Instagram is combining longer videos available on IGTV with feed videos into a new format, named simply Instagram Video, and it’s also introducing a new Video tab on your profile.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Facebook has combined IGTV and feed videos into a new format, called Instagram Video
- Instagram previously said it wanted to become a fullscreen, video-first app like TikTok
- New video-editing features for creators are now available as well
IGTV and feed videos merged into the new Instagram Video format
“Starting today, we’re combining IGTV and feed videos into one format—Instagram Video,” reads the announcement that Facebook’s communications chief for the EMEA region Alexandru Voica made on Twitter.
Video now accounts for almost half of all time spent on Facebook. And with all the cool kids now using TikTok more frequently than Instagram, Facebook needed to consolidate all of its different video offerings. No need to do anything on your end as this conversion will happen automatically (for those wondering, the upper limit for feed videos remains set at 60 minutes).
You’ll also spot a new Video tab on your profile — that’s where this combined video format will live. When someone visits your profile and hits the Video button, they can browse through all your IGTV and feed videos in one central place (which should improve video discovery).
But Facebook isn’t stopping there.
Say hello to Instagram TV
According to a subsequent post that Alexandru published on Twitter, Facebook is reading a new app called Instagram TV that will host all these videos plus live streams. “Whether you’re watching a quick comedy skit from King Bach or a makeup tutorial from Huda Beauty, the app makes it easy to find the best videos from Instagram creators,” he said.
You'll also be able to find all these videos plus livestreams in the new and improved app: Instagram TV.
Whether you're watching a quick comedy skit from King Bach or a makeup tutorial from Huda Beauty, the app makes it easy to find the best videos from Instagram creators
— Alexandru Voica (alexvoica.eth) 💀 (@alexvoica) October 5, 2021
On top of that, Facebook is also unveiling new features for video creation, including trimming, filters, people and location tagging for all videos. The announcements come after Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram suffered global outages that had lasted for six hours.
Facebook said in 2020 that Instagram would be launching its own TikTok-style competitor, dubbed Reels. More people will now see these things as Facebook has recently expanded the availability of Reels to all users in the United States.