Over the last month, Instagram appears to have been rolling out a new feature that allows users to convert Instagram Story highlights into Reels.
In early February, a beta tester for Instagram and Twitter shared that by selecting Create in their Story highlights, they were then able to apply audio and sync their images to create a Reel. Users also have the option to remove images and add more from their camera roll.
Now you can convert an Instagram story highlight to reels! ✨
Just open a highlight and tap on the reel icon, next to the share button. This will lead you to the Supersync tab. Then you can post it as a reel! #Instagram pic.twitter.com/lbqDHs3V9d
— ㆅ (@howfxr) February 2, 2022
Earlier this year, Instagram announced they were planning to double-down their focus on video content and consolidate all video formats around Reels – 60-second videos designed to help the platform compete against TikTok.
Even Facebook, another Meta platform, just recently announced they were launching Reels in more than 150 countries for both iOS and Android users.
The news release explained that Reels are the fastest-growing content format and that users on both Instagram and Facebook spend more than half their time watching videos.
For brands, this new feature provides a fairly easy opportunity to create Reels content and re-up old material while still giving it a fresh spin.