This week, YouTube and Snapchat are having a moment with stickers, Meta launches an AI feed that no one asked for, and Threads is getting personal with customisable feeds.
Meanwhile, TikTok users are proving they “know ball” and creating AI images of themselves with, well, themselves. Read on for more social media news.
Meta is launching a new AI feed in the Meta AI app called Vibes. It will be a similar style to Reels and TikTok, but every video will be AI. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the rollout with a series of AI-generated videos, including a group of fuzzy-looking creatures on fuzzy cubes, a cat kneading some dough, and an ancient Egyptian woman taking a selfie on a balcony overlooking Ancient Egypt.
Threads is testing a new tool that lets you have a bit more control over its algorithm. Users will be able to tag accounts and topics to tell Threads if they want to see more or less of it in their feed. Threads confirmed the tool is still an internal prototype, and is being tested with “@threads.algo”.
YouTube is opening up its AI testing pool, “YouTube Labs”, to Premium Members. Members will be able to try out the tools YouTube is developing and provide feedback before it heads over to the main app. The first project to be tested is for the YouTube Music app that features an AI host that chimes in with stories and insights.
Snapchat has launched its new software, Snap OS 2.0, that will bring real-time AI-powered experiences to its Spectacles, including watching content, browsing the web and chatting to friends. New updates also include a faster and more powerful browser, a minimalist home screen design with an updated toolbar, anew dedicated Spotlight Lens that overlays content onto the real world, a new Gallery Lens, and alot more.
After hitting 3 billion monthly active users this month, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has announced a series of updates and promises. Mosseri said that Instagram will continue to focus on DMs, Reels, and recommendations, as these are huge drivers for the app. Instagram is also testing a way for users to personalise the Reel content that is recommended to them.
Threads teams up with creators to launch discussion communities
Image credit: @rayofsuunshine on Threads
Threads is launching dedicated group discussion communities to help users find people with similar interests. To kick off the launch, Threads has been in touch with selected users to get them to join relevant communities. While invites have only been shared with a lucky few, all users can now join communities, with a selection of communities now available. Once you join a community, the topic of the group will be added to your Threads profile.
YouTube is rolling out AI-generated stickers on Shorts, letting users create custom stickers with text prompts. You can create images from scratch or use photos from your phone’s gallery. The AI stickers are available on Android in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, with more regions to follow. If these aren’t available for you yet, it’s not all bad news. YouTube is also rolling out an option to create stickers from images in your camera roll and sticker polls for lives on mobile – and these are available worldwide.
Snapchat is expanding its in-app stickers with a new app for iMessage. The new app will allow users to add Snapchat stickers on both Android and iOS messaging apps. Once you’ve activated the Snapchat app, you can use Bitmoji stickers to your heart’s content. Snapchat is also rolling out a new “Customoji” option, which will generate new Bitmoji stickers for you based on what you type in your Snaps.
