Meta-owned Instagram has introduced a highly requested feature for Reels: the ability to play videos at 2x speed. This new addition mirrors a popular functionality already available on TikTok, further emphasizing Instagram’s efforts to mimic its competitor’s features to enhance the user experience.
TikTok, which initially limited videos to just 15 seconds, has evolved over the years to support longer videos, with a notable feature being the ability to speed up playback. This option allows users to consume content more quickly, catering to the growing preference for fast-paced entertainment. Now, Instagram is following suit by allowing users to speed up Reels to double the normal playback speed.
Reels, Instagram’s direct response to TikTok, began by offering videos up to 15 seconds long, but over time, this limit was expanded to three minutes. The 2x speed feature simplifies viewers’ consumption of longer content because it helps achieve Instagram’s mission for fast short videos. The additional fast viewing mode on Instagram aims to attract more viewer interactions and secure complete video consumption even with longer runtime durations.
Video playback speed adjustment is now possible through a quick long-press of either screen side which enables swift speed changes while maintaining continuous viewing. This feature allows viewers to watch videos faster while maintaining both sound and picture quality better than traditional methods involving 10-second jumps or the progress bar.
Video-sharing platforms have already implemented this feature in the past. TikTok users have long benefited from video playback speed options and YouTube together with Netflix added similar features in their platforms. Instagram implemented this feature because users worldwide repeatedly requested it according to an Instagram representative.
Instagram has introduced several new features along with its 2x speed to improve the Reels user experience. The updated platform enables content makers to create videos using twenty different tracks as well as provides users with the ability to download Reels for offline usage. The Reels feature from Instagram has maintained a lower user base than TikTok yet its latest updates combined with its interconnectedness to Instagram’s broader platform have made it more appealing to users.
As short-form video content becomes an increasingly dominant force in social media, Instagram’s latest feature underscores the growing trend of users seeking faster and more flexible ways to consume content.
