Instagram Updates Reels Templates with New Browser and Enhanced Editing Experience
Instagram has announced updates to Templates for Reels. Firstly, it has launched an improved Template Browser that enables users to browse templates by categories such as Recommended, Trending, and Saved Templates or Audio. Users can also discover Templates while watching Reels, which have "Use Template" and "Template by XYZ" buttons. The former allows users to quickly access and use the template for the video they are watching, while the latter displays other videos that have been created using that template.
Secondly, Instagram is enhancing the creation and editing experience for Templates by adding text, transitions, and AR effects in addition to what was previously available: audio, the number of clips, and duration of clips. In the next few weeks, Instagram will automatically add the text and transitions used in the original reel to templates, but users can customize any aspect of them.
These new updates will streamline the process for users to discover and use Templates to make engaging content based on existing works by creators. While Templates further lower the barrier for content creation by providing inspiration and a foundation to start with, on the other hand, they may lead to more similar content filling up feeds. This is something that is happening across TikTok due to its integration with CapCut, which provides a number of easy-to-use templates centered around trending and popular content. Relying solely on templates to produce Reels could turn off viewers, so creators will need to be mindful of balancing out using templates with jumping on trends and making content that is unique to them.
