Instagram Reportedly Developing Standalone Reels App to Rival TikTok

Instagram is reportedly cooking up a standalone Reels app, aiming to give TikTok a run for its money in the short-form video arena. Dubbed “Project Ray,” this new app would offer a TikTok-like endless scrolling experience, with improved content recommendations and longer videos-up to three minutes-to keep users glued to their screens even longer.

Why the move? Well, TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains shaky due to ongoing regulatory challenges, and Instagram is ready to pounce on the opportunity to scoop up TikTok’s 170 million American users. Meta’s Instagram head, Adam Mosseri, has been quietly discussing this pivot internally, signaling the company’s serious intent to dominate short-form video.

Instagram’s Reels feature has already amassed billions of views worldwide, especially in countries where TikTok is banned, like India and Canada. But by spinning off Reels into its own app, Instagram hopes to declutter its main platform-long criticized for becoming a bit of a digital jungle gym-and create a dedicated space for creators and brands to thrive, with better monetization options and more organic reach.

This isn’t Meta’s first rodeo trying to dethrone TikTok. Remember Lasso? That standalone app launched in 2018 to compete with TikTok but fizzled out by 2020. Instagram’s new approach seems smarter, combining lessons learned with aggressive creator incentives and tools like Edits, their answer to TikTok’s CapCut video editor.

Of course, some users might groan at the thought of juggling yet another app-because who doesn’t have enough social media distractions already? But for Instagram, this bet could pay off big by capturing the short-form video craze in a dedicated playground, potentially turning Reels into the go-to spot for viral clips, dance challenges, and lip-sync battles.

So, if you find yourself endlessly scrolling on a new Reels app soon, don’t say Instagram didn’t warn you-they’re just trying to keep you entertained, one three-minute video at a time.