We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #591

Mashup
hannahcurrey

Instagram is testing turning all video content into Reels
There may be a lot more Reels dominating your Instagram feed soon, as the platform is testing a change that’ll turn all video posts into Reels. If your account is public and you post a video that ends up being turned into a Reel, anyone can discover your Reel and use your original audio to create their own Reel. For real. However, if you’ve got a private account, only your followers will be able to see your Reels. The possible change comes as Instagram is working to simplify video on the app. Whether this will stick, only time will tell.

Snapchat officially launches paid subscription
Say hello to Snapchat+, the platform’s new paid subscription plan. So what juicy content can you expect from being a Snapchat+ customer? You’ll gain access to pre-release features, as well as the ability to see which people have rewatched your Stories. Currently available in nine countries for $3.99 a month, Snapchat+ will be rolling out more globally in the months to come.

Facebook begins testing NFTs with select creators in US
It started with Instagram, and now Meta is launching digital collectables support on Facebook with select creators. It will look very similar to how it does on Instagram, with creators able to show off NFTs on their profiles under a new tab. All art will also have a ‘digital collectables’ label, and cross-posting on Instagram and Facebook will be available very soon. And good news for creators, there won’t be any fees associated with posting or sharing a digital collectable.

TikTok tests a dedicated Shop feed
Heading to TikTok to get some wavy garms? It may be even easier to navigate your way through the app’s ‘Shop’ feature, with the platform testing a new dedicated Shop tab allowing users to browse and purchase products by category. TikTok Shop is currently available in select markets including Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The tab will appear next to the ‘Following’ and ‘For You’ tab, featuring a search bar along with different categories, such as beauty, womenswear, electronics, bags, kitchen, etc.

Twitch rolls out Guest Star
Everyone loves a cameo, and now Twitch is making it easier for live streamers to invite others into their stream as guests through a new feature called ‘Guest Star’. Up to five guests can receive an invite to join a stream, with the feature currently available to just a select group of users. When a person is brought onto a stream, they will wait in a ‘backstage’ area where they and the creator can set up for the event. Guest Star will roll out to all users in the coming months, giving Twitch users more opportunities for collaboration.

YouTube is cracking down on spammers
No one likes a scammer, and that’s why YouTube is putting its foot down, introducing a few new changes to prevent pests on the site. Channels will now no longer be able to hide their subscriber count and the type and frequency of special characters that can be used in channel names have been limited. Spammers often use special characters to form familiar names, giving the illusion of legitimacy. Finally, YouTube is expanding access to an enhanced comment moderation setting, allowing creators to cut down on the number of spam comments. Watch out scammers, time is up.