How to Post Trial Reels on Instagram (Step by Step)
What Instagram Trial Reels are, how to post one, when Instagram shares it with your followers, and how to use trials to test hooks without risking your profile.
PParth Garg· Founder, Insidemetics · Updated · 3 min read
In short
- Trial Reels are shown to people who don't follow you first; your followers don't see them.
- Choose “Trial” when you share a reel. Results appear after about 24 hours.
- You can let Instagram share it with followers automatically if it does well in the first 72 hours.
Trial Reels let you test a reel on people who don't follow you before it goes to your followers or your profile grid. It's the safest way to try a new hook, topic or style. Instagram started rolling them out in December 2024.
How to post a Trial Reel
- Make your reel as usual and go to the final share screen.
- Turn on “Trial” (it may show as “Trial reel”).
- Choose whether Instagram should share it with your followers automatically if it performs well.
- Tap Share. The reel goes to non-followers only; you'll find it in your drafts area, not on your grid.
- After about 24 hours, check its views, likes, comments and shares.
- If it did well, share it with everyone. If not, learn from it and try another version.
What to test with Trial Reels
- Two different first lines for the same video.
- A new topic you're not sure your audience wants.
- Talking to camera vs. text on screen.
- Short (under 15 seconds) vs. longer versions.
- A call to action, like “Comment PLAN and I'll send it to you”.
Turn a winning trial into sales
When a trial finds an audience, share it and point people to one next step. Ask them to comment a word, and Auto DM sends your link in their DMs, so new viewers land on your store while they're still interested.
Frequently asked questions
Do my followers see Trial Reels?
No, not unless you share the reel with everyone, or Instagram does it for you after it performs well.
How long does a Trial Reel run?
Results show after about 24 hours. Instagram decides on automatic sharing based on views in the first 72 hours.
Can I post a Trial Reel from a personal account?
Trial Reels have rolled out mainly to professional accounts. Switch to a creator account if you don't see the option.
Parth Garg · Founder, Insidemetics
Parth is building Insidemetics, a link-in-bio creator store where buyers pay straight into the creator's own PayPal or Razorpay account and the platform takes 0% of sales. He writes these guides from what he learns building checkout, delivery and billing for creators.
Sources (checked October 2026)