Instagram Begins Testing ‘Reels’ In India Following TikTok Ban

Following the ban of TikTok in India, Instagram has quickly begun testing ‘Reels’ in the country. Instagram Reels is a TikTok-like feature, which allows users to create and edit 15-second videos with music and audio clips for their stories.

According to a report from Business Insider, select users will receive an update for the Instagram app, which will allow them access to Reels. News of this testing comes around the same time Facebook and Instagram partnered with Indian music label Saregama. The label has offered its music library to be used for Instagram music.

When speaking to a representative, Facebook told Business Insider: “We’re planning to start testing an updated version of Reels in more countries. Reels is a fun, creative way for people to both express themselves and be entertained. We’re excited to bring this new version to more of our global community. No further plans to share on launch date or countries for now.”

Instagram has slowly been expanding its Reels feature on iOS and Android in various countries. France and Germany have had access to the testing phase. Reels has also been tested in Brazil as well.

Instagram is no stranger when it comes to adapting competitor’s features for their own platform. In 2016, Instagram began implementing Instagram Stories, a riff off Snapchat. Facebook had previously been testing its own standalone TikTok competitor called Lasso. While Lasso was only available in select countries, Facebook did announce that the service is shutting down on July 10th.

With news on the shutdown of Lasso and Reels being tested in an additional large market, one has to wonder how long it will be until a worldwide expansion on Reels will be. Facebook and Instagram appear to want to compete with TikTok, and it may seem as though Instagram’s service will be the leading factor.

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