On January 19, the US will ban TikTok, the popular video-sharing
Instagram Reels is adding new features to gain more users as the TikTok ban looms
Instagram is making it easier for users to discover the content their friends and followers like. These new features will encourage users to start conversations about Reels content. Going forward, Instagram will have a new Reels feed, which will include videos that your friends and followers have liked or commented on. This will allow you to easily see what your friends have watched and what they like.
Furthermore, your friends and followers will also be able to see the content that you’ve liked. Also, in the new Reels feed, there will be an option to “start a conversation” with anyone over a reel that they’ve liked. Earlier, Instagram used to have a dedicated Activity feed, which offered up this information. However, the social networking platform removed it several years ago.
“We want Instagram to not only be a place where you consume entertaining content, but one where you connect over that content with friends,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a video announcing the change. The company is currently offering the new features in the United States, but will soon roll them out in other countries.
New features could help Instagram bolster its user base
Instagram is eyeing to capture a number of TikTok users in the wake of the US ban. These are particularly creators who rely on TikTok for their livelihood. It’s worth mentioning that a sizable group of TikTok creators have already fled to another Chinese app called RedNote in protest of the ban. Now, Instagram is adding new features so it can attract TikTokers who are looking for a new platform.