- Instagram is live testing Picture-in-Picture for Reels, letting users watch while multitasking.
- PiP aligns Instagram with TikTok and YouTube, where the feature already drives retention.
- The update could improve watch time, ad revenue, and creator content performance.
- Testing reflects Meta’s broader strategy to close competitive feature gaps.
Allowing users to watch while multitasking may strengthen time-on-platform metrics.
Instagram has begun live testing a Picture-in-Picture (PiP) playback option for Reels, marking a subtle but strategic product evolution. With PiP, users will be able to continue watching short-form videos while performing other tasks on their device, a capability already familiar to TikTok and YouTube users.
The feature, now available to a small test group, underscores Meta’s intent to maximize watch time and reduce session drop-offs that occur when users leave the app to multitask.
Competitive Pressures in Short-Form Video
Meta’s test arrives in a crowded short-form video market where engagement hinges not only on algorithmic personalization but also on usability. YouTube and TikTok have long offered PiP as a standard playback feature, giving them an advantage in audience stickiness.
By rolling it out, Instagram ensures Reels—its most important growth lever—remains competitive in retaining users who demand frictionless content consumption across contexts.
Retention and Monetization Implications
From a business perspective, PiP could meaningfully improve Instagram’s retention metrics, which are closely tied to advertising revenue. Longer session times create more ad impressions and more opportunities for commerce integrations within Reels.
For creators, this change could increase completion rates for longer clips and reduce audience churn mid-scroll, thereby improving content performance and monetization potential.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed earlier this year that PiP was under exploration, responding to user questions on the feature.
Its current testing suggests Meta is accelerating usability updates that keep users engaged while layering in tools for advertisers and creators. The PiP feature fits into a larger narrative of Instagram closing feature gaps with rivals to maintain its position as a central hub for entertainment and creator content.
Check out the Unlockable Reels Are Now Live on Instagram: Here’s What Marketers and Creators Need to Know
Strategic Utility, Pending Rollout
While the PiP test is still limited in scope, its potential implications are far-reaching. If fully deployed, it could strengthen Instagram’s competitive standing in short-form video by boosting both engagement and monetization outcomes.
Whether PiP becomes a permanent fixture will depend on user reception, but the move signals Meta’s ongoing focus on incremental optimizations that collectively enhance platform stickiness.
