Instagram has introduced several updates recently that seem designed to draw in TikTok users, especially as the future of the short-video app remains uncertain. On Sunday, Meta, Instagram’s parent company, unveiled a new video creation app called “Edits,” which closely resembles CapCut, a video editing app owned by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, commonly used by TikTok creators.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced on Friday that Instagram will change the layout of profile photo grids, shifting from squares to rectangles. This new design mirrors the profile layout seen on TikTok.
Additionally, Mosseri revealed on Saturday that Instagram will extend the maximum length for Reels videos from 90 seconds to three minutes. This change follows TikTok’s move in 2023 to encourage longer videos. Mosseri explained that while Instagram had previously limited Reels to 90 seconds to focus on short-form content, user feedback indicated a demand for longer formats to share more detailed stories.
On Sunday, Adam Mosseri shared a video on Instagram discussing the new Edits app, stating, “there is a lot going on in the world right now and no matter what happens, we think it’s our job to create the most compelling creative tools for those of you who make videos for not just Instagram but platforms out there.”
These updates appear to be part of Instagram’s effort to keep users engaged amid the uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future. TikTok, along with its video editing app CapCut, shut down access for U.S. users on Saturday, just hours before a law aiming to ban the app was set to take effect.
However, Instagram’s hopes of gaining new users during the TikTok shutdown were short-lived. Former President Donald Trump pledged to issue an executive order to restore access to TikTok, and the app was soon back online. Meta’s announcement about the Edits app, which launched on Sunday but won’t be fully functional until February, came shortly after TikTok’s return to service for U.S. users.
Instagram has not commented on the updates.
Since TikTok became popular in 2020, it has posed a significant challenge to Instagram, drawing users away and forcing the platform to adjust its algorithm. Instagram introduced Reels in August 2020, just days after Trump announced plans to ban TikTok in the U.S.
Even if TikTok had stayed offline for a longer period, users might not have flocked to Instagram. In the days leading up to TikTok’s temporary shutdown, alternative apps, including RedNote (another China-owned app), gained popularity, while Instagram saw only a slight increase in downloads.