Instagram will launch a separate Reels app, big preparations are going on

Amid TikTok’s ongoing struggle in the United States (US), Instagram is planning to take the full advantage of this opportunity. According to reports, Instagram is considering launching a separate app for its short-form video feature Reels. This move could be taken to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain situation. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri recently hinted at this possibility during a staff interaction.

Meta has made such attempts before

This is not the first time Meta has taken such a step. In January 2025, the company launched a video editing app called Edits, which was designed to compete with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance’s editing app CapCut. Apart from this, in 2018, Meta also launched a standalone video-sharing app called Lasso, but it could not compete with TikTok and was eventually shut down.

Why is TikTok struggling in the US?

TikTok’s future in the US is in jeopardy as the government there alleges that its parent company, ByteDance, has links to the Chinese government and may collect sensitive data of American users such as location, call records, and messages.

US authorities had pressured ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations to an American company. But the company instead decided to shut down its services in the US until the Supreme Court overturns the ban.

TikTok App banned in the US

On January 19, 2025, the US Supreme Court upheld a law directing ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations. But the company did not comply, leading to a ban on TikTok in the US.

As of February 27, 2025, TikTok’s status in the US remains uncertain. Taking advantage of this situation, Meta wants to strengthen its hold on the short video market through its new Reels app. Now it remains to be seen how successful this move of Instagram is.

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