Following the rise in popularity of video-app TikTok, Facebook –– the social media app slayer –– has announced its sister company Instagram will be launching its competitor to TikTok, Reels. Instagram plans on releasing Reels, its new video feature, designed specifically for short-form, creative content in early August.
According to TechCrunch, Reels allows users to create and post short, 15-second videos set to music or other audio, similar to TikTok. Also, like TikTok, Reels offers a set of editing tools — like a countdown timer and tools to adjust the video’s speed, for example — that aim to make it easier to record creative content.
Reels has been tested in Brazil, France, and Germany, with an expected 50 countries to receive the feature alongside the United States once it’s officially released.
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,” the spokesperson added.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the U.S. (and international) launch, saying
