On August 5th, Instagram launched its new Reels feature in fifty countries, including the United States, Australia, and Japan. The move comes right when TikTok—its biggest competitor—is facing a potential ban in the United States. Here is everything you need to know about Reels and what it means for Instagram, TikTok, and users worldwide.
What is Reels?
Reels allows users to make short-form videos set to popular music, with a variety of filters and effects. Sound familiar?
Users can post private videos to just their following, or make their videos public to gain more views on the revamped Instagram Explore page. On the Explore page, a separate landing spot now allows users to vertically scroll through Reels just like on TikTok's “For You Page.”
Similar to TikTok, Reels focuses more on creators than regular users. The Reels page shows the most popular content, rather than videos tailored to a viewer's particular feed.
How is Reels Different From TikTok?
Instagram's augmented reality features allow Reels users to overlay filters and unique effects that TikTok creators don't have.
Being built directly into Instagram rather than a separate application also offers it an advantage: it can tap into Instagram's existing user base--currently one billion users worldwide.
Finally, while TikTok allows up to sixty-second videos, and users can upload their own music, Instagram caps video length at fifteen seconds and music is limited to their built-in, albeit expansive, library.
Nonetheless, the similarities vast outnumber the differences. Reels is truly poised as a welcome alternative to a video platform with an uncertain future.
Is This Good Timing?
Microsoft is currently in talks with the U.S. Government to buy the parts of TikTok that operate in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Although Microsoft faces risks and challenges with this deal, it could mean Reels faces a competitor that is on firm ground again.
Reels will face other competition as well. Snapchat is throwing its hat in the ring with a new feature that allows users to set their snaps to music. Other competitors have already seen surges in downloads response to TikTok's problems. For Reels to succeed, it will have to outpace these competitors both in terms of users and quality of features offered.
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