Instagram's new feature lets you watch reels at 2x speed
What's the story
Instagram now lets users speed up Reels by long-pressing the right or left edge of the screen, which allows them to play at twice the speed.
The move comes as a direct imitation of TikTok's popular playback option.
The update is designed to give users more control and improve their viewing experience, keeping up with the fast-paced media consumption trends.
User-centric approach
Response to community feedback
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, says this new feature was introduced in response to community feedback.
With Reels now supporting videos up to three minutes long, the speed-up option lets you consume content more efficiently.
The option to fast-forward a video makes it more likely that viewers will watch longer videos to the end.
Feature adoption
Ongoing efforts to compete with TikTok
The addition of the 2x speed feature comes as part of Instagram's continued efforts to take on TikTok, which has been offering similar playback options for a long time.
This isn't the first time Instagram has borrowed a feature from its rival. It had previously added a Remix tool that replicated TikTok's Duet functionality.
The new speed-up feature is available globally and can be accessed by updating the Instagram app.