Instagram releases Reels in India, following TikTok ban

On the heels of the Indian government’s decision to ban TikTok, Instagram released Reels to a broad user group in the country.

Katie Sehl March 11, 2021

On the heels of the Indian government’s decision to ban TikTok and several other Chinese apps, Instagram released Reels, a 15-second video and audio clip feature, to a broad user group in the country. India is the fourth country to test the TikTok-inspired feature, following Germany, France, and Brazil, where Reels was introduced last November.

Instagram reels on 3 views: the recording view, the discovery view, and the feed view

Source: Instagram

TikTok’s departure from the Indian market leaves ripe opportunity for Instagram. India was TikTok’s largest user base outside China, with more than 120 million monthly active users. Part of the reason for the app’s success is that it allows creators to parlay popularity into viable income streams. For now, Reels does not support direct monetization.

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Videos already account for one third of all Instagram posts in India. According to Instagram’s VP of Product, Vishal Shah, 45% of all videos posted on the platform are 15 seconds or shorter. The in-app tool lets users record, edit, add audio effects, and share the clips in the feed, stories, and explore tab.

An Instagram story posted by fashion influencer Danielle Bernstein (@weworewhat) on July 20 suggests Reels may soon come to the American market, too. In the U.S., which has supplanted India as TikTok’s second largest market, officials have also publicly mulled a ban. Facebook, meanwhile, shuttered its TikTok clone, Lasso, on July 10.

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