Instagram’s efforts to compete with TikTok are growing with the blogging platform’s latest move. According to a screenshot posted on Twitter by Matt Navarra, Instagram has begun testing to make each video posted on Instagram a reel so that it can reach a wider audience on Instagram and Facebook.
In an email to TechCrunch, a spokesperson for Meta writes: “We are testing this feature as part of our efforts to simplify and improve the video experience on Instagram.” Instagram Reels first launched in the US in August 2020 and sees immense involvement with Reels’ short video format.
Instagram is now turning EVERY video into a reel
h / t @CristinaSBG pic.twitter.com/YLRDhT1nw0
– Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) June 30, 2022
The screenshot shows “Video posts are now shared as reels”. Instagram hopes that by pushing all videos to Reels, videos should see more engagement, video effects are available, music can be added, and videos can be remixed into new Reels.
The change is being verified and its permanence is unclear. It is also unclear what will happen to existing videos posted on Instagram and whether you will still be allowed to post videos for up to 10 minutes (or up to 60 minutes on verified accounts).
Almost a year ago, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said that Instagram “was no longer a photo sharing app” as the company shifted its focus to “creators, videos, shopping and messaging.”
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