Instagram is experimenting with a new Templates feature for Reels that will let users copy video formats from other Reels videos, reportedBusiness Insider. Templates are already an incredibly popular feature we’ve seen on TikTok, and are often the basis for viral challenges and trends on the platform. The Templates feature on Reels is still in beta testing mode, with only a small number of influencers able to access it.
Meta confirmed the news to TechCrunch. “We are always working on new ways to make Reels simpler to create. We are testing the ability for you to make a reel using an existing Template from another reel,” a Meta spokesperson toldTechCrunch in an email.
As influencer Josephine Hill describes in the tweet below, Templates gives users the option to select “Use as template” on any Reels video in order to replace video clips with your own. While the current version of Templates on Reels gives users a number of preset options, the new feature appears to give the option of using any Reels video as a template.
Instagram REELS announced a new feature! “Use as template” allows user to replace the clips with your own and it will match the time stamps of the template reel. Let me know what you think of this feature. Does this make you want to create more reels? pic.twitter.com/rLMJAX89jG
— Jo Millie (@JosephineMedia) March 26, 2022
Instagram has rolled out many TikTok-like features on Reels in the past in an effort to keep up with the reigning Gen Z app of choice. Some recent examples include a Remix feature, the ability to collaborate on videos, new music features and visual replies. Given that Instagram head Adam Mosseri last year said the platform would double-down on video in 2022, we’ll likely see even more new innovations in the months to follow.