Instagram has launched a series of updates seemingly designed to attract TikTok users as the future of the short-video app remains uncertain. On Sunday, Meta, Instagram’s parent company, took this strategy further by unveiling a new video creation app called Edits, which closely resembles CapCut, a popular editing app owned by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. Many creators rely on CapCut for their TikTok videos.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, announced Friday that the platform’s signature square profile grids will now be replaced with rectangular images, a layout strikingly similar to TikTok’s profile pages.
On Saturday, Mosseri revealed another update: the maximum length for Reels videos will increase from 90 seconds to three minutes. This mirrors TikTok’s push for longer videos, a feature it began promoting in 2023.
“We’ve historically limited Reels to 90 seconds because of our focus on short-form video,” Mosseri explained in an Instagram post. “But we’ve listened to feedback, and many creators feel this isn’t long enough to tell their stories.”
On Sunday, Mosseri shared a video introducing the Edits app, saying, “With so much happening in the world right now, we feel it’s our responsibility to offer creators the most compelling tools—not just for Instagram but for any platform.”
These updates seem aimed at encouraging users to spend more time on Instagram, particularly as TikTok faced temporary shutdowns. On Saturday night, TikTok and CapCut suspended access for U.S. users in response to a law set to ban them.
However, Instagram’s potential advantage was short-lived. On Sunday, former President Donald Trump pledged to issue an executive order restoring TikTok’s access in the U.S., which came back online shortly after. Meta’s announcement about Edits—available in app stores starting Sunday but not functional until February—coincided with TikTok’s restoration.
Instagram declined to comment on these updates.
Since TikTok’s rise to prominence in 2020, it has posed a significant competitive challenge to Instagram, drawing users’ attention and prompting Instagram to revamp its algorithms. Instagram launched Reels in the U.S. in August 2020, shortly after Trump’s initial attempts to ban TikTok.
Even if TikTok’s shutdown had lasted longer, Instagram might not have been the primary beneficiary. In the week leading up to the ban, alternative apps like RedNote, another Chinese-owned platform, gained traction, while Instagram downloads saw only modest growth.
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