More from Instagram: By extending Reels to 3 minutes, aligning with the platform’s previous updates — and coincidentally, just as TikTok faces the threat of a US ban. 

This shift is a clear attempt by Instagram to position itself as TikTok’s successor. But here’s the real kicker: Instagram is doing it while actively contradicting their own advice from just weeks ago.

Only recently, Instagram was urging creators to keep their Reels under 90 seconds, citing internal data showing longer videos tank engagement. Now, as TikTok teeters on the edge of a ban, they’re suddenly all-in on longer videos? 

This move reveals an underlying chaos within the platform’s strategy. Instagram’s own optimization guidelines still recommend shorter videos, suggesting this change wasn’t driven by user behavior or performance metrics but by a pure survival instinct. With YouTube Shorts also pushing to 3 minutes, Instagram’s caught in a features’ arms race they can’t afford to lose.

However, in this frenzy to copy features, Instagram and its competitors are missing the point of TikTok’s success. It wasn’t about the length of the video, but rather the algorithmic innovation and cultural momentum that made TikTok a phenomenon.

Ultimately, this might be less about giving creators what they want and more about Instagram hedging its bets in an increasingly uncertain social media landscape. 

The real question isn’t whether you should create 3-minute Reels – it’s whether Instagram’s panic-driven moves will actually attract TikTok’s audience if the ban goes through.

You can read more here.