Meta Tests Pause Feature on Instagram Reels
Meta is testing a long-awaited pause feature on Instagram Reels, allowing users to start and stop videos with just one tap. The feature is currently available to a small group of users around the globe, with no specific timeline announced for a wider rollout.
The pause feature is the latest move by Meta to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain future in the US, where the app briefly went dark earlier this month and is still unavailable on the Apple and Google app stores. The new feature is a response to user demands, with thousands of users leaving comments and taking to social media to lobby for a pause button on Instagram Reels.
Previously, Instagram users had to tap and hold on their screen to pause videos on Reels, requiring more effort than simply tapping the screen to pause on TikTok. The new feature will allow users to pause videos with a single tap, making it more similar to TikTok’s functionality.
In addition to the pause feature, Meta has announced a new video editing app called Edits, which will compete directly with ByteDance’s CapCut editing app. Edits is set to launch in February. The company is also paying creators to promote Instagram on TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube Shorts, and other short-form video platforms.
Meta’s shares have risen slightly since the company reported fourth-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates on the top and bottom lines. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is confident in the growth of Reels on Instagram and Facebook, stating, “We’re going to learn what’s going to happen with TikTok, and regardless of that, I expect Reels on Instagram and Facebook to continue growing.”
