Reels, a feature similar to the TikTok application made by Facebook, is now not only present on Instagram. Because, starting today, Facebook is officially bringing Reels to its main Facebook application.
With this change, users can create Reels content directly from Facebook and will also recommend short videos in all users' news feeds.
Facebook has been testing different ways to get Reels off Instagram for a while and started testing the cross-post feature last month.
Facebook is also now testing a feature that allows Reels creators on Instagram to promote their videos in the Facebook news feed directly, even if they're not using the app.
Reels is becoming increasingly important to Facebook and its efforts to challenge TikTok. Facebook continues to add features to Reels and seeks to lure content creators with the promise of payment to reach certain milestones.
Now Facebook is adding a new 'invitation-only' bonus program to coincide with the launch of Reels on Facebook and encourage content creators to start posting on the social network. But it is a potential challenge for TikTok that could be the most significant for Facebook.
A document reported by The Wall Street Journal shows that Facebook has struggled to encourage teens and younger users to post original content from Reels instead of reposts from other apps.
Internally, Facebook is reportedly concerned about the impact on TikTok, with teens spending more time on TikTok than on the Facebook app.
Promoting Reels on Facebook's main app, which is already not very popular with teenagers, may not be the most direct way to solve it.
Getting more attention on users' Reels, however, will help the feature thrive even if its top users don't spend much time on Facebook itself.
