Instagram, the popular Meta owned platform is always planning some new features. With rising competition from TikTok and other short video and shorts apps, Meta seems to be facing the heat. A new report claims that the company is planning to launch a new Reels app to capitalize on the uncertainty of TikTok. As part of Project Ray, it’s overhauling the platform to fine-tune recommendations and increase the length of Reel videos. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming Instagram Reels app.
Here is Why Instagram is Making a New Reels App
According to a report by The Information, Instagram head Adam Mosseri was overheard discussing plans for a separate Reels app. As a part of an internal initiative called Project Ray, the company wants to take on Tiktok with improved recommendations and three-minute-long reels in the US.
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As Tiktok faces an uncertain future, Instagram is simply capitalizing on it as the company still faces a threat of a ban despite having a 75-day extension. Another possible reason could be that Meta wants to avoid regulatory actions to prevent them from breaking down its monopoly. If Meta is forced to break up and sell its social media apps, it could still hold onto Instagram since it is a separate app.
This isn’t the first time Instagram will try spinning one of its features into a separate app. The company previously launched IGTV app in June 2018 but due to lackluster response, it had to discontinue the app. While Reels is unlikely to meet the same fate as IGTV due to its widespread popularity, Instagram could use this as a chance to return to its roots.
Instagram launched in 2010 as a photo-sharing platform and has since evolved into a multimedia social media app. Not just personal images, you can also share long-form videos, reels, and even image galleries on the app. Instagram recently also introduced Edits, a competitor to the now-banned Capcut video editing app. Furthermore, the company allegedly offered cash bonuses to ByteDance creators to lure them to the platform. Plus, you can see recommendations from Threads, Meta’s take on X.
There is no clarity on whether Reels will remain a part of the Instagram app in the future or not. However, since the main feature of Instagram is the Reels section, a separate app could work in its favor. However many people send DMs after watching or reacting to a reel. Nobody would want to switch between two apps just to react or send a DM so expect Reels to have its own DM section.
