Criminal Court says it was hit by sophisticated cyberattack
  3. 3
    Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #1255)
  4. 4
    NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #752)
  5. 5
    NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #486)

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...