Instagram may be making Reels longer to compete with TikTok

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The VergeInstagram looks like it’s working on a longer version of Instagram Reels, allowing users to record up to 10 minutes of videos. Leaker Alessandro Paluzzi shared screenshots of two side-by-side Reels pages, one...

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Aug 30, 2023 - 21:02
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Instagram may be making Reels longer to compete with TikTok

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Instagram creators might be making apology videos on Reels.

By Emilia David, a reporter who covers AI. Prior to joining The Verge, she covered the intersection between technology, finance, and the economy.

Aug 30, 2023, 2:16 PM UTC|

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge

Instagram looks like it’s working on a longer version of Instagram Reels, allowing users to record up to 10 minutes of videos. Leaker Alessandro Paluzzi shared screenshots of two side-by-side Reels pages, one to record for three minutes — the current standard for shortform videos — and another for 10 minutes. 

Meta and Instagram have not confirmed plans to extend Reels and have not responded to requests for comment. 

Expanding Reels from three minutes to 10 brings it closer to the length of many YouTube videos, though not that far away from short-term video rival TikTok, which already offers users more time to record videos. TikTok introduced longer video content of up to 10 minutes for free users and a separate paid tier for up to 20 minutes so fans can watch more of their favorite creators. YouTube, though, has been making a push to entice creators to embrace shorter content.

Instagram had revamped many of Reels’ features to boost engagement as TikTok gained more ground in the shortform video space. Many of these updates resemble TikTok more and more as Instagram has added new editing methods and templates to recreate viral content.