Instagram Working To Bring New Feature To Lets Creators Earn Via 'Gifts' On Reels

Spotted weeks ago by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Meta-owned Instagram is working to introduce a feature for creators to make money on the social networking platform.

The feature to appreciate creators on the platform was first spotted by Alessandro Paluzzi earlier in July. Image: Getty

Spotted weeks ago by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Meta-owned Instagram is working to introduce a feature for creators to make money on the social networking platform. Instagram's feature that would let creators monetise via Instagram Reels would be called "Gifts", the media has reported.

"Gifts" on Reels is currently not being tested externally, according to the company and the feature is an internal prototype, says a report by TechCrunch.

The feature to appreciate creators on the platform was first spotted by Alessandro Paluzzi earlier in July. "#Instagram is working on a new monetization tool: Content appreciation 👀 ℹ️ Enable your fans to send a token of their appreciation to you: stars, charms or mega-likes," Paluzzi had tweeted.

Earlier in 2020, the Meta-owned photo-sharing platform introduced Instagram Badges. Instagram badges are a feature that allows users to show support to creators during a live video. When you purchase a badge during a live video, a heart icon appears next to your name in the comments. Once badges are purchased: Badges will remain next to your name during that live.

This development comes amid reports of Meta working to bring “possible paid features” across its social networking services Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. According to a previous report by The Verge, the company has not elaborated on the paid features it is mulling to introduce across Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

Meta's new group would be named "New Monetisation Experiences" and it would be headed by Meta's former head of research, Pratiti Raychoudhury, the report added.

To recall, after testing in select countries, Instagram announced launching Reels ads in June 2021. Reels ads are full screen and vertical, similar to ads in Stories, and appear in between individual Reels. As with regular Reels content, these ads loop and can be up to 30 seconds. People can comment, like, view, save and share Reels ads.