Facebook has begun testing a new feature that will allow content creators to have their Instagram Reels videos featured on Facebook. The feature is currently being tested with select content creators and influencers in India.
As reported by Reuters, Facebook is allowing content creators in India to have their Reels appear on the Facebook feed on the main app. If the user decides to opt-in to feature, their Reels will be recommended to Facebook users based on relevance. The company notes Reels will be shown with the user’s Instagram username and not with their Facebook username. By allowing Reels to be posted on its platform, content creators will be able to reach new audiences and expand the reach of their content.
“In India, we’re testing the ability for Instagram creators to choose to have their Reels recommended on Facebook... creators can reach new audiences, and people can create and discover more entertaining content,” said a Facebook spokesperson to Reuters.
According to ETNews, the initial test group includes prominent Indian personalities, including content creators like Ashish Chanchlani, Pooja Dhingra, Awez Darbar, Sanjeev Kapoor, Bong Buy, as well as sports celebrities such as Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. It's unclear when American company plans to bring this feature to all users.
Separately, Facebook has also started rolling out the ability to create Reels right from within the main Facebook app. Users will see a new "Reels" option on top of their News Feed. Clicking on which will open the Facebook Camera along with access to full-fledged editing tools including AR filters, timer, the ability to add music from Facebook's music library or use the original audio, and more. We know the social media giant has been testing the TikTok-style short-form videos for its main app since last year. At the time, the company hadn't finalized the name of the feature. But it now looks like the company has decided to leverage Instagram Reels instead of creating its own alternative and fragmenting its own ecosystem.