Meta launches Facebook reels API to enable reels sharing via 3rd party apps

Meta is looking to assist more creators and brands inclining towards Reels with the launch of the Facebook Reels API, which will enable the posting of Reels clips via third-party video creation apps and social media management tools.
That will complement the Instagram Reels API, which Meta launched back in June.
Meta explained: “We realize that many creators and brands rely on third-party tools when creating Facebook Reels and we want to enable simplicity and ease of sharing video content from their tool or app of choice through the ‘share to reels’ feature.”
The Facebook Reels API will enable third-party platforms to provide ‘share to reels’ functionality, which will make it easier to manage Reels creation and posting within your broader social media management stream.
At launch, Meta has collaborated with Jellysmack, Sprout Social, and Wix as the first platforms to work with Reels posting, with more to follow shortly.
This will assist more brands to create more Reels, which is the fastest developing content format on both Facebook and Instagram, and which Meta really wants people to share to beat TikTok.
However, again, more recent reports have recommended that Meta’s Reels push is losing steam.
According to a leaked internal report, Reels engagement has declined 13.5% in recent months, while Instagram, in particular, is losing more ground to TikTok, as far as time spent in-application, consistently.
Part of the issue here has been attributed to Instagram’s recommendations algorithm, which Instagram admits it hasn’t got right as yet. But Meta remains confident that it can integrate Reels into both its main social apps, and make short-form videos a bigger part of its offering, which will ultimately benefit creators and users alike.
It seems not everyone agrees, with many criticizing Meta for straying too far from its roots, as it chases every new trend. In this sense, maybe the flood of Reels is a step too far - and with that being the case, it’ll be interesting to see whether helping more brands post more Reels is actually a good thing.