Meta-owned Instagram is reportedly planning to launch a separate app for its short-form video-sharing feature Reels. The social media giant is looking to take advantage of China’s ByteDance-owned TikTok’s uncertain future in the United States. Instagram is aiming to provide a similar video-scrolling experience as the highly popular TikTok app. Meta has already launched a handful of new features for the Reels section of Instagram earlier to entice TikTok users in the US.
Instagram Reels feature could launch as a separate app
Instagram boss Adam Mosseri told staff about the potential launch of a separate Reels app this week, as per The Information, which cited a person who heard the remarks. If the report is true, the upcoming Reels app would mirror TikTok’s scrolling video experience. TikTok’s future in the US is uncertain and Instagram has already heavily benefited from it. Now, a separate Reels app represents the company’s most aggressive move yet to capture TikTok users.
Furthermore, the report claims that a separate Reels app is part of Meta Platforms Inc.’s broader initiative, Project Ray, aimed at offering better video recommendations and increasing engagement with long-format Reels. Meta has increasingly prioritized video, with Reels playing a pivotal role in user engagement and advertising growth.
Notably, the social networking giant already sought to lure TikTok creators to Instagram by offering substantial financial incentives for exclusive content. Also, Instagram has benefited from TikTok bans in markets like India, where the usage of Reels content surged following TikTok’s exit in 2020. With the Chinese app’s future in the US still uncertain, Instagram appears poised to capitalize on any potential disruption.
Meta is focusing on separate apps for different features
Instagram parent Meta has been focussing on providing separate apps for different use case scenarios. The company previously found success launching standalone applications, such as Messenger and Threads. So, a dedicated Reels app could provide additional video-editing tools, including features from Meta’s recently launched editing app, Edits, suggests the report.
It’s worth mentioning that Meta previously launched a standalone video-sharing application called Lasso way back in 2018 to compete with TikTok. However, Lasso didn’t gain much attraction from social media users and the company later shut it down. We’ll have to wait to find out what Meta has up its sleeves for a separate Reels app, so stay tuned.