Instagram rolls out TikTok-like features amid uncertainty about rival’s future

Instagram has rolled out a number of updates in recent days that appear to be aimed at attracting TikTok users while the short-video app’s future remains in limbo. And on Sunday, Instagram parent company Meta went one step further and announced the launch of a new video creation app on Sunday called Edits, which bears an uncanny resemblance to CapCut, the app owned by TikTok parent company ByteDance that many creators use to make TikTok videos.

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said on Friday that Instagram’s profile photo grids will now display images as rectangles, rather than the app’s signature squares — a layout that’s notably similar to how profile pages look on TikTok.

On Saturday, Mosseri said Instagram will increase the maximum length for Reels videos from 90 seconds to three minutes — following the lead of TikTok, which began pushing users to post longer videos in 2023.

“We’ve historically only allowed reels up to 90 seconds given our focus on short-form video, but we’ve heard the feedback that this is just too short for those who want to share longer stories,” Mosseri said Saturday in an Instagram post.

And on Sunday, in an Instagram video about the new Edits app, Mosseri said, “there is a lot going on in the world right now and no matter what happens, we think it’s our job to create the most compelling creative tools for those of you who make videos for not just Instagram but platforms out there.”

The updates could mark an effort to attract users to spend more time on the platform amid uncertainty over the future of TikTok. TikTok, as well as CapCut, shut down access for US users Saturday night, hours before a law that was set to ban it went into effect.

But if Instagram was hoping it would score some new users during the TikTok shutdown, those hopes were quickly dashed. Trump on Sunday pledged to issue an executive order to restore access to TikTok, and the app would later come back online. Meta’s announcement about Edits — which is available in the app stores as of Sunday but won’t be functional until February — came hours after TikTok restored access for US users.

Instagram did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the changes.

Since it gained popularity in 2020, TikTok has posed a major competitive threat to Instagram — drawing away users’ attention and time and forcing the older app to rework its algorithm. Instagram first launched Reels in the United States in August 2020, days after former- and now incoming-President Donald Trump announced plans to ban TikTok in the country.

And even if TikTok had stayed offline for longer, users may not necessarily have turned to Instagram. In the week leading up to the shutdown, other TikTok alternatives — including another China-owned app called RedNote — surged in popularity, while downloads of Instagram ticked up only slightly.

Source: CNN
--Agencies