Tag: Social Media Features

Social Media

Instagram Rolls Out New Features: Reposts, Map, and Friends Tab to Boost Social Connectivity

Tanisha Cardozo

Meta has officially announced a fresh round of Instagram features that aim to make the platform more interactive, community-focused, and creator-friendly. In a blog post dated August 6, 2025, Meta detailed a set of tools designed to help users share, discover, and connect more meaningfully.

🔁 Reposts – Share What You Love

Now users can repost Reels and posts, allowing easy sharing of favourite content with their followers. These reposts will be shown on followers’ feeds and stored in a dedicated tab on the user’s profile.

“Reposts will be recommended to your friends’ and followers’ feeds, and they’ll also be in a separate tab on your profile,” Meta explained.

Creators will benefit too — reposts can help boost visibility and expand reach beyond their direct followers.

🗺️ The Map – Location Sharing With a Social Twist

A new Instagram Map feature lets users explore posts by location, opt-in to location sharing with selected friends, and discover posts from favourite creators tagged in unique spots. The feature mirrors Snapchat’s map concept but integrates Instagram’s content style.

“It’s a lightweight way to connect with your friends, based on where they’re exploring,” says Meta.

🎥 Friends Tab in Reels – Know What Your Circle is Watching

The Friends Tab, now globally launched, appears at the top of the Reels section. It shows users the public Reels their friends have interacted with, helping promote conversations around shared interests and boosting engagement within friend groups.

“This helps you see what the people you care about most are creating and engaging with,” Meta said.

🛠️ Bonus Features You Might Have Missed:

Here’s what else is rolling out or being tested:

  • Edits App Enhancements: Instagram’s native editing app now features teleprompters, voiceovers, and collaborative editing.
  • AI-Generated Content: Testing AI-generated stickers, profile images, and tools to enhance visual creativity.
  • Enhanced Messaging: Custom chat themes, vanish mode, scheduled DMs, and message effects.
  • New Content Creation Tools: Add text overlays, custom fonts, and stickers to standard posts.
  • Profile Design: Rectangular profile grids and refreshed layouts launched earlier this year.
  • Longer Reels: Maximum Reels duration extended to 20 minutes, with new Reel-to-Reel linking for storytelling.

📍 Why It Matters

Instagram’s new features are clearly targeting better social discovery, enhanced creator visibility, and stronger real-life connections. With social media audiences craving more personalised and purposeful experiences, Meta’s update seems to strike a balance between community and creativity.

TechPulse

Instagram Rolls Out Auto-Scroll Feature for Reels and Posts: A New Way to Browse Content Passively

allycaralgoa

San Francisco – In its latest move to redefine how users interact with content, Instagram has begun rolling out an auto-scroll feature for both Reels and traditional posts, allowing for a seamless, hands-free viewing experience.

The update, which is currently live for select users, introduces a feature that automatically scrolls through content at a steady pace, eliminating the need to swipe manually. While subtle, the change signals a major shift in how users may engage with content in the near future — moving toward a lean-back, passive consumption model similar to what platforms like TikTok and YouTube have explored with autoplay features.

Why It Matters

Instagram’s new feature is designed to:

  • Enhance content discoverability
  • Encourage longer viewing times
  • Improve accessibility for users with limited mobility
  • Provide a more relaxed viewing experience, ideal for multitasking or casual scrolling

This update also aligns with Meta’s larger vision to increase in-app engagement, especially as Reels continues to compete with TikTok’s short-form dominance. With the line between entertainment platforms and social networks blurring, features like auto-scroll are critical to retaining user attention in a highly competitive digital landscape.

What Users Can Expect

  • Reels and posts will scroll automatically after a few seconds
  • You can pause, manually scroll, or return to standard swiping anytime
  • Initial rollout is limited to test groups, but a global release is expected soon

Industry Reactions

Social media strategists and UX designers are already weighing in. Many see this as a natural evolution of Instagram’s focus on passive content consumption, while others raise concerns about reduced user control and content fatigue.

Nevertheless, the move shows that Instagram is adapting to the changing behaviors of its global user base, offering features that promote both convenience and deeper engagement.