Instagram Reels tutorial: a beginner's guide

This Instagram Reels tutorial will get you up to speed on how to use a feature that's quickly become one of the most visible formats on Instagram. Instagram Reels are used to   ig reel downloader    share everything from synchronised dance routines and quickfire wardrobe changes to creative insights and tutorials.  Instagram introduced Reels as a pretty obvious copy of TikTok and the format proved to be such a hit, that the platform's been making the short-form video format almost the centre of what Instagram's about in subsequent updates.

But Instagram has launched so many new features that it can be hard to keep up – especially if you're trying to work out how to sell on Instagram or how to drive Instagram engagement. In this Instagram Reels tutorial, we'll get you started – now updated following the July 2022 Instagram Reels update.

What exactly is Instagram Reels?
Instagram Reels is a micro-video format that was Instagram's response to the surging popularity of TikTok, particularly among Generation Z. It offers similar tools to TikTok, and it's been making Instagram more and more TikTok-like since it was introduced.

Reels have a full-screen portrait format, like Instagram Stories, but they can be longer – up to 90 seconds – and they remain on your profile, whereas Stories disappear after 24 hours unless you save them to your Highlights. But the biggest difference is in the in-app editing tools, which allow users to add effects and music and to splice multiple pieces of video (if you'd like something different, though, see our list of the best video editing apps).

Reels matters because the world's second-largest social media platform (Instagram, obviously) is pushing the formal heavily. Unlike Stories, Reels appear in both the general Explore tab and search results, as well as in their own tab on the user interface. This makes your Instagram Reels far more likely to reach non-followers than Instagram Stories.

And there are lots of ways that creatives can use Instagram Reels to share tutorials, behind-the-scenes material, sneak peeks at works in progress and before and after videos. So how do you get started? Read on for our step-by-step guide and if you run into any problems, just check the Instagram Reels troubleshooting section at the bottom.