Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

If you’re an Instagram content creator, you need to pay close attention to a new update that is being tested out at the social media platform’s parent company Meta.

Instagram is trying out a new update with select creators that converts all videos posted by the user into Reels to simplify the video content on the platform.

According to a post shared by social media consultant Matt Nevarra, people who are a part of this test would see an in-app message that informs them “video posts are now shared as reels.”

The post also reveals that Instagram thinks that by converting videos into Reels, they would get more interactions, they could be enhanced using the various video filters and background audios, and be able to be remixed into new Reels too.

A Meta representative stated, “We’re evaluating this functionality as part of our efforts to streamline and enhance the video experience on Instagram.”

Ever since its launch in August 2020, Instagram Reels have gained massive popularity, overtaking most of the features on the platform. The short-form videos have garnered tonnes of engagement and has opened up new avenues for content creators on the platform, especially post the TikTok ban in the country. This new update is Meta’s way of testing out Reels’ popularity, especially after the company’s Q1 2022 earnings revealed that Reels make up more than 20 percent of the time people spend on Instagram.

While the modification is being evaluated, it’s not clear whether or not it will be instated permanently. This is because several factors are still unclear, for instance, what will happen to the videos that have already been posted to the platform, or whether or not this would mean the end of videos that are 10 or more minutes long.

Last year, Instagram head Adam Mosseri had declared that the platform was “no longer a photo-sharing app” since it had moved its emphasis to “creators, video, retail, and messaging”.

What do you think about this new Instagram update?