Instagram is testing a new feature called Templates. This feature allows users to easily create Reels content using existing video formats.
The Templates feature is already available to a handful of Instagram users and is currently in beta testing phase. At first glance, this feature is similar to the Templates feature on TikTok, which allows users to add videos or photos following existing presets.
Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi discovered an early version of this feature in January. A few months later, influencer Josephine Hill has tested the feature.
From the screenshot uploaded by Hill in March, through the Templates feature, users can insert clips or photos into existing preset frames as well as add their own audio.
This feature will certainly make it easier for users who want to create fairly complex Reels content, but don't want the hassle of using third-party apps like Canva or following complicated online tutorials.
"We're always looking for new ways to make Reels easier to build," a spokesperson for Meta said in an official statement to Insider, as quoted from The Verge, Sunday (4/24/2022).
"We're testing a feature for you to create a reel using an existing template from another reel," he continued.
The trial of the Templates feature is Instagram's latest attempt to attract more creators to Reels. In addition, this feature is also expected to be able to overcome one of Instagram's biggest problems, namely repost content from TikTok flooding Reels.
Last year, Instagram announced it would stop promoting Reels with the TikTok watermark. This policy will be tightened after Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced that he would reduce the visibility of reposted content and prioritize original content.
