Instagram releases TikTok-style features in Stories called ‘Reels’ in Brazil
Instagram has unveiled a TikTok clone in the form of Reels and it’s launching in Brazil. Reels allows users to create 15-second video clips with music from its library and post them in their Stories. It launched on Android and iOS.
Called Cenas is Brazil, Reels is an add-on feature to Instagram’s Stories feature. TechCrunch reported that all the stories in Reels have the potential to be featured in a new Top Reels section that will be visible in Explore.
Since Reels is only an additional feature in Stories, it can be accessed from the shutter modes when you open the camera and it can be found beside Boomerang and Super-Zoom. Users can either record a silent video or by searching trending songs. Audio from other Reels can also be used as an overlay to a video clip. Popular audio clips or snippets will be listed in Reels in a separate page when they trend.
Reels is also getting more features to enhance the experience with timed captions, while special effects and video filters are on their way. After recording a Reels clip, users can post them as regular Stories.
The choice of debuting the feature in Brazil is due to its huge user base, musical culture, and its creator community, according to the Instagram director of product management Robby Stein. TechNews mentioned that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had said that they were trying to test Lasso, a similar concept to TikTok, in countries where the Chinese app wasn’t already popular. Considering the enormous popularity of TikTok in India, Instagram may not bring Reels to the country soon.