Instagram’s efforts to compete against TikTok are becoming apparent once again. The social media giant is planning to make every video on the platform a Reel, so it reaches a wider audience across Facebook and Instagram.
The news comes from social media consultant Matt Navarra who has shared a screenshot that shows Meta’s plans for Instagram Reels. Furthermore, a Meta spokesperson wrote to TechCrunch saying:
We’re testing this feature as part of our efforts to simplify and improve the video experience on Instagram.
Instagram is now making EVERY video a Reel
h/t @ChristinaSBG pic.twitter.com/YLRDhT1nw0
— Matt Navarra – Exiting X… Follow me on Threads (@MattNavarra) June 30, 2022
According to the screenshot, all videos posted on Instagram will be shared as Reels. The company hopes that switching all videos to Reels will result in more engagement. It will also allow users to add video effects, add music, and remix any videos into Reels. Other people can download your Reels as part of their own remix and they can use your original audio as well.
However, since the change is only in testing, it is unclear whether it will be released to the public. It is also unclear what will happen to all the existing videos on the platform and whether you will be able to share longer videos again that stretch up to 10 minutes (or even 60 minutes for verified accounts).
