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Instagram Launches ‘Blend’ Reels Sharing Feature
After testing and tweaking the feature for more than a year, Instagram has now officially launched its new “Blend” option for Reels.
Nikhil Wad
May 02, 2025
In partnership with
Instagram Launches ‘Blend’ Reels Sharing Feature
After testing and tweaking the feature for more than a year, Instagram has now officially launched its new “Blend” option for Reels, which enables you to create a shared feed of recommended Reels with a friend or group chat. You can now create a Blend feed, which will be sent as an invite via DM. So rather than sending Reels to each other (which, it’s worth noting, has become the most common form of interaction in the app), the Blend feed will show you all of the Reels that you and your friend/s would be shown individually, within a single stream. What’s more, the Blend feed will re-align itself to your collective interests based on future Reels that you share in the chat.
Threads Maintains Growth Momentum as X and Bluesky See Slower Take Up
With Threads passing its 20 month mark recently, and amid ongoing discussion about the potential for the app’s growth, and the relative decline of the platform formerly known as Twitter, it’s worth checking in on exactly where the real-time social market is at, and what kind of growth Threads, X and Bluesky are currently seeing. So, is Threads still on track to defeat X?
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X Provides Explanations of Common Reach Restrictions Amid Accusations of Shadowbans
Amid ongoing concerns about alleged “shadowbans” and limiting certain posts and content, X has provided some new tips on how to ensure that you’re entering hashtags and @symbols correctly in your posts, in order to avoid common mistakes. Which suggests that X itself isn’t looking to limit certain posts or topics, though given the various algorithmic weights at play, it’s impossible for anyone outside of the company to definitively say one way or another. Which is always going to be problematic among a more conspiracy-susceptible crowd.
xAI Seeks New Funding, Which Will Help to Secure X
Fresh off acquiring X, as well as AI image generation system Hotshot, it seems that xAI is now moving to further solidify its financial footing, in order to take the next steps as a genuine player in the AI space. According to a report from Bloomberg, Elon Musk’s AI project is in talks with investors on a new $20 billion funding round, which would value xAI at $120 billion.
Facebook Announces New Measures to Combat Spam Posts and Comments
Meta’s taking some new steps to crack down on spammy content on Facebook, in order to combat the rise of inauthentic profiles seeking to game its algorithms for engagement. Though AI has become a bigger part of this process, which Meta is actively encouraging people to use, and that’s not a focus of this new junk content crackdown. Which seems like an oversight, but then again, encouraging AI use on one hand, and restricting it on the other, may not work for Facebook’s longer-term goals.
Snapchat Launches Affiliate Program To Drive Ad Sales
Snapchat’s looking to boost its ad business, while also providing a new way for creators and publishers to earn money in the app, with the launch of its new “Snapchat Affiliate Program,” which will enable creators to earn rewards for each qualified advertiser that they refer to Snapchat.
LinkedIn Will Enable Third Party Apps To Display Its ID Verification Markers
LinkedIn will now enable third-party platforms to display its ID verification markers, as a means to expand identification to more web elements. Which could be a good way to solidify professional connections and relationships, by adding an extra layer of assurance within the process. Originally launched in 2023, LinkedIn’s free ID confirmation process uses third-party providers to confirm a users’ identity, which then enables those users to display a confirmation tick in the app.
Threads Ads Expand to All Meta Advertisers
After launching an initial test of ads on Threads back in January, which was only available to selected brands in the U.S. and Japan, Meta is now expanding Threads ads to all advertisers globally, providing another consideration for marketers’ social media promotion efforts. Meta’s inventory filter gives advertisers three levels of optional control over where their ads are placed:
Expanded inventory: Show ads adjacent to content that adheres to our Content Monetization Policies so you get the most reach.
Moderate inventory: Exclude highly sensitive content. This lowers your reach and may increase costs.
Limited inventory: Exclude additional sensitive content and live videos. This lowers reach and can increase costs.
So now, Meta is confident that it can identify these same concerns on Threads as well, offering additional ad placement control in the app.
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