Meta tests a feature for sharing Instagram Reels on Threads

Since its creation, Meta has been trying to leverage the power of Facebook and Instagram to boost its latest Threads product. With this in mind, the company is reportedly testing a new feature that will enable Instagram Reels to be shared directly on Threads.

In 2023, Meta expanded its range of applications with the launch of Threads, focusing on text rather than images, with the ambition of competing with X. Since then, Threads has been trying to leverage the reach of Facebook and Instagram toconnect its platforms and exploit the synergies between them.

Meta wants to encourage interaction between its social networks

Since its launch, Threads has attracted over 200 million monthly active users. A drop in the bucket compared to Instagram, which boasts more than a billion active users, while Facebook boasts nearly 3 billion. Not surprisingly, Meta is looking to further simplify cross-platform interactions, in the hope of encouraging more users to try Threads.

To gain subscribers and get better engagement with their content, many users already publish their Instagram posts and Reels on Threads. To make things easier for them, Meta is reportedly considering a feature that would allow them to select Reels directly from their Instagram account.

We owe this revelation to application researcher Alessandro Paluzzi. Interviewed by TechCrunh, Meta confirmed that it was testing this sharing feature.

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Meta uses Facebook and Instagram to impose Threads

This is not Meta's first attempt at cross-platform integration. To increase the reach of Threads publications and encourage more people to use its new social network, in 2023 Meta introduced Threads publication carousels on Instagram and Facebook. However, in response to some users' dissatisfaction with having their publications suggested on Instagram and Facebook, Meta had discreetly deployed an option allowing them to opt out of the recommendation program. Earlier this year, the company also tested automatic cross-publishing from Instagram to Threads. In other application-related news, Threads is also testing ephemeral publications and recently opened its doors to Fediverse.

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