Facebook is taking another stab at cutting into TikTok’s userbase. The company is gearing up to launch Instagram Reels — its own take on short-form video sharing — in the US and more than 50 other markets, NBC News reports.
Similarly to TikTok, Reels lets users create 15-second clips overlaid with tunes from a large catalog of music. The app first launched in Brazil last year, but Facebook has also ran trials in Germany and France. The social media giant also rolled out the app in India, where TikTok is currently unavailable.
According to NBC News, Reels will be available directly in the Instagram app. Users will be able to access the TikTok-esque feature through a new icon at the bottom of the app, create “Reels,” and post them to their Stories (which means it’s probably a good time to remind everyone that you can mute Stories).
If news of Facebook launching a TikTok rival rings a bell, it’s because you’ve heard it before. In fact, the Zuck empire recently shut down Lasso, a TikTok clone it launched in late 2018. Much like Instagram Reels, the app let users create 15-second long clips spliced together with music.
It’s yet to be seen if Reels can generate more traction than Lasso did, though.
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