Instagram Reels is launching globally

Reels, Instagram’s answer to TikTok debuts in over 50 Countries

Instagram Reels is launching globally

Instagram

Instagram Reels is launching globally, starting today is Facebook’s new effort to challenge TikTok on short-form creative content. The feature is being made available across 50 countries, including the U.S., as TechCrunch had previously reported. The expansion means Reels will now be available in key international markets, such as India, Brazil, France, Germany, the U.K., Japan, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and several others.

The timing is fortuitous, given TikTok’s uncertain future in the U.S. as the Trump administration weighs either banning the Chinese-owned app entirely or forcing it to sell off its U.S. operations. Instagram is hoping to lure some creators away with the rollout of a direct competitor on both iOS and Android.

Similar to TikTok, Reels lets people create short-form videos set to music that can be shared with friends and followers and discovered while browsing the app. It’s the newest opportunity for Instagram to bring in users, increase the number of time people spend in the app every day, and establish itself as a video entertainment platform.

Reels allow people to record videos up to 15 seconds long and add popular music, as well as an array of filters and effects, over top of them. For creators looking to use Instagram Reels as a new way to build a following, Instagram has revamped its Explore page to create a specific landing spot for Reels at the top of the screen that people can vertically scroll through — similar to TikTok’s “For You Page.”

Reels will be found at the bottom of the Instagram camera. You’ll see a variety of creative editing tools on the left side of your screen to help create your reel.

What you can do with Instagram Reels:

  1. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools.
  2. Share reels with your followers in the Feed
  3. Make your videos available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in ‘Explore’. Once your reel is ready, move to the share screen, where you can save a draft of your reel, change the cover image, add a caption and hashtags, and tag your friends.

Whether you have a public or private account, you can share your reel to your Story, with close friends, or in a direct message.

With Reels, Instagram’s goal is not just to capture the now potentially up-for-grabs TikTok audience in the U.S. — it’s to steal them away even if TikTok remains.

 

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