Facebook officially releases Reels, Shop tabs in Instagram

In this file photo taken on 16 May 2018 a figurine carrying the logo of social network Facebook is viewed in Paris. Facebook said 20 November 2018 users were having trouble accessing the social network and its other applications such as Instagram, but did not explain the cause of the outages. Photo: AFP

Facebook on Thursday announced two big changes to Instagram in the form of a Reels tab and a Shop tab.

The Reels tab will make it easier for people to discover short, fun videos from creators all over the world. With Reels, one can record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and new creative tools.

The Shop tab will give them a better way to connect with brands and creators and discover products they love.

“At Instagram, our focus has always been on young people and creators because they’re trendsetters. Change is happening quickly right now, including how both of these groups use Instagram and engage with the world,” said Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram.

Facebook first launched Reels a few months ago.

“Now, we’re rolling out the Reels tab to be a kind of a stage, a place where people can share their creativity with the world and have a chance to break out and find an audience”.

With the Shop tab, we’re making it easy to get inspired by creators you love, shop on Instagram, and support small businesses,” Mosseri said.

As millions of Indians scout for new platforms to unleash their creativity in absence of Chinese TikTok, Facebook IN September rolled out a dedicated tab for Instagram Reels for most of India.

The Reels tab is a new tab in the navigation bar so the feature will no longer be in a unit in Explore as was the case earlier.

Reels can be recorded in a series of clips—one at a time, all at once, or using video uploads from your gallery.