Instagram now has another way of making the platform look more like TikTok each passing day. The Meta-owned social media site has added the ability for user to play Instagram Reels at 2x speed.
Meta announced in an email on Thursday that Instagram users can now watch Reels at twice the rate they normally would, especially if the videos are long. The company said that the 2x speed feature is a highly requested feature, so now they can play their videos just as fast as they would on TikTok.
To play a Reel at 2x speed, hold your finger down on the left or right edge of the screen and you’ll be able to fast forward everything until you get to a certain point in the video. To play the video at normal speed again, simply lift your finger off the screen.
A few years ago, Instagram introduced Reels in an effort to compete with TikTok, which has grown in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the beginning, Reels could be played for only 15 seconds. Nowadays, they can be up to three minutes long unless you post a longer video than that, after which it turns back into a regular Instagram post. However, the 2x speed feature is only available for Reels proper.
Meanwhile, TikTok added the 2x speed feature in 2023, as users have gained the ability to make 10-minute videos. Sometimes, videos can last even longer if they add movies or TV episodes on it. The only difference is that it has a 2x playback button if you turn on the clear display in any video you’re watching.
The idea of Reels having the 2x speed feature like TikTok is because some people don’t have the time or attention span to sit through a long-form video due to other things that demand their attention in the real world, such as work, school, or a family obligation. So, they can fast-forward it until they get to a certain point or to get the information they need faster.
