Instagram Explores Extending Reels to 10 Minutes, Aiming to Compete with TikTok and YouTube

By Namita
Created On: Sep 2nd, 2023
4 min read
Views: 115
Banner Image

Meta's Instagram is reportedly experimenting with extending the maximum duration of Reels videos from 3 minutes to 10 minutes. This potential enhancement could open up new avenues for content creators to share extensive video content, including educational videos, cooking tutorials, and engaging skits.

The popular social media platform, Instagram, is seeking to compete with rivals TikTok and YouTube by offering users the option to create and share longer Reels content. Currently in internal testing, this feature was initially discovered by well-known reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi on X. While Instagram has confirmed the experimentation, it remains limited to internal trials for now.

Screenshot 32

Traditionally, users looking to share lengthy videos on Instagram had to break them down into multiple parts, creating a potentially inconvenient viewing experience. By potentially expanding the time limit for Reels, both creators and users stand to benefit from a more seamless and engaging content consumption process. The move seems to be a strategic response to TikTok's similar expansion of Reel duration to 10 minutes in February of the previous year.

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, recently conveyed the platform's commitment to fostering better engagement between creators and their followers. In an update shared on the 'IG updates' channel, Mosseri mentioned an ongoing test that would enable public accounts to share comments from any public feed post or Reels onto their stories.

As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance user experience, Instagram introduced a host of new features earlier this month. These additions include the ability to incorporate music into carousels, collaborate with up to three friends on posts, and join other creators using the 'Add Yours' sticker.

If Instagram decides to roll out this extended Reels feature, it could revolutionize content creation and consumption on the platform, bringing it on par with the format offered by competitors like TikTok and YouTube. The potential for longer-form videos would not only benefit content creators but also elevate the engagement levels of Instagram's vast user base.


Move to top