Instagram updates Reels editor to try to be as good as TikTok

Instagram continues to try and entice creators away from TikTok.

In a blog post, the company announced a number of new updates to how Reels, Instagram’s TikTok clone, works through its smartphone app. The first of which is a new spot for users to discover what’s trending on Reels which the company says will feature the “top trending songs and hashtags on Reels.”

The update also improves the editing experience for Reels on Instagram, bringing together “video clips, audio, stickers, and text on a unified editing screen.”

This makes it easier to align and time elements of your reel to the right moments in a more visual way. Keep an eye out for even more exciting tools to come as we continue to invest in more ways to make editing your reels simpler and easier. This is available globally, across both iOS and Android devices.

The company is also adding two new metrics for Instagram Reels: total watch time and average watch time. So, creators will now have even more insight into how their content is performing with audiences. The app will also now highlight which users started following your account after watching one of your Reels.

Below are the key highlights of the updates launched to Reels today:

• Central destination to find trending audio and hashtags
• Redesigned editing experience bringing together video clips, audio, stickers, and text
• New insights on total watch time and average watch time to help you better understand how your reels are performing, plus new recognitions for hitting key milestones
• Updates to gifts, including an easier way to recognize fans and bringing gifts to more creators internationally

The updates to Reels come in the same week that Meta came under fire for forcing Verified users to display their legal names publicly, opening up privacy concerns.