How to Refresh Reels on Facebook

Scrolling through Facebook Reels and hitting a wall of content you’ve already seen? Or maybe you’re a creator looking back at a Reel you posted, wishing you could tweak it just a little bit to give it a second life. You're in the right place. This guide covers everything you need to know about refreshing Reels, whether you’re watching them or creating them.

Understanding "How to Refresh Reels on Facebook"

The idea of "refreshing" Reels means two very different things depending on who you are. Figuring out which one applies to you will get you the solution you need faster.

• For Viewers: You want a new batch of videos in your feed. The algorithm is serving you stale content, and you’re ready to see something new. Your goal is to tell Facebook, "Show me different stuff!"
• For Creators: You want to update or improve one of your own Reels that’s already been published. Maybe a typo in the caption is driving you crazy, or you have a better thumbnail in mind. Your goal is to give your existing content a meaningful update or a fresh promotional push.

We'll walk through both scenarios step-by-step.

For Viewers: How to Get New Reels in Your Feed

Feeling stuck in a content loop is frustrating, but the fix is usually pretty simple. You just need to give the app a nudge or, for a more long-term solution, start teaching the algorithm what you actually want to see.

The Quick Fix: The Pull-to-Refresh Method

In most cases, this is all you need to do to get a fresh set of Reels.

1. Open the Facebook app and navigate to the Reels feed.
2. Place your finger at the top of the screen.
3. Swipe your finger downward firmly and release.

You should see a loading icon appear for a brief moment, and then a new collection of videos will populate your screen. This action tells the app you're done with the current batch and ready for more.

When Pull-to-Refresh Isn't Enough: Troubleshooting Steps

Sometimes, a simple swipe doesn't cut it. If you're still seeing the same content over and over, you might be dealing with a cache issue or a minor app glitch. Here’s what to try next, in order.

1. Close and Reopen the Facebook App

Completely closing the application forces it to restart its processes, which can often resolve minor bugs. Don’t just navigate away from the app, you need to fully shut it down from your phone's recent applications screen.

• On iPhone: Swipe up from the bottom of your screen and hold, then swipe the Facebook app card up and off the screen.
• On Android: Swipe up from the bottom, hold, and then swipe the Facebook app card away. (This can vary slightly by phone model.)

After closing it, wait a few seconds and then reopen it. Navigate back to Reels and see if you get new content.

2. Clear the App's Cache

Your app's cache stores temporary data to help it load faster, but sometimes this data becomes corrupted or outdated, causing it to serve you old content. Clearing it gives the app a fresh start without deleting your account data.

• How to Clear Cache on Android: Go to Settings >, Apps >, Facebook >, Storage &, Cache >, Clear Cache.
• How to Clear Cache on iPhone: iOS doesn't offer a simple "clear cache" button. The most effective way is to delete the app and reinstall it from the App Store. This sounds drastic, but it cleans out all residual files and ensures you have the latest version. Your profile, photos, and friends will all be safe, as they're a part of your account, not just the app.

3. Update Your Facebook App

An outdated app might not be interacting with Facebook's servers correctly. Head to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and check if an update for the Facebook app is available. Installing the latest version can fix bugs and improve performance.

The Long-Term Fix: Train the Facebook Algorithm

To consistently get fresh, relevant Reels, you need to be an active participant. The Facebook algorithm is a powerful recommendation engine that pays close attention to your behavior. If you passively scroll without interacting, it has less information to work with. Here's how to become its best student.

• Interact with What You Love: Don’t just watch a Reel you enjoy - like it, comment on it, or share it. These actions are strong signals to the algorithm that you want more content like this. Following the creator is an even stronger signal.
• Use the "Show More" / "Show Less" Feature: Facebook gives you direct control. When you see a Reel, tap the three dots (...) in the bottom right corner. You’ll see options like "Show more" or "Show less." Using these is like giving the algorithm direct feedback. If you truly dislike certain types of content (like cringe-worthy pranks or dance trends you're over), hitting "Show less" is the quickest way to see fewer of them.
• Watch Videos to the End: Completion rate is a huge metric for video platforms. If you watch a Reel all the way through - or even multiple times - the algorithm correctly assumes you found it engaging and will show you similar content. Conversely, if you immediately scroll past a Reel, it learns you're not interested.
• Search Actively: Use the search bar in the Reels tab to look for hashtags or topics you're interested in, like #woodworkingprojects, #veganrecipes, or #travelhacks. Interacting with the content you find there will quickly recalibrate your feed.

