This week, Instagram officially launched its new Instants feature, but some users aren’t too happy with it. Meanwhile, TikTok is taking on the role of travel agent with its new holiday booking feature, Edits gets some new features, X launches a new History tab, and more.
In other news, TikTokers are revealing their relationship ‘whys’, the red flats queen from the Met Gala is back on our feeds, and (most importantly) Harry Styles is back on tour. Read on for more social media news.
Instagram launches Instants globally
Image credit: Instagram
Instagram has officially launched its quick sharing feature, Instants. The feature is a bit of a combination of BeReal and Snapchat, letting users send unedited pictures to their friends to be viewed once. Users are still getting used to the new feature with quite a few accidently sending pics to their friends (here’s how to turn it off btw…)
X has launched a new History feature for you to collect all your bookmarks, likes, videos, and articles all in one place. The save it for later feature is currently only available on iOS. While the Bookmarks button on the app has been renamed History, it’s not exactly the same. The new page separates content into four separate tabs – bookmarks, likes, videos, and articles. Bookmarks and likes are saved by you but videos and articles will be based on what you watch and read on the app.
TikTok is launching a holiday booking feature directly in the app called TikTok GO. By using videos, search, and location pages, TikTok GO takes users from discovering a holiday to completing a booking all within the TikTok app. This is supported through partnerships with travel companies like Booking.com, Expedia, GetYourGuide, and more. Creators can also earn commission through the feature by showcasing hotels, attractions, and experiences and connecting their content directly to bookings.
Threads is testing a new AI tool that users can use by mentioning it in a post. For example, if you would like more context from another user’s post or you’re looking for more information say on a sports game, you can @meta.ai account in your post and the AI account will reply. The feature is currently in beta testing in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Argentina, and Singapore.
Meta has released a new round of updates for Edits. Users can now adjust the speed of transitions, edit text and sticker opacity, upload live photos as either stills or videos, and play around with over 200 new sound effects.
