Facebook is coming to TikTok. After months of research, Instagram is finally launching Reels, it’s the latest take on the worldwide app, which is facing criticism as Donald Trump threatens to ban the service in the US. Reels, which have already available in India and Brazil, are launching now in 50 other countries, including the US UK France, Australia, and Japan.
This is not the first time Facebook has tried to mimic TikTok, but Reels might just have the best shot at actually succeeding. That’s because it’s already built into Instagram, Facebook’s most popular app among teenagers, and because the social network has obtained many of the dynamics that have made TikTok so successful in the first place.
Creating a reel is like making a post for Instagram Stories. You can record some clips from Instagram’s in-app camera, complete with music and AR effects. But Reels includes more complex editing tools than what is available in Stories. For instance, you can speed up or slow down your video, and there’s an align tool for TikTok-Style jump cuts.
The major difference between TikTok and Instagram is that on TikTok users main feeds are driven not by their subscriptions, but by an algorithmically-generated “For You” feed. All of the Reels you create will also be viewable in a dedicated section of your profile, similar to IGTV posts.
Instagram wants to bring this dynamic to Reels. During a press conference with reporters, Instagram’s VP of Product Vishal Shah emphasized that the recommendations will be separate from those that drive the rest of Explore, with a “creator-centric approach to ranking”.
“We have not historically been very good at helping new creators find an audience,” he said. “The pitch for new creators is that Reels is a way for you to get discovered. It’s a way to find a global audience.”
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