Instagram users may notice a new feature on the social media app.
The Facebook-owned company announced the premiere of its TikTok short-video competitor Reels, which rolls out in more than 50 countries worldwide on Wednesday. The company said the feature will allow users to “record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos” and promote the videos in a new section called “explore.”
“Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram,” read a statement from Instagram. “Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. You can share reels with your followers on Feed, and, if you have a public account, make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore.”
The debut of Reels comes amid increased scrutiny of social media app TikTok, which has surged in popularity this year and is owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance. President Trump said he will give TikTok until mid-September to find a United States buyer or face a ban in the country. Microsoft said it is in talks to purchase TikTok’s operations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
This is not Facebook’s first attempt at pulling away viewership from TikTok. Last year, the company tested out a feature called Lasso, which acts similarly to TikTok and Reels, but scrapped roll out of the addition after it received poor reviews.
