Instagram has announced that starting now and in the coming weeks, anyone will be able to “remix” public photos on the app and turn them into Reels.
In a shift in tone from previous statements, the company says that photos are “at the core” of the Instagram experience, and that in the coming weeks users will be able to remix public photos in Reels.
“This gives you unlimited inspiration to create your own unique reel,” the company says in the announcement.
This means that if an Instagram account is public, photos that are posted will be allowed to be shuffled by default. This setting can be turned off, but users will have to actively disable the option once it’s active, a Meta spokesperson told The Verge. Users will be able to turn off individual photo blending or account-wide through an option in the settings menu.
All photos posted before the new feature will have the remix enabled by default, but users will be able to run the shuffle for individual posts if they wish.
📣 Reel Updates 📣
Announcing new features that make it easier and more fun to collaborate, create and share Reels. These updates include:
– Reel Video Merge – Reel Templates – Remix Improvements – Dual Camera
Check it out and let me know what you think 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/XZUiqmANSX
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) July 21, 2022
Additional tools for Remix
The company says it’s also expanding the tools for Remix, including expanded layouts and the ability to add a clip after a previous Remix to play sequentially.
Instagram is rolling out two new features for Reels called Templates and Dual. Templates allow users to easily create reels by preloading audio placeholders and clips, after which they can add their own photos or video clips. Dual is a feature that will allow users to record content and reactions at the same time. Users can record through the phone’s front and rear cameras simultaneously as part of this feature.
All video posts on Instagram will be rolled
Instagram is leaning even more heavily into Reels, and as tested earlier this month, the company will make all video posts shared on the platform Reels, greatly expanding the potential audience.
“In the coming weeks, new video posts under 15 minutes will be shared as reels. Videos posted prior to this change will remain as videos and will not become reels,” the company says.
“If you have a public account, your new videos (now reels) may be eligible to be recommended and seen by more people on Instagram. This currently applies to reels under 90 seconds. If your account is private, your reels will only be shown to your followers.”
User profiles will consolidate videos and reels into a single tab so they can all be viewed in one place.
Image credits: Meta