Instagram Is Adding 3D Backgrounds To Video Calls On The Platform, While Also Testing A New Feature Via Which Reels Can Be Used To Reply To Comments

Instagram is testing out a new method of replying to comments via a Reels video. The platform’s also working on implementing 3D backgrounds to calls.

To say that Reels is a format that’s working wonders for Instagram right now would be quite the understatement. In fact, these short form videos have, in a remarkably short time, gone on to become the most profitable of all ventures on the platform. Reels have creator programs attached to them, account for billions of views, and have led to Instagram maintaining relevancy in the modern day era of TikToks and YouTube Shorts dominating the market. To be fair, TikTok is also sort of the very template that Instagram looked at when it was making Reels. In fact, many of the subsequent features that Reels has incorporated are the exact same successful features that TikTok users have been relying on to make good content for quite some time now.

Instagram’s also been expanding a lot in terms of making itself more “social” as a social media platform. Recently, video chats were added to the interface, the ability to reply via calls was integrated a while back, and now we’re adding Reels into the mix. I’m sure everyone’s at one point thought “I like replying to my friends’ comments, but sometimes I wish there was something more dynamic that I could do with my responses”? Well, from the mute expression our editor will surely be wearing after this sentence, I’m going to assume that literally no one has thought that. Either way, your unasked question has an answer! Users can now reply to comments via creating Reels specifically for the occasion, as first spotted by Sachin Shah! The comment being replied to will appear in the Reel, with users being able to adjust placement and size accordingly. As for the contents of the video itself, go nuts! Literally nothing is off the table, so have fun with it.


Let’s take a few steps back in this article, and discuss the subject of calls. To say that video calls are an important and incredibly relevant trend nowadays would be quite the understatement. WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime, and now Instagram are very commonly used as forms of video calling. We can easily check up on our best friends, and still relish in the feeling of being able to see each other, what’s not to like? Modern technology gets a bad rap, but developments such as the ease via which we can see people from afar in real-time is honestly quite the comforting notion.

At any rate, Instagram has chosen to improve its video calls with a selection of different 3D backgrounds. Much like the backgrounds that Google Meet and Zoom have, they can be switched around, and add a lot of flavor and personality to calls. While custom backgrounds aren’t an accessible feature, and even the pre-rendered 3D backgrounds are currently undergoing A/B testing, there’s a lot of room for further exploration and development that Instagram can utilize.

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