Instagram comes to Indian TikTok users’ rescue, launches Instagram Reels

Gadgets

With the ban of the short-video making app, TikTok, amid security concerns in India, Instagram grabs the deal and floors “Reels”, its 15-second video making feature for the wide Indian audience.

This new feature will now allow Indians to create and edit short videos, 15-second in length, on the “Stories” section with an in-house catalogue of music, along with the option to remix two videos and share with friends and users from across the globe.

Reels is now being seen as a real power-getter in a time when most Indian TikTok influencers and content creators were looking for alternative platforms to showcase their unique selling points in the entertainment industry, which, combined with Tiktok’s astonishing rise among swathes of Indians, had procured them the attention of millions. TikTok’s astronomical reach, ease of use with mini-videos, and the influence of Indians from all walks of life was seen by many as impossible to vanquish. Many of its influencers had started to gain traction on platforms like Instagram.

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With the ban of Tiktok, hundreds of users came on-record bemoaning the loss of a platform that could cater to their specific needs. In this scenario, Instagram’s Reels emerges as a sure saviour. A pre-existing feature in countries like Brazil, France and Germany, the new addition to Indian Instagram is being touted as the “future of entertainment” by Facebook Vice President Vishal Shah, who says that the goal of Reels remains to leverage Indian content creators to a global audience of billions. Since 1/3rd of all content on social media remains videos, short videos have always been more than palatable to a variety of audiences with their intrinsic ability to encompass creative content with next-level brevity.

Content creators had also demanded a separate space for short videos on the popular social media platform. For this purpose, Reels will have its own dedicated section on the Explore page of the app which will also help creators interact with global counterparts and widen their own viewership.

Reels arises as a shocking competion to indigenous apps which were tussling to replace TikTok’s popularity. Among them, Chingari, Mitron, Moj, and other became popular, with creators shifting their bases to other platforms. Instagram’s primary advantage, in this regard, is its pre-established popularity in India. Reels as an in-built feature will not just cater to those looking for more convenience, but will also attract a wider user base.

Users will be asked to update to the latest version of Instagram using their respective app stores after Reels goes live in India at 7:30 PM on Wednesday. Users seem to eagerly await the experience.

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