Instagram takes on TikTok

Instagram just dropped Reels, its TikTok competitor, live in over 50 countries including in the US.

Last month we wrote about Facebook’s upcoming play for TikTok which has recently dominated the headlines with speculation of a US ban or sell off to Microsoft. Naturally, many creators are nervous which makes now the best time for Reels to launch.

With Reels you can create short videos to share with friends directly on Instagram. Record and edit 15 second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. Anyone can create a video to share with friends, and for public profiles these will be discoverable in the Explore section within the app.

Unlike some of its previous expansions, Threads and Direct, Instagram decided to bundle Reels into its main app. This means creators don’t need to rebuild a new following to reach their audience and consumers don’t need to try to fit yet another app on their homescreen. We’ve seen Instagram use this strategy before when they introduced Stories – clearly inspired by Snapchat – four years ago.

Are you team Instagram or team TikTok? Can you be both?

For those in camp team TikTok but not a fan of the watermark, you can download and share your favorite videos minus the logo using this new tool.