Is Instagram Launching a Separate Reels App?
Could Instagram really break Reels off into its own app? That’s the big question after a new report from The Information revealed that Instagram chief Adam Mosseri recently floated the idea to IG staff.
According to the report:
“Instagram is considering launching a stand-alone app for its short-form video feature, Reels, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri told staff this week, according to a person who heard the remarks.”
So, what does this mean? Basically, Instagram might be thinking about pulling a full TikTok move—a separate app where Reels would have its own space, a dedicated full-screen, scrollable feed of short-form videos. And with Reels recently expanding to 3-minute videos, there’s enough content to make it happen.
Would It Even Work?
Right now, Reels is the fastest-growing content format across both Instagram and Facebook, racking up over 200 billion views per day (yes, billion). It’s Meta’s golden child, powered by AI-driven recommendations. In fact, more than 50% of what you see on IG now comes from Meta’s AI, not from accounts you actually follow.
Reels is also where people are engaging most. As Mosseri himself pointed out:
“People are sharing to feeds less, but to stories more and (even photos and videos) in messages even more still.”
That means Reels is a major driver of IG’s current engagement. So, would pulling it out into its own app make sense? Maybe… but it could also be a huge risk.
The TikTok Competition Factor
If Instagram does launch a Reels app, it would be a more aggressive attempt to compete with TikTok—especially in regions where TikTok is banned or under scrutiny (hello, U.S. regulations).
But here’s the problem: Would people actually use both Instagram and a separate Reels app? Or would this just end up taking away engagement from the main IG platform?
We’ve seen Meta try this before—remember the standalone IGTV app? It flopped because people didn’t want to download another app. Instead, Meta integrated IGTV back into Instagram, which is basically what they’d have to do here if this doesn’t work.
The Bottom Line
Honestly, I don’t see Meta making this move unless they’re targeting markets where TikTok is banned or Instagram isn’t as dominant. Otherwise, why risk weakening Instagram when Reels is such a huge part of its success?
For now, this is just an internal discussion, but if Meta actually follows through, it could shake up how we use Reels in a big way. Stay tuned—this could get interesting.
Hey there I’m Kylie Simao, owner of a boutique social media marketing agency dedicated to helping new, local and small businesses who want to promote themselves online using social media.