In the latest front of the war over short-form video, Instagram has started to push out a spate of enhancements to indicate it’s going to steal TikTok’s following amid uncertainty over the future of the rival platform. Instagram is going big on its TikTok-inspired game with changes to its iconic profile photo grid and the introduction of a video editing app inspired by TikTok’s CapCut.
Meta’s New Application: Edits
On Sunday, Instagram’s parent company, Meta, announced Edits, a new app that will compete with TikTok’s famous editing tool CapCut. The software, which is already accessible in app stores but will not be fully active until February, provides extensive video production capabilities to producers. Even as TikTok briefly suspended access for US customers over the weekend, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting creators.
“Regardless of what’s going on in the world, our priority is to provide creators with the best tools to tell their stories,” Mosseri said in an announcement video for Edits.
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Instagram’s updates include a revamp of the profile layout, inspired by TikTok
Profile Layout Overhaul
Instagram’s square photo grid is being reinvented. As Mosseri mentioned on Friday, profile grids will now display photographs as rectangles, which is consistent with TikTok’s profile page structure. This graphic update appears to be focused at providing a smooth experience for consumers migrating between platforms.
Longer Reels Videos
In reaction to TikTok’s popularity with lengthier films, Instagram will increase the maximum duration of its Reels from 90 seconds to three minutes. “We’ve heard the feedback,” she added, “that 90 seconds is too short for creators looking to share longer stories.” This shift underscores Instagram’s changing strategy to support a wider range of content formats, from brief snippets to in-depth narrative.
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The TikTok Effect
The time of these changes coincided with TikTok’s temporary closure in the United States owing to a statute that prohibits the program. Although TikTok has since been reinstated, due to an executive order from former and now re-elected President Donald Trump, Instagram’s actions demonstrate its determination to fill any void left by its competitor.
Instagram may not have received the influx of users it had hoped for following TikTok’s departure. In the days leading up to TikTok’s demise, competitors like RedNote, a China-owned app, gained traction, while Instagram downloads saw only a slight increase.
The Battle for Users’ Attention
Instagram’s battle with TikTok is not new. TikTok’s popularity skyrocketed in 2020, posing a substantial challenge to Instagram’s supremacy. In response, Instagram launched Reels in August 2020, just as the US government under Trump considered banning TikTok. While Reels has kept Instagram competitive, TikTok’s unique algorithms and large user base have continued to outperform it in popularity.
Now, Instagram’s efforts to entice TikTok users with comparable features and tools highlight the company’s strategy shift to remain relevant in the age of short-form video. However, the question remains: will these TikTok-like upgrades be sufficient to attract new users and retain existing ones?
Looking forward
Instagram’s latest upgrades and the debut of Edits demonstrate Meta’s stronger commitment to helping artists across all platforms, not just Instagram. However, with TikTok back online and rivals gaining traction, the social media market remains very competitive. TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms compete for user attention, but one thing is certain: the war for creative innovation is far from done.
What are your thoughts on Instagram’s recent updates? Will it be sufficient to compete TikTok? Please let us know in the comments below!
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