Instagram Lays Out Plan to Beat TikTok

In an interview with Semafor, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri has revealed that the Meta-owned social platform is pushing hard to compete with TikTok for people’s time both on smartphones and in home living rooms.

Mosseri spoke candidly about how Instagram is evolving its approach to content and video formats in response to shifting user behaviour and intensifying competition, signaling potential changes for the service over the next several years.

At the centre of Instagram’s strategy is its popular short video format, Reels, which has become the platform’s core engagement driver. While Mosseri acknowledged that it remains unclear exactly how audiences will embrace video beyond mobile phones, Instagram is already bringing Reels to television screens.

The company recently launched a pilot TV app for Amazon Fire TV devices that showcases curated collections of Reels on larger screens, blending entertainment with a more social viewing experience.

Bringing Instagram’s video content to smart TVs reflects broader industry trends. Social platforms are increasingly trying to capture audiences outside traditional mobile environments as people grow more comfortable watching short videos on living room screens. YouTube and TikTok are both already significant players on TVs, leaving Instagram keen to carve out its share of attention and advertising dollars.

Mosseri said the move to television is experimental and Instagram expects to learn a lot from how users interact with the app on a bigger screen. He admitted the platform might get some things wrong but emphasised rapid iteration as part of the plan to refine the experience.

Competition with TikTok does not end with big screen viewing. Mosseri acknowledged that TikTok has set a high bar when it comes to breaking new content and keeping users engaged with endless short video loops. At the same time he highlighted areas where Instagram sees opportunity, including monetisation through advertising and evolving the platform’s algorithm to give users more control over the content they see.

Earlier this year Instagram also indicated it might improve features like search, so people can find videos and trends more easily. Better search is seen as a way to keep users engaged longer and to make Instagram more competitive with TikTok.