Seamless Socializing: Instagram’s Floating Reels Won’t Make You Choose

Instagram is working to eliminate the choice between watching content and talking to friends with its new Picture-in-Picture (PiP) test. This feature, along with a new iPad app, is part of a push to make the platform a more seamless part of our interconnected lives.
The PiP functionality, currently in a trial phase, is designed for ultimate convenience. If you are watching a Reel and switch to a different app, the video doesn’t stop—it shrinks into a small window that floats over your other applications. This allows you to carry on with your viewing while you reply to texts, making social interactions and content consumption a simultaneous activity.
This update has significant positive implications for the creator economy. By keeping videos playing through common interruptions, creators are more likely to have their entire Reel viewed. This boost in completion rates is a valuable metric that can lead to greater visibility and engagement for their work. Users will also have the choice to disable the feature if they find it distracting.
Further enhancing the user experience, Instagram has also launched its first native iPad application. This provides a viewing experience that is optimized for the larger screen, making content more engaging and enjoyable. Both of these updates are centered on making Instagram a more fluid and integrated social hub.