Today, we previewed new Instagram features at a product education workshop in our Mumbai office. These features can help creators unleash their creativity and earn more from their Reels content, and they include GIF comments on posts and Reels, Instagram Gifts and new editing features on Reels.

A diverse set of creators attended the workshop to learn from our product tips and tricks, the latest trends and the ways people can harness the power of Instagram to connect and share. The sessions were focused on making the best use of your Instagram feed, the role of DMs today, the new updates on Reels and a deep dive into content strategy. The speakers were from Meta, as well as creators who had interesting stories to share. They were Delhi-based comedy creator Dharna Durga (@Dharnaaaaa), Chandigarh-based comedy creator Govind Kaushal (@govinuts), Mumbai-based fashion and lifestyle creator Sanket Mehta (@sankett25) and Delhi-based entertainment and comedy creator Kareema Barry (@kareemabarry). 

Every day, teens and creators are using Instagram to tell their story in exciting ways. This is happening on Reels, as well as other surfaces like Feed, Stories and DMs. We wanted to highlight these diverse use cases to inspire creativity, as well as highlight some new features that will help them build an engaged community.

Paras Sharma, Director of Content and Community Partnerships at Facebook India (Meta)

New Features that will roll out gradually in India 

• GIF comments on posts and Reels:  Whether you’ve watched a funny reel or want to show love on a friend’s new post, you can now post a GIF as a comment on Instagram! This is a fun way to engage with posts and reels from your friends and favorite creators, and it’s now available globally.

How it works: 

• Tap the Comment icon on a post you want to comment on
• Tap the GIF icon to the right of the text box to access the GIPHY library 
• Tap on the GIF you want to use to add your comment

Instagram Gifts:  Since November 2022, we’ve been testing gifts on Reels as a new way for creators to easily begin earning money from fans who want to show them their appreciation. Creators can receive gifts from fans who purchase them directly within the Instagram app using Stars. These themed virtual gifts let fans creatively express their appreciation, and help creators earn money from fans who love their reels. Gifts will be rolling out in India in the next few weeks.

Reels editing:  Last month, we launched a new Reels editor that brings together video clips, audio, stickers and text onto one editing screen. Now, more updates are coming up globally in the next few weeks to make it even easier to get creative with your reels. They include: 

• Split: Easily split a single clip into two clips
• Speed: Speed up or slow down your clips 
• Replace: Swap one clip out for another without changing the timing or order of other clips, audio and other elements in your reel 

To learn more about the event, follow the hashtag #IGUxIndia.