Source: Instagram / Instagram Reels
TikTok is currently in the hot seat, and in danger of being banned, Instagram sees this as an opportunity to launch its rival, Reels in the states.
Our favorite photo-sharing app, Instagram, confirmed (Jul.16) it will finally be launching Reels in the United States sometime in August. The new video feature is explicitly designed to create short-form creative content, a spokesperson for the company revealed. Reels coming to the U.S. follows the launch of the feature in India, which banned TikTok. Reels is also currently being tested in Brazil, France, and Germany.
NBC News reported Thursday morning (Jul.16) that Instagram users in the U.S. and 50 other countries could expect to use the new feature in a matter of weeks. A spokesperson for Facebook — which owns Instagram — added about the launch of Reels in the U.S.:
“We’re excited to bring Reels to more countries, including the U.S., in early August,”
“The community in our test countries has shown so much creativity in short-form video, and we’ve heard from creators and people around the world that they’re eager to get started as well.”
Like TikTok, Reels will allow users to create 15-second video clips using Instagram’s vast catalog of approved music from artists. Just like TikTok, Reels will enable users to borrow and remix the audio from other user’s Reel clips, and if it hits, go viral and live on the Featured Reels section along with other popular videos.
According to NBC News, the launch has been in the works for years and just so happens to come as TikTok is under intense scrutiny and could possibly be banned by Donald Trump due to its China influence. Make no mistake, Instagram is hoping to lure in TikTok users who shun the social media platform, but there are no guarantees Reels will pop with other apps like Byte, Triller, Dubsmash, and Likee also luring users.
If TikTok does, in fact, get banned in the United States, we wonder what the “King of TikTok,” Jason Derulo is going to do?
Photo: Instagram / Instagram Reels
