A Practical Guide on How to Pause IG Reels: Proven Methods

October 9, 2023 / Instagram

In terms of short videos, Instagram reels are now at the peak of the popularity. Whether you’re looking for entertainment, inspiration, or education, these Reels offer a quick and engaging way to consume a wide range of content. But there are some moments when you need to pause a reel. But how to do that?

It is now a burning question among Insta users: how to pause IG reels? Earlier, pausing was not possible at all. But now, the platform has introduced a new feature that allows you to pause Instagram Reels.

In this article, we provide you with a detailed guide to pause the Insta Reels while covering other relevant aspects.

Table of Contents

Why You Need to Pause Reels on Instagram

Before knowing the process of how to pause IG reels, you must know the associated reasons behind pausing the reels.

IG Reels often feature quick tutorials, life hacks, and informative content. To understand the elaborated processes, you must check the respective reel in a detailed manner, which requires stop-and-play in a repeated way. Here, pausing allows you to study the details, learn at your own pace, and apply what you’ve seen.
While you are enjoying a fun reel, the most exciting part, a stunning dance move, a breathtaking landscape, or the punchline happens in a split second. Pausing lets you check out that perfect moment.
Educational Reels are booming and highly beneficial as well. But they can be hard to follow without the pause option. Pausing allows you to go in-depth into the elaboration and the context, making it easier to absorb knowledge and skills.
Everyone’s scrolling speed is different. Pausing Reels lets you enjoy content at your own pace. We see it as the most user-friendly option.
It is certain that most of the IG reel watchers are not that fast to extract the mentions or elaboration in the reel. It is natural: some brains work slowly, and some work quickly. Pausing Reels solves this issue. If you need more time to extract the juice of the content, just pause the reel, understand the already watched things and go for the next portion.
Sometimes, Reels can be overwhelming when they auto-play without pause. The ability to stop and start when you want reduces screen fatigue and makes Instagram a more relaxing experience.

The Processes of Pausing Instagram Reels Easily

In this section, we answer can you pause Instagram reels effortlessly regardless of the device you are using.

Process of Pausing Insta Reels on Android Phone

Step 01: Go to the Instagram App on your phone’s home screen and log in to your account.

Step 02: Scroll through the reels and find a suitable reel which fits your choice.

Step 03: Now, play the respective reel.

Step 04: Then, tap on the reel at the middle portion of the reel’s screen and hold it.

Step 05: Finally, the reel is paused on your Android mobile device.

Process of Pausing Insta Reels on iPhone

The following is the process of how to pause Instagram videos.

Step 01: First of all, open the Instagram app on your iPhone and log in to your account.

Step 02: Then, tap on the reels button to explore the library of the reels. Find a suitable reel and play it.

Step 03: Now, use your one finger to tap on the reel’s screen and hold it to pause the reel.

Step 04: Remove the finger after you have nicely explored the paused portion of the reel.

Process of Pausing Insta Reels on Computer

If you have a question about why can’t I pause reels anymore, the reason might be your device. You can apply the following process to resolve the issue.

Step 01: Open any suitable browser on your computer and go to www.instagram.com.

Step 02: Log in to your account by using the user ID and password. If you have set any two-step verification method, authenticate your login by fulfilling the respective requirement.

Step 03: Now, go to the reels section and find a suitable reel.

Step 04: Play the respective reel on your computer ( desktop, laptop, or tablet).

Step 05: After reaching the exact point of the reel where you want to pause, just click on the reel’s screen at the middle portion. The IG reel will get paused.

Step 06: After the pausing is done, you will see a light-white color play button in the middle of the reel’s screen.

Step 07: Just click on the button to resume playing the reel.

Process of Pausing Downloaded Insta Reels

If you have a question about why I cannot pause reels on Facebook anymore, the below stepwise guide can solve your issue.

Step 01: Go to the Instagram app or website and find a respective reel as per your choice.

Step 02: Play the respective reel and copy the link address of the reel.

Step 03: Now, go to the Reelssave Facebook Reel Downloader option.

Step 04: Use the link to download the IG reel. Play the reel by using any video player.

Step 05: Click on the “stop” button on the player to pause the reel.

Step 06: After exploring and analyzing the required portion of the video, just click on the play button to resume the Instagram short video.

Statistics: Instagram Reels Engagement and Pause Requirement

As per the research of Influencer Marketing Hub, there is a comprehensive report on engagement and reel-pausing done by the users.

The study showcases that on Instagram, smaller accounts with less than 5,000 followers get the most engagement on their Reels, with an average rate of 3.79%. The next best engagement, with an average of 3.72%, comes from accounts with 5,000 to 10,000 followers.

Below is a graphical representation of this dataset.

The study also shows that a significant number of IG reel watchers use the “pause” feature to get the best out of the reels. It has been revealed that for entertainment content, users used to pause the video very less: only 20% of users go for pausing. On the other hand, for educational, DIY methods, and informative content, people go for pausing more: the pausing percentage is more than 45%. Finally, many people search for how to fast forward Instagram videos. For this, there is no direct approach.

Final Thoughts

The ability to pause Instagram Reels is a significant game-changer. It makes your experience on this platform more enjoyable and versatile. We hope that now you have a clear idea about the process of how to pause IG reels.

We see the Insta reel pausing option is not just a convenient option. It is a tool that respects content creators, enhances accessibility, and reduces screen fatigue while allowing the users to get an in-depth context of the reel’s content.