Instagram Reels adds new features since TikTok is banned in the United States

Instagram announced a timely update to its Reels video feature this morning, alongside the news that the The Supreme Court upheld the law which bans TikTok in the United States on January 19. The update, Meta says, will make it easier for users to discover content that friends and followers like on the platform and encourage users to start conversations about to Reels content.

Meta says the features are rolling out in the US to begin with.

The company is ready to capture a number of TikTok users following the US ban, especially creators who rely on social media for income. Although a large group of TikTokers have already fled to the Chinese app RedNote in protest of the ban, it will be more difficult for creators to monetize their following on an app widely used by Chinese netizens but not businesses and the brands of the United States.

Meta, angling to capture the attention of TikTok users on Friday, announced that it will add a feature that appears in the upper right corner of the Reels tab, making it easier to see content that friends and followers they liked or commented (leaving notes. on). This appears as a small button with the profile picture of those who engaged with the content and a small heart icon or conversation bubble, to indicate what type of interaction they had.

Additionally, the company said it will introduce a new “reply bar” at the bottom of a reel that will allow users to easily reply to content their friends like. For example, the bar can prompt you to respond to a friend’s “Like” as their profile picture and heart float on the screen. When you send a reply, it goes directly to the follower you follow who liked the reel or left a note, like a direct message.

The new features are coming now, Meta says.