“We are testing this feature as part of our efforts to simplify and improve the video experience on Instagram,” a Meta spokesman said in an email. A screenshot posted on Twitter by social media consultant Matt Navara shows that test takers will see a message within the app that says “video posts are now being shared as Reels”. The message indicates that if your account is public and you post a video that ends up being converted to a Reel, anyone can discover your wheel and use your original sound to create their own Reel. If your account is set to private, your Reel will only be visible to your followers. The message also notes that once you post a Reel, anyone can create a remix with your Reel if your account is public. However, you can prevent others from mixing your wheels in your account settings. As with any test, it is unknown when or if Instagram intends to make the change more widely available. If the change becomes permanent, it can create some challenges. For example, it may be difficult to post a horizontal video if it is uploaded in vertical Reels format. In addition, Instagram did not say how this change would affect current Instagram videos. The test comes as Meta has been betting a lot on Reels. As part of its profits for the first quarter of 2022, the company revealed that Reels now account for more than 20% of the time people spend on Instagram. Unsurprisingly, Instagram is trying to expand the reels even further by completely replacing video posts. If the company manages to make this change permanent, it could be proud of the people who spend even more time on Reels. Last year, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said the app was “no longer a photo-sharing app,” noting that the company prioritized turning to video amid stiff competition from TikTok and YouTube. The company then took a step toward its broader goal of making video a more central part of the Instagram experience by combining IGTV large format videos and Instagram Feed videos into a new format simply called “Instagram Video”. If Instagram decides to convert all video uploads to Reels, it will further consolidate the company’s video data. Last year, when Mosseri presented his Instagram priorities for 2022, he said the company would double the video and focus on Reels. He even reminded that Instagram will integrate all its video products around Reels and will continue to develop the short form product, which shows that this change could always have been the plan.
