Reports show that Instagram could be amping up efforts to launch Reels in India, following the ban of TikTok last week.
Instagram seems quick to react as the company is now pushing hard to launch Reels, its TikTok clone, in India where the actual TikTok was banned last week as part of a massive move to stop Chinese apps from being available in the country.
Related | India Bans TikTok And 59 Other Chinese-Owned Apps
According to reports from Business Insider, Facebook has already started testing Instagram’s Reels among a few select users in India.
Reels is Instagram’s answer to TikTok: a video editing tool designed to let people create 15-second videos that can be shared on their Instagram Stories, sent via DM, or posted to a new section of the Explore tab called Top Reels.
Last week, Instagram announced it was launching an updated version of Reels to France and Germany after a successful test in Brazil last year.
“We’re planning to start testing an updated version of Reels in more countries,” a Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider, “Reels is a fun, creative way for people to both express themselves and be entertained. We’re excited to bring this new version to more of our global community. No further plans to share on launch date or countries for now.”
Reels is getting a strong push from Facebook. The company sees its potential as TikTok is starting to flutter amidst accusations of spying for the Chinese government. Last week, Facebook also announced it was shutting down its own standalone TikTok-style video app, Lasso, likely to focus on growing Instagram’s Reels instead.