Linked Reels ended on 28 October 2026, and the button that moved viewers from one part of a series to the next is gone with it. Instagram Series, the episodic hub that looks like the obvious replacement, is still a limited test for select creators. If your Reels run in parts, here is what changed, and five fixes that can help right now.
What happened to linked Reels on 28 October?
Instagram started showing an in-app notice in mid-October that read, in full: “Linking Reels will no longer be available. Starting on 28 October, you won’t be able to link Reels together and existing links will be removed. Your Reels, views and insights will not be affected.” Crown Media Creative quoted the notice verbatim after it appeared on Reddit on 15 October, which gave creators 13 days between the warning and the cutoff.
The notice itself gave no reason for the change. Creators first noticed it as a pop-up over the caption screen of new Reels in mid-October, and one Reddit user replying to the thread that shared it guessed Instagram Series was the likely successor, which is speculation, not an Instagram announcement. Your Reels stay up. Your views and insights stay. Only the link between them disappears. Each Reel could link to one other Reel at a time, with a link title of up to 15 characters, and linking never worked on Close Friends or subscriber-only Reels, according to Instagram’s own Help Center page on linking a Reel.
The dates show the scale of the change. Linked Reels rolled out to all accounts on 21 August 2025, according to Crown Media Creative, so 433 days passed between that rollout date and the cutoff. Series, the feature meant to organise episodic Reels, had been in testing for 148 days when linking ended. Instagram ended a feature that had rolled out to all accounts and left the replacement in a test group. That gap is why the fixes below matter more than waiting for Series.
What is Instagram Series?
Series groups Reels into episodes on a creator’s profile, with each series getting its own page and a new tab on the profile. Meta confirmed the test to TechCrunch on 2 June 2026, saying select creators could turn Reels, both new and old, into episodes of one bigger story. Viewers who find an episode while scrolling their feed or the Reels tab get an option to open the full series, and they can save a series to watch later.
On 26 October, Instagram said it is working on a wider global rollout. Variety reported the test has run with select creators in the US, India and Mexico and is expanding to more countries through the end of 2026. The Hollywood Reporter put broader US availability at the end of this year or early next year. Those two statements describe different stages: a limited test that already includes the US, and a wider rollout with no confirmed date, so neither one is a promise of when your account gets it.
There is still no way to ask for Series. No Help Center page for Series existed when Crown Media Creative checked on 29 October, and that check found no waitlist, application or follower minimum published. The only practical check is updating the app and looking for Series in the + menu on your profile, the step a CreatorFlow walkthrough describes for accounts in the test. Meta told TechCrunch it is considering ways to monetise Series but shared no specifics.
Linked Reels vs Series vs Clips as Reels
Three linking-related features sit at three different stages, one of them discontinued, and mixing them up is the easiest mistake in this story. The table below is built from the confirmed dates and limits above, so you can see at a glance which one you can actually use.
| Tool | What it connects | Who can use it | Status on 9 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linked Reels | One Reel to one other Reel | Every account, from 21 August 2025 | Ended 28 October 2026; all links removed |
| Series | A set of Reels, as episodes, on a profile tab | Select creators in a Meta test | Still testing; wider rollout reported through end of 2026 |
| Clips as Reels | Up to eight short clips to one long Feature video | Select creators in Brazil and a small US test | Announced 26 October 2026; expanding |
Clips as Reels is the third tool, announced on 26 October alongside the long-form Features format. It links short clips back to the full video they were cut from, which helps if you also post a long version of a series, but it does not link one Reel to the next Reel. Read also: Instagram Features Explained: 90-Minute Videos, No Ad-Revenue Share Yet.
Is Series the replacement for linked Reels?
Instagram has not named Series the replacement for linked Reels, and that silence matters. Series fixes the same problem linking did, moving a viewer from one part to the next, which is why it looks like the obvious successor. But Series is still limited to a test group, so it cannot replace linking for most creators yet, and planning a multi-part show around a test you may not get is a bad bet. My take: treat Series as a bonus for later, not as the plan. Build every series so it works with the five fixes below, and if Series arrives on your account, it is an upgrade on top of a system that already works.
No Series yet? 5 fixes that replace the link button
These methods can help creators organise multi-part Reels without Series access, because they live in the Reel itself rather than in a platform feature that can be taken away.
- Pin Part 1 to the top of your profile. A pinned Reel stays at the top of your grid, so the entry point to the series stays visible there.
- Put the part number on every cover. “Part 2 of 4” on the cover can tell a viewer where they are before they press play, which is what the link button used to do silently.
- Name the next part in every caption. Write “Part 3 is pinned to my profile” instead of “tap the link below”, and update the captions on older parts so the chain still reads in order.
- Say it out loud at the end of each video. A spoken pointer in the last seconds of the video repeats the direction for anyone who watches to the end.
- Keep a Story Highlight for the series. Share each part to your Story, add it to a Highlight named after the series, and put a page listing every part in your bio link so viewers have one place to binge.
The caption carries more of the job now, so rewrite any line that leaned on the button. Before: “Part 2! Tap the link at the bottom for Part 3.” After: “Part 2 of 4: shaping the dough. Part 3 is pinned to my profile, and every part is listed in the link in my bio.” That wording points at things you control: a pinned post and a link in your bio. Read also: Instagram Reels Hooks: Win the First 3 Seconds.
What to watch next
Check the + menu on your profile after each app update, the place a CreatorFlow walkthrough says the Series option appears for accounts in the test. If you post a long version of a series, watch Clips as Reels too: up to eight clips can point viewers at the full video. Instagram has also explored bringing episodic content to its TV app, TechCrunch reported in June, so a Series hub on the big screen is a possibility rather than a promise. The fixes above can help now. Series remains a test, with no confirmed date for wider access.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still link Reels together on Instagram?
No. Linking ended on 28 October 2026, and Instagram removed existing links between Reels. The Reels themselves, plus their views and insights, were not affected.
How do I get Instagram Series?
You cannot apply for it. Series is a Meta test for select creators, with no waitlist, application or follower minimum published in the checks made on 29 October. Update the app and check the + menu on your profile; if the Series option is missing, your account is not in the test yet.
Is Series the same as TikTok Series?
No. TikTok Series, launched in 2023, is a paywalled collection of premium videos. Instagram Series groups Reels into episodes on a creator’s profile, and Meta has said it is considering monetisation without sharing specifics.
What is the best replacement for linked Reels right now?
Pin Part 1 to your profile, put “Part 2 of 4” on every cover, and name the next part in each caption. Those three moves replace what the link button did, using the profile and caption tools you already post with.
