Science & technology

Report: Instagram Planning Standalone Reels App To Challenge TikTok

Published FEB 27 2025

Story

Above: The Instagram Reels logo. Image credit: Pavlo Gonchar/Contributor/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Facts

According to a report from The Information, Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently disclosed to staff plans to potentially launch Reels as a separate application — marking a strategic shift in parent company Meta's approach to short-form video content delivery.
The Information
The initiative, allegedly code-named Project Ray, aims to improve content recommendations for US users and incorporate more three-minute-long videos, while potentially providing a direct alternative to TikTok's scrolling video experience.
TechCrunch
Social Media Today
Meta's Reels feature currently generates over 200B daily views across Instagram and Facebook platforms, with AI-recommended content comprising more than 50% of Instagram feed content.
Social Media Today
The timing of this initiative coincides with TikTok's uncertain status in the US. The platform is facing a 75-day deadline to find an American buyer or face a US ban following recent legislative actions.
New York Post
BBC News
Instagram has already launched other initiatives to attract TikTok users, including a video editing app called Edits to compete with ByteDance's CapCut. Meta is also offering substantial creator incentives ranging from $10K to $50K monthly for exclusive Reels content.
New York Post
USA Today
Meta's previous attempt at a standalone video-sharing platform called Lasso in 2018 failed to gain traction and was eventually shut down.
BBC News
Reuters

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The separation of Reels into a dedicated app represents a strategic opportunity to capture TikTok's market share during its regulatory challenges. Meta can also potentially streamline the main Instagram experience and better serve users who prefer a dedicated short-form video platform.

RouteNote Blog

Investing

Narrative B

Splitting Reels from Instagram could fragment the app's user base and potentially devastate Instagram's engagement metrics. Reels currently drives significant traffic and represents the platform's fastest-growing content type, making the move unnecessarily risky for Meta's core business.

Social Media Today