Instagram introduces new Reels features

Attribute it to TikTok, but Reels have become the focus of the photo-sharing app Instagram, which is owned by Meta. A few years ago, Instagram shifted its focus to videos, and it continues to enhance the visibility of Reels with new features. In keeping with its Reels-centric strategy, Instagram has released a number of new features, predominantly for creators. "We're committed to building more products to help you grow and thrive on Instagram, and today's updates are just a few of the ways we're investing in your success," Meta wrote in a blog post.

Easy to spot trends

Trending 'topics' or phenomena form the foundation of all digital content. Creators of Reels will be able to view the most popular recordings on the platform, as well as the number of times the audio has been used. Additionally, they can use it or even save it for themselves with a single stroke. "You'll also be able to view the most popular trending topics and hashtags on Reels to inform your own content," Meta wrote in a blog post.

Editing Reels becomes easier

Instagram's edit interface will now include video clips, audio, stickers, and text to facilitate the editing of reels. "This makes it easier to visually align and time elements of your reel to the appropriate moments," the company explained. This feature is accessible worldwide on iOS and Android devices.

Keep track of how Reels are ‘performing’

Instagram is introducing two new metrics to measure the performance of Reels. These are total watch time and average watch time, making it simpler to view the insights while directly viewing the Reels. "entire watch time captures the entire amount of time your reel was played, including any time spent rewinding it. Average watch time reflects the average amount of time spent viewing your reel and is calculated by dividing watch time by the total number of plays, as stated by Meta in a blog post.