Instagram announced via its official Twitter account on Tuesday that it is increasing the length of its Reels from 30 seconds to a full minute and adding caption stickers.
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The new caption stickers convert audio into captions, allowing users to enjoy Reels videos without audio. Captions are already a part of Stories and are being rolled out more broadly. The new feature is currently available in select English-speaking countries, with plans to add other languages and additional countries soon.
The change comes as Instagram transitions from a photo-sharing app to one focused more on entertainment and video, following the introduction of Reels to compete with the success of TikTok. Reels initially started as 15-second videos, quickly expanding to 30 seconds in length less than a month later.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said in a Twitter post that the app is no longer a "square photo-sharing app" and that users come to be entertained. Reels and Stories have changed the scope of Instagram as the company adapts. Mosseri said the company will "experiment" with a number of strategies over the next few months, such as reconfiguring recommendations.
