Facebook is attempting to compete with the viral app TikTok with Instagram Reels, beginning in early August.
- Per CNN, this comes shortly after talk about a national TikTok ban from the Trump administration.
What is Instagram Reels?
- Instagram Reels in Facebook’s competitor to TikTok.
- Reels will be an add-on feature of Instagram Stories that allows users to make 15-second videos with audio or music and be uploaded to user’s stories or the Instagram Explore page.
- A clapperboard icon will be added to Reels clips so users know what posts are which, according to Business Insider.
What to expect:
- Reels will be available to U.S. users starting in early August. No exact release date has been announced yet, according to CNN.
- Currently, the feature is being tested in India, France, Brazil and Germany
- According to NBC News, Reels will be available in over 50 countries
What’s the difference between TikTok and Instagram Reels?
- The main difference is that Reel clips will be limited to 15 seconds while TikTok has a maximum clip time of 60 seconds.
- In a statement to Business Insider a spokesperson for Instagram said, “We’ve also seen the rise of short-form video on Instagram, and think we can create something in a way that makes sense for our community,” adding, “no two services are the same.”
Will it be successful?
Facebook is not the first company to release an app similar to TikTok but none have succeeded in becoming successful.
In 2018, Facebook tried to compete with TikTok but failed. The company released the app Lasso, which received less than 600,000 downloads ultimately being shut down, per Business Insider.
However, Facebook has had some success with copying other platforms formats such as Snapchat Stories, which has become even more popular on Instagram, according to CNN.