Instagram Reels App: Meta Reportedly Developing Standalone Reels App To Rival TikTok Amid Its Ongoing US Ban Concerns
Meta is reportedly working on a standalone Instagram Reels app to compete with TikTok as the platform faces potential bans in the US after extension.
San Francisco, February 27: Instagram Reels will reportedly get its new standalone application outside the Instagram platform. Currently, the service is integrated within the Instagram app. However, the Meta-owned platform would likely take a different route by launching the Insta Reels app, rivalling the TikTok app, which has been struggling to remain in the US amid the temporary pause.
Instagram Reels is popular for posting viral video content, and it may have an opportunity to rise as a standalone app as rival platforms, including TikTok, face bans. When TikTok was banned in the United States, Chinese rival platform Xiaohongshu, aka RedNote, saw a massive increase in downloads on the App Store. Therefore, attending to the demand for viral videos, Reels may get its own application. Instagram Reels Hit by Major Bug? Users Complain of ‘Surge’ in Sensitive, Violent and NSFW Content in Insta Feed.
According to a report by The Information, Instagram's boss, Adam Mosseri, told the staff about making a potential move this week. The report hinted that the move could be related to launching the Instagram Reels app. Meta did not comment on the possible development of the Reels app. However, the reports suggested that TikTok, facing a 75-day extension, would have to comply with the new law signed by former US President Joe Biden.
TikTok still has two choices: complete ban or sale. ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, was eyeing a potential 50-50 partnership with the United States. However, reports said that no update on how it would work was available. Further, China has been accused of compromising national security amid potential ties with the Chinese government on data sharing. Rockstar Games Terms of Service: GTA 6 Maker Announces New ToS Update on March 28, 2025, Says Players To Accept New Rules When Signing In.
TikTok, which has 170 million users in the United States, was allowed to operate in the country by Donald Trump upon becoming the 47th President. However, the 75-day extension could soon end, forcing people to choose other platforms. Meta introduced a standalone app called "Lasso" in 2018 to rival TikTok, but it soon shut down as it did not receive much attention.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 27, 2025 02:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).