One of the most popular social networking sites in the world, Instagram, has launched a new feature that will no doubt appeal to its user base. Instagram has finally heeded the call by enabling users to download and share Reels made by third parties outside of the platform, in response to years of requests. This action is clearly a response to TikTok taking a similar action (and doing so successfully, as the TikTok watermark promotes the platform when material is shared across platforms).
Similar to downloaded videos from TikTok, Instagram Reels will also bear an icon or watermark
The statement was made on Tuesday by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri via his Instagram broadcast channel. Users in the US will soon be able to download Reels directly to their camera roll by tapping the share symbol and choosing the Download option, he explained. Users now have more control over the material they produce and consume on Instagram thanks to this new feature. It does raise the question of whether or not that capability should be available on all platforms if businesses can make it so simple for people to download content to their devices.
It’s vital to remember that only content posted by public accounts can be downloaded from Reels. Additionally, public accounts have the ability to turn off the download feature for their Reels if they want to exercise more strict control over how their content is distributed. Although it’s not yet known if downloaded Reels will have a watermark, Mosseri’s accompanying graphic suggests that the Instagram logo will be there in addition to the account name. This is in line with TikTok’s practice of adding a watermark on downloaded videos. This would be a new development since Instagram previously let users to download their own Reels from drafts without any watermark.
Mark Zuckerberg stated during the Q1 2023 earnings call that time spent on the platform climbed by an astonishing 24% as evidence of the impact Reels has already had. It has a structure that is comparable to that of the viral video website TikTok. Unquestionably, Instagram’s move to allow Reels downloads is a key turning point in the development of the site.