Instagram’s TikTok competitor called ‘Reels’ is now set to roll out in Germany and France after its Brazil launch last year. The app follows the 15-second video format that is complete with its own set of creative editing tools. These tools can be exploited by users to create exciting and inventive videos that can be shared and made viral. Effects like a countdown timer, speed adjustment etc and the ability to add songs or audio were available on the platform at launch.

Since the original launch, based on community feedback, several aspects of the feature have been redesigned to make it more user friendly. Initially launched as an extension to stories, Reels can now be shared more permanently with a whole different community outside of the user’s friends and follower circles. It now has a dedicated space on the User Profile and on the Explore section where users can compile their Reels and enjoy others’ Reels at the same time. This is to help people connect with newer audiences and thus making the feature more of an in-app destination.

Facebook had previously attempted to create a TikTok clone called Lasso which never really gained much popularity. With Reels, however, Facebook can leverage Instagram’s vast existing userbase to further extend its reach. The challenge is to get users to create content that is different from what they post in feed and stories. While long-form videos are often assigned to IGTV, the shorter choreographed Tik-Tok style videos will be assigned to Reels.

Instagram hasn’t said anything about a release in India but the ban on Chinese apps in India has opened up a new space for TikTok clones and this could be the right time to expand the testing to Instagram’s Indian audiences.