New Updates for Instagram Reels: Discover Trends, Insights and More!

While TikTok struggles to avoid being banned in the country, its rival, Meta, just released some creator-focused updates to Instagram Reels.


Meta announced a new dedicated dashboard that shows you trending topics, videos, audio, hashtags, etc.

And with this update, you'll be able to see how many times people used a song and either tap it for use immediately or save it for later.

This feature can be found in the Professional Dashboard, where you can select the "Check Today's Reels Trends" option to see what's rising in popularity among creators.

We think it's pretty useful if you find yourself stuck and need some content creation inspiration!

Meta also released two new metrics for Reels.

The first one is called "total watch time." It tells you the total amount of time a Reel was played, including the number of times the video replayed.

The second metric is "average watch time," which counts the average number of times a video was played divided by the watch time.

Meta says this could help you figure out where people are engaged in your videos and at what point they drop off.

So, it's pretty useful in helping you know what Reels are resonating with your audience. And if there's a lack of engagement in one part of the video, you can create stronger hooks to get better results.

Speaking of video content, Reels just got an upgraded video editing tool in the app.

Under one editing screen, you can bring in video clips, audio, stickers, and text. Having all those elements in one area allows you to visualize and time your videos better as you make them.

Keep an eye out for more tools in the future because Meta wants to make editing Reels easier and simpler.

Last on the list of new updates for Reels are gifts. These virtual goodies let you receive monetary support from your fans.

Instagram has expanded access to gifts to creators in Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

On top of expanding gifts to different countries, Meta added a feature showing you which fan sent you a gift.

You can then tap on a new heart icon next to your supporter's name, and they'll get a notification that you saw and acknowledge their gift. Aw, that's sweet!

Which update was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

Want to read this in Spanish? Spanish Version >>