Meta is rolling out improvements to the Instagram Reels Camera
Instagram users are in line for a better Reels experience thanks to a number of newly unveiled camera experiences. There is quite a lot to explore here, but perhaps the most significant change is the option of posting videos up to 20 minutes in length.
The word “creator” is bandied about quite liberally in Instagram’s announcement, giving you a good idea of where the new improvements are to be found right from the start. That said, the new features and options are not really limited to that esteemed breed: the digital creator.
In making Reels up to 20 minutes long, Instagram says that it is giving users “more creative freedom and longer storytelling”. Just how it ends up being used on the platform is something that only time will reveal.
In a post to Instagram, the design team says:
Get ready for your close-up: our Reels Camera is easier to use and better than ever! The Instagram Design Team has been hard at work addressing your feedback and identifying key areas for improvement, in collaboration with our product and research teams. From customizable touch-ups to longer Reels, our new camera has better usability and new features to help you create your next Reel.
So what else is changing or being added? Instagram says that, in response to feedback, there is a new Undo button. The function of this is to make it easier to remove your last recommended clip while editing Reels, but this is not the only editing-related change.
For anyone who is a keen user of filters and effects, there are new controls available to help ensure that effects are not too over the top. Or at least there is the option to stop Reels from looking over the top – whether the option is used or not is entirely a matter of choice.
To help with rather more adventurous creative projects, there have been improvements to the green screen experience. Instagram says that a reduction in flickering screens should be counted among the benefits here.
The list of changes continues with better countdown and timer tools, a new utility toolbar for the camera, and an improvement to the camera gallery which means the experience should be the same no matter how you access it.
Check out the post on Instagram for a series of videos introducing the changes.