Instagram could spin off reels as a standalone app, according to a report
Instagram may be considering spinning off the reel feature into a standalone app.
The company’s head, Adam Mosselli, reportedly heard of discussing ideas with employees as part of a broader strategy to compete better with Tiktok. information.
The report said the move was part of the parent company Meta’s internal initiative called Project Ray, which aimed to undertake the highly popular Tiktok. Project Ray also focuses on improving the algorithms behind content recommendations and enhancing long reel support, the report says.
This news follows the recent release on Instagram editthe video editing app is surprisingly similar to the CapCut platform of Tiktok owner Bytedance. Instagram also reportedly attempted to direct Tiktok creators to the platform with a cash bonus of between $10,000 and $50,000.
Legal status of Tiktok In the United States, if certain conditions are not met by mid-January, they will remain in the air following the enactment of a law prohibiting them. The Trump administration is currently not enforced the ban and after a brief suspension, Tiktok continues to operate for US users.
Meta declined to comment on the story.
This is not the first attempt against Instagram’s Tiktok competitors. The company was launched in 2018. Lassoan app that allows users to create short videos using music, text and filters to appeal to younger audiences. However, it was closed as the company shifted its focus to reels two years later.
According to Sol Messing, an associate professor of research at the NYU Center for Social Media and Politics, the move could appeal to users who just want to watch the reels, rather than visiting Instagram or Facebook. Messing was previously an employee of several high-tech companies, including Meta and X.
“Whether or not it works in the meta depends on how it affects the underlying recommendation system of the reel,” he told CNET. “Many people complain that it’s not as good as Tiktok. Creating another app may reflect a broader effort to prioritize company reels that could indicate further investment in Reels’ recommendation system.”
At the same time, he said Meta wants to see the return on a significant investment in generator AI, and launching another app could drive more streamlined collaboration within the GEN AI team.
Still, Messing said: