Instagram has introduced a new fast-forward feature for Reels that allows users to speed through videos by holding down on either edge of the screen. The action plays content at double speed, similar to a feature already available on TikTok.

The Meta-owned platform initially limited Reels to 15-second clips but has since expanded the maximum duration to three minutes, making playback controls increasingly necessary for users who want to quickly navigate through longer content.

To use the new feature, simply press and hold on the right or left side of their screen while watching a Reel. The video will then play at 2x speed, enabling you to skip to the parts that interest you most.

Instagram users have become accustomed to consuming quick, bite-sized content, so the ability to fast-forward increases the likelihood that they will watch Reels through to completion rather than scrolling past longer videos.

2x Speed Still 22x Speed Still 2
It’s the latest in a series of TikTok-inspired features that Instagram has added in its ongoing effort to compete in the short-form video market. Previously, Instagram introduced Remix, a direct copy of TikTok’s Duet functionality, which allows users to create content alongside existing videos.

(Via News.)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone …

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing.
Apple’s website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in “early April,” so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1.
Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any…

Here’s What Apple’s iOS 19 Messages App Might Look Like

Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions.
Jon Prosser’s Messages app mockup
The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper…

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost.
The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month.
In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone …

Don’t Buy Into Apple’s Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4.
For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which…

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it’s time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall.
Design
There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this…

Apple’s Mac Site Features Fictional ‘Lumon Terminal Pro’

Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you’ll find a new “Lumon Terminal Pro” listed on Apple’s Mac site.
The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide…

Gurman: Jon Prosser’s iOS 19 Mockups ‘Aren’t Representative’ of Redesign

The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said on social media.
According to Gurman, the images that are “floating around” are based on “very old builds” or “vague descriptions,” and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can “expect more from Apple in June.”
Gurman made the same comment …