Instagram rolls out Tiktok rival Reels in the UK
Instagram has today launched Reels, a short-form video feature to rival Tiktok.
Users can make 15-second videos inside the Instagram app using editing tools to help film different clips, which can be shared within a new tab on Instagram’s public Explore page.
The social app, which is owned by Facebook, is seeking to capitalise on the success of Tiktok where users largely discover new videos on an algorithmic feed rather than spend time following creators.
Instagram said the videos can also be kept private if posted on a private Instagram page or story, or sent to friends using a direct message.
After posting a Reel, it will live on a separate Reels tab on the user’s profile so they can see likes, comments and the number of views it received.
It comes as Tiktok faces growing scrutiny in the US and Europe, as regulators get to grips with how to manage its growing popularity.
Data watchdogs in Europe are set to review Tiktok’s transfer of its EU data policies to Ireland, as the short-form app seeks to separate data from the different countries it operates in to make it easier to regulate.
Meanwhile Microsoft is continuing talks with Tiktok owner Bytedance about a sale of the app’s US operations, after the Trump administration threatened to ban the platform completely.
Tiktok’s US chief executive David Mayer last week laid into Facebook, accusing it of using patriotism as a way to unfairly target the short-form video app while simultaneously developing a competitor service.
The app also launched its own challenge to Instagram, creating a $2bn fund to pay its creators as Tiktok seeks to poach influencers who are more easily able to monetise their content on Instagram.
“Reels in Explore offers anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage,” said Instagram in a blog post.
“[It] gives people new ways to express themselves, discover more of what they love on Instagram, and help anyone with the ambition of becoming a creator take centre stage.”