Fact-check any Instagram Reel in your DMs
Send a Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. In a minute or two you'll know what's true, what's false and what it leaves out, with the sources, the full video if it was cut, and the trick it's using on you.
Free. No app to install, no sign-up.
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What the verdicts mean
Every check ends in one plain verdict, so you have the answer before you read a word.
What it claims isn't true, according to reliable sources.
Real footage or facts, twisted into a story they don't support.
It leaves out something that changes what it means.
A real fact, made bigger than the sources show.
Some of it is right, some isn't.
The main points check out; some details are inflated.
Nothing wrong or misleading was found.
Nobody reliable has confirmed it yet.
How to fact-check a Reel in three taps
You already know how to share a Reel. That's all it takes.
Tap share on any Reel
The paper-plane button under the Reel.
Send it to checkthis.chat
Search for it the first time. After that it's in your list.
Get the answer in the chat
Usually within a minute or two, with every source linked.
What you get back for every Reel
Most misleading Reels use real clips, cut short or captioned to make you believe something the footage doesn't show. checkthis shows you how.
Every claim, checked
Each one marked true, false or not found, with the news report or fact-check that shows it.
The full video
If the Reel is a clip of a speech or interview, you get the original at the exact minute, and what was said right after the cut.
The trick it uses
Whataboutism, argument from silence, us versus them. Named, quoted from the Reel, with why the logic doesn't hold.
Both sides
When a Reel praises or attacks a policy, you see what its critics and its defenders each say.
Published fact-checks first
If BOOM, Alt News, Factly, Vishvas News, PolitiFact or Snopes covered the video, that comes first.
Reels from anywhere
English Reels from any country, and Hindi, Hinglish, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and more.
Manipulation tricks to watch for in Reels
The 36 persuasion tricks checkthis looks for in every Reel, each explained in plain words with examples from every side.
Whataboutism
Answering a criticism by pointing at someone else's wrongs instead.
Argument from silence
Treating someone not commenting as proof of what they think.
Out-of-context clip
Cutting a video so it seems to say something the full version doesn't.
Us vs them
Splitting people into a good "us" and a bad "them".
Strawman
Attacking a distorted version of what the other side said.
Accusing by question ("just asking questions")
Asking a loaded question to plant a claim it never has to prove.
Same rules for every side
checkthis doesn't pick parties. It checks claims.
- Every finding links to the report or fact-check behind it.
- A party's denial is shown as their position, never as proof.
- It doesn't say whether a policy is good or bad. It shows what each side says.
- If something can't be verified, it says so instead of guessing.
Questions about fact-checking Reels
What is checkthis?
checkthis (checkthis.chat) is a free fact-checker for Instagram Reels. Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram by DM and it replies with the Reel's claims checked against published fact-checks, news and official sources, the full original video when a clip was cut, and the persuasion trick the Reel uses.
How do I send a Reel?
On the Reel, tap the share arrow, choose checkthis.chat (search for it the first time) and send. The reply comes back in the same chat, usually within a minute or two.
Does it cost anything?
It's free. You can check 5 new Reels a day, and Reels someone has already checked are unlimited.
Which languages does it understand?
Reels from anywhere in English, and in Hindi, Hinglish, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and other Indian languages. Replies are in English for now.
Is it on anyone's side?
No. Every Reel gets the same rules. Each finding links to its source, a party's denial is reported as their position rather than as proof, and checkthis doesn't tell you whether a policy is good. It shows what each side says.
Can it be wrong?
Yes. It's automated, and it can miss a source or misread one. That's why every result shows its evidence. Reels are checked again when new reporting or fact-checks come out.
What do the verdicts mean?
False: what it claims isn't true. Misleading: a real video with a twisted story. Half the story: it leaves out something that changes it. Exaggerated: a real fact made bigger. Partly true: some of it's right, some isn't. Mostly true: the main points check out, some details are inflated. No proof yet: nobody reliable has confirmed it. Not proven in court: an acquittal or a closed case, which is not a finding that it didn't happen. True or Checks out: we found nothing wrong. Just a joke, Just an opinion and Just for fun mean there's nothing to fact-check.
Is there a free fact check app?
checkthis is free and needs no app: it works inside Instagram. Share a Reel with @checkthis.chat in a DM and the fact check comes back in the same chat, usually within a minute or two.
What are the free ways to fact-check a Reel?
Send it to @checkthis.chat on Instagram for a check inside your DMs. Search the claim in Google Fact Check Explorer, which lists published fact-checks. Look it up on fact-checking sites such as BOOM, Factly and Alt News in India, or Snopes and PolitiFact in the US. Or check it yourself with our step-by-step guide.
Can I fact-check a YouTube or X video?
Not directly yet: checkthis checks Instagram Reels and posts. Most viral clips are reposted on Instagram, so search for the same clip there and share it. Or follow our guide to fact-checking any video yourself.
Can it tell if a video is AI-generated?
It tells you when fact-checkers have found a video to be AI-made or edited, and points out visible signs. It doesn't claim to catch every deepfake on its own.
What happens to my data?
We keep a small, low-quality copy of the Reel, never published, so it can be checked again if it gets deleted. The result, and a fingerprint of the video for spotting the same footage again, are kept so the next person who sends the same Reel gets an instant answer. Nothing is sold or used for ads. Details are in the privacy policy.
Saw a Reel that made you angry?
That's the one to check before you share it.