YouTube Is Next To Clone Snapchat Stories With A Twist

It seems Snapchat has really struck gold when it launched its Stories feature since now, it seems every major internet company is cloning it. YouTube is the most recent tech giant to test a feature it calls “Reels” that takes inspiration from Stories. There are a few differences, however, such as the fact that it’s only available to content creators.

The new feature was quietly announced by Google via blog post, pinning the details about Reels near the end. A creator-focused service, the company describes it as its own spin on the Stories format that was popularized by Snapchat.

“Reels are YouTube’s spin on the popular “stories” format, but designed specifically for YouTube creators. We learned that you want the flexibility to create multiple Reels and have them not expire, so we’ll give you those options. We’re also bringing creator-focused features like linking to YouTube videos and YouTube-y stickers. Just like we did with Community, we’ll be experimenting with a beta version of Reels to learn and improve the product before expanding to more creators,” the post reads.

When TechCrunch asked YouTube for more information regarding Reels, the company explained that it was basically a means for content creators to engage their fans without having to create entire videos. Right now, the main methods of communication between creators and viewers include the live stream chat box, the comments section, and the videos themselves. Reels should make for a good middle-ground option.

Unlike Snapchat’s Stories or the multiple clones that have popped up all over the web, content creators can also make multiple Reels and they won’t disappear after some time. This should also be a welcome caveat to users since the feedback from the Stories clones on platforms like Instagram have been included a lot of criticisms about how intrusive the features have become.