More than half of all Instagram advertisements ran on its Reels short-form video format in 2025, up from 35% the prior year, according to Sensor Tower data. In the U.S., Reels accounted for 46% of time spent on the Instagram app, growing from 37% in 2024. The format also gained on Facebook, reaching 29% of time spent.

This shift underscores Meta's strategic pivot to short-form video to compete with TikTok and retain user attention. Vertical video, powered by AI recommendation systems, has become central to keeping users engaged longer. Instagram's daily active users grew 2% since last year, a rise primarily driven by increased Reels usage, indicating the format's effectiveness in boosting overall platform activity.

While Meta's Reels share continues to climb, YouTube's watch time for Shorts remained flat last year. However, YouTube still leads in U.S. mobile reach with 3% user growth in 2025. TikTok maintains its lead in raw engagement, with users averaging 81 minutes daily, compared to 80 minutes on YouTube and 55 on Instagram.