As Meta sees Reels as one of the most important features of its platforms, new features are being rolled out for Facebook Reels to improve user experience. These changes come several months after Meta launched this same new update for Instagram Reels.
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Extending Maximum Length for Facebook Reels
Meta is increasing the maximum length for Facebook Reels, from 60 seconds to 90 seconds. According to a report from Engadget, this expansion is included in the new updates for Facebook Reels, following TikTok's move of increasing length up to ten minutes, from the previous three.
Instagram Reels also have the same maximum length, as Meta increased this last July 2022. In fact, all of these newly released updates for Facebook Reels first made their way to Instagram more than months ago, which can be a strategy of Meta to see how they were being used on Instagram before bringing it to Facebook.
This new update may be short compared to its competitor (TikTok), but every application has been gradually releasing updates for its short-form offerings. This means that there is also a possibility for Meta's Facebook and Instagram adapting the 10-minute maximum length.
Reels was launched on Facebook last year in an effort to respond to TikTok's success in short-form videos. While they saw this feature as a way to directly compete with other social media platforms, Meta soon realized that it could also mount a more powerful counteroffensive by bringing it to the two platforms.
TechCrunch reported that Reels is the fastest-growing format of Meta and it still continues to grow rapidly. Reels plays from Facebook and Instagram have doubled over the last year and in the last six months. As per Meta, they will be releasing more features for creators to get discovered.
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Other Updates
Facebook Reels is also getting a similar feature from TikTok and Instagram Reels that have ways to sync clips with a song. This new feature will be called "Grooves" which uses visual beat technology that automatically syncs and aligns motions with the beat of the audio.
Based on a report from Social Media Today, Meta is also integrating Memories into this expansion. Facebook will offer a new option "Share as Reel" from the users' Memories prompt.
This move came from the idea of the developers after seeing millions of users sharing their Memories in the app every day. Through Reels, it could be an easy way to get more people to engage with this new format and try out this feature.
Lastly, Meta expands its Reels templates to Facebook. This will make users' experience easier to replicate trending video styles and formats. Similar to what Instagram is offering, Reels templates highlight specific, trending clips that will give users more ways to tap into the latest trends.
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