Highlights:
- Instagram has extended the video length of Reels to 30 seconds
- The timer limit of the countdown has also been extended to 10 seconds while recording
- Instagram will also allow users to trim or delete any clips during while editing
Facebook-owned videos and images sharing platform Instagram has announced a bunch of new updates for its TikTok-like short video feature called Reels. Instagram is going to offer double video recording time to users of 30 seconds which is 15 seconds at this moment.
Additionally, the users will also be able to extend the timer to 10 seconds while recording. The timer gives users buffer time before the video starts a Reel. Moreover, Instagram will also let its users trim and delete any clip while editing within the app.
Instagram users will have more granular control over the clips they record.
Instagram Reels Director, Tessa Lyons-Laing said, “We continue to improve Reels based on people’s feedback, and these updates make it easier to create and edit. While it’s still early, we’re seeing a lot of entertaining, creative content,”.
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram tweeted, “You’ve been asking for more options to create and edit reels and we hope this gives you more ways to have fun with them. We’ll keep listening to feedback and updating the experience as we go.”
You’ve been asking for more options to create and edit reels and we hope this give you more ways to have fun with them. We’ll keep listening to feedback and updating the experience as we go.
— Adam Mosseri ? (@mosseri) September 23, 2020
Sensor Tower, a mobile app data analytics company said that Reels did not gain enough traction, at least in the United States since the time it was launched in August this year.
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According to Sensor Tower, the number of installs by US users of Instagram from August 5 to September 15 stood at 4.7 million (47 lakh), the same number as from June 24 to August 4.
In the meantime, Instagram is also testing its presence on the Home Page along with the Shop tabs in order to increase the visibility for its users. As of now, Instagram users need to go to the Explore section to view reels that are created by them.
Mosseri said, “These changes reflect shifts we’re seeing from people, both in how they use the product but also how they push culture forward on Instagram: the rise of creators, an explosion of video, acceleration of online shopping,”.
Soon after the Chinese short video platform TikTok was banned in India for national security reasons, TikTok launched Reels in July. As of now, Reels is available in over 50 countries which includes the US, Australia, Canada, and Japan.
Once created, Reels can be shared with the feed, Stories, and even Direct, while public Reels also appear in a dedicated part of the Explore tab.
In some countries, Reels has completely replaced the Explore tab.
Earlier in September, YouTube also announced its own short-video format feature called Shorts, which will be launched in India first. Aimed at the artists and creators, YouTube said Shorts is a good way for users to express themselves in 15 seconds or less.
In a blog post, YouTube said, “Over the next few days in India, we’re launching an early beta of Shorts with a handful of new creative tools to test this out. This is an early version of the product, but we’re releasing it now to bring you — our global community of users, creators, and artists — on our journey with us as we build and improve Shorts,”.