For Creators: How to "Refresh" Your Own Published Reels

As a creator, looking at your old content can bring on a wave of "I wish I could change that." While you can't go back in time and re-edit a video that's already live, you have plenty of powerful options for refreshing its performance and appearance.

First, a Reality Check: What You Can vs. Cannot Change

Once a Reel is posted, its video, audio, effects, and text-on-screen are locked in. You cannot change these elements without deleting the Reel and starting over.

However, you can edit several key components of metadata that can significantly impact a video’s discoverability and appearance on your profile.

What you can edit on a published Reel:

• Caption and Hashtags: You can fix typos, add more context, or update hashtags.
• Thumbnail: Change the cover image that appears on your profile grid.
• Audience / Privacy: Change a reel from "public" to "friends only," as an example.

How to Edit Your Reel's Caption and Thumbnail

1. Navigate to your Facebook profile and tap on the Reels tab to see your grid.
2. Select the Reel you want to edit.
3. Tap the three-dots icon (...) on the right side of the screen.
4. Select Edit reel from the menu that appears.
5. From here, you can rewrite your caption or adjust your hashtags. To change the cover image, tap on Edit over the thumbnail preview.
6. Once you're finished, tap Save.

This is perfect for fixing small mistakes or optimizing your Reel's text for search.

Strategic Ways to Refresh Old Reel Content

Editing the caption is good, but true content refreshing often means giving your video a completely new life. The goal is to leverage your past work to create fresh engagement without starting from scratch.

1. Repost the Reel with A Modern Update

This is the most powerful strategy. If a Reel did well in the past, or if you feel it could do better now, re-uploading an improved version can reignite its viral potential.

• Tip: Don't Just Re-upload the Same File. Download your Reel and bring it into your preferred editing app. The key is to add something new.
  • Find a new trending audio: Trending sounds can give old visuals an entirely new context and a massive boost in the algorithm.
  • Add updated caption/text overlay: Frame the video with a more engaging hook or add a short line of text that adds new value.
  • Tighten the Edits: Got 2 seconds of fluff at the start? Cut it. A slightly faster pace could make all the difference.
• Archive, Don't Delete (At First): Instead of deleting the old Reel immediately, archive it. Post the new version, see how it performs, and if it takes off, you can then choose to delete the original to keep your feed clean.

2. Feature Old Reels in Your Facebook Stories

Your Stories are shown to your most engaged followers. Sharing an older Reel to your Story is an easy, low-effort way to put it back in front of people who might have missed it or would appreciate seeing it again. Add a sticker or some text to spark a conversation, like "Remember this one?" or "Still one of my favorite projects!"

3. Create a Part 2 or "Response" Reel

Did one of your old Reels get a ton of comments or questions? Use that as inspiration for a new Reel.

Example: An interior designer posts a Reel of a beautiful living room makeover that gets a lot of love. The comments are full of people asking, "Where is that rug from?!" They can create a new, separate Reel responding to that question, showing off the rug and verbally mentioning, "So many of you asked about the rug from our viral living room transformation…" This drives fresh views back to the original content while creating new value.

4. Pin Your Winners to Your Profile

Facebook allows you to pin a select few Reels to the top of your Reels tab. This acts like a greatest hits collection for anyone visiting your profile for the first time. Pinning a Reel keeps it evergreen and continuously refreshes its visibility for new audience members. It signals relevance and helps new fans quickly understand what you’re all about.

Final Thoughts

Refreshing your Reels experience, whether as a viewer seeking new entertainment or a creator aiming to maximize content value, is entirely within your control. For viewers, it's about actively guiding the algorithm, and for creators, it's about creatively repurposing and strategically promoting your past work.

We know that managing a constant stream of short-form video - planning new clips, repurposing old winners, and scheduling it all - can get complicated fast. A big part of why we created Postbase was to solve this exact problem. Our platform is built specifically for short-form video, featuring a visual calendar that helps you see your entire content plan at a glance, making it simple to schedule fresh videos and repurposed Reels across all your channels without the chaos.