It is just a couple of months since Instagram launched Reels as a competitor to the widely popular TikTok. Though there have been takers to the platform, Reels has not managed to win over TikTok followers as it might have originally hoped.
And in a bid to mount a serious challenge to the competitors, Reels is making itself more friendly for use. You can now create clips up to 30 seconds long on Reels. You can also set a 10-second countdown timer. To help easier editing, clips can be trimmed or deleted, as the need may be.
Instagram has come up with these changes based on the general feedback that the editing controls or the many features that TikTok provides is not available on Reels.
Instagram now hopes that people weaned on TikTok may no longer feel the need to complain about Reels.
The new tweaks
Videos on Reels were so far limited to 15 seconds. Now it has been increased to 30 seconds, giving users the leeway to flesh out their creations more vividly. Of course, users can post even longer videos on the main Instagram feed.
On TikTok, users can post videos that run for a minute. Reels clearly seems to have settled for the middle ground.
Further, Reels creators can extend the timer by 10 seconds as they record their clips.
Reels is also looking to fine-tune its native editing tools, with improved trimming and deletion options.
Responsive to feedback
Instagram said the option to create 30 second Reels and new editing features is rolling out today, and the timer extension will be made available in the next few days.
It is clear that Reels has had to come out with these tweaks because it has possibly not taken off in the way Instagram might have anticipated.
It is equally a good sign that Instagram is responding to feedback and not ready to sit back and wait for things to happen on their own.