Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
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Title: Facebook videos are all just going to be reels now

Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:58:07 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/social-media/faceboo...

Facebook is once again rebranding the "video" section of its app. This time,
the tab formerly known as "video," which was also once called "watch," will
become "reels." The change comes as the company says that all video on the
social network will now fall under the umbrella of "reels" regardless of how
long the clip is or how it was shot.

According to Meta, the change will make things simpler for users and creators
sharing video clips on the platform. Previously, users had to decide whether
they wanted a given video to be a "reel," shorter clips that are recommended
throughout the Facebook app, or a "video," which also included live and
longer-form content, as well as video posts intended only for friends. Now,
that distinction will no longer matter.

While reels was once explicitly meant for shortform videos of one minute or
less, Meta has gradually expanded the format. On Instagram, Reels can now be
up to three minutes long. On Facebook, there will be no upper limit on how
long a "reel" can be. "YouΓÇÖll be able to create and share reels of any
length or orientation, whether itΓÇÖs a quick, 30-second vertical clip or an
in-depth, 20-minute plus horizontal episode," Meta explains.

This change could end up being slightly confusing as most people are used to
"reels" being shorter, vertical clips rather than long "episodes." It's also
notably different from how video functions on Instagram, where reels still
have time constraints. It could also raise questions from a privacy
standpoint as reels are typically public posts, while many Facebook users
upload video they only want to share with their existing friends (Meta says
it will prompt users to revisit their privacy settings once the change rolls
out to ensure their clips only make it to the intended audience.)

Meta notes that the changes will be rolling out slowly "in the coming
months," so people will have some time to adjust to the new format.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/social-media/faceboo...
be-reels-now-185807805.html?src=rss

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