Key Takeaways
- Instagram may soon roll out a new ‘Pause’ feature, similar to TikTok.
- A new app called ‘Edits’ is also expected to be launched to compete with ByteDance’s CapCut.
- Several new interface changes such as repositioning of the ‘highlights’ section may also happen.
If you’re one of the grieving members of the tiktok fanbase and struggling to get used to Instagram reels while TikTok is in hibernation, we have good news!
Meta has taken feedback from TikTok enthusiasts and is currently testing a “pause” feature on some of its users. This means that now you won’t have to tap and hold the screen while trying to get a clear view of that one aesthetic clip in an edit, or even just to read an important text flash.
“Hello @instagram, can I please request a pause button on reels?? sincerely, a grieving former TikTok scroller,” one user posted on social media site X while TikTok was taken down for a few hours last month.
In this new update, you’ll be able to pause videos with just a single tap, making it a lot more convenient for users to have a little more control over the content they’re watching, exactly how it is on TikTok.
Currently, if you tap on the screen, the video just gets muted. It isn’t clear yet about how the mute function will be placed now that its gesture is replaced with pause, or whether that function will be completely gone for good. I guess we’ll have to wait for the update to be officially rolled out to find that out.
This update could be Meta’s way of taking steps to place itself on top while TikTok is struggling to clearly place its future in the US market.
We’re going to learn what’s going to happen with TikTok, and regardless of that, I expect Reels on Instagram and Facebook to continue growing. – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Meta is also planning to launch a video editing app called “Edits” that’s scheduled to be live in February. This app could give serious competition to the current user favorite, “CapCut”. This is a free video editing app owned by ByteDance, the same company that owns TikTok.
In addition to this, Instagram is also making a lot of changes to its interface. For instance, the grid size has been changed from 1:1 to 3:4, making the overall appearance of the grid look a little narrower.
Also, Mosseri announced that he’s thinking of moving highlights to the grid, as a separate section, like how we have posts, reels, and tagged posts sections now. Currently, highlights appear as circles on top of the grid on the user’s profile.
TikTok’s Current Situation in US
As for TikTok, the app’s future is uncertain. For now, the app is working in the US, thanks to an extension granted by Donald Trump. If it doesn’t comply with Trump’s newest conditions, the China-owned app might have to say a final goodbye to the US on April 5.
The app was temporarily banned on January 19, 2025, under a law that required the Chinese company to either sell the app or have it completely banned in the US. The government of the US and ByteDance have since been trying to find a middle ground to settle this concern without having to let go of the app.
A few days ago, speculations about ByteDance’s merger with Perplexity AI were taking rounds where Perplexity offered to establish a new company called NewCo with a 50% stake in exchange for its equity, and ByteDance would give TikTok in exchange for the remaining stake.
The next month is crucial in deciding the final fate of TikTok in the US. Competitors like Meta are also watching its move with a keen eye.
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