What’s New on Instagram?

Reels & Carousel Insights Just Got Smarter

Instagram now shows which part of your Reel or which slide in your Carousel triggered a like – plus demographic info (age, gender, country) per post.

💡 What it means for you: Learn what frames or topics drive the most engagement so you can replicate what works. Combine that with audience data to tailor content for your top countries or age groups.

Instagram CEO Announces Three New Features

Adam Mosseri just shared three new Instagram features:

• a dedicated Repost button (finally)
• Friend’s Map for Instagram DMs (yep, kind of like Snapchat’s map)
• A new Friends feed in the Reels tab, designed to prioritize content from people you actually know.

💡 What it means for you: Instagram is clearly trying to bring back that sense of personal connection. For creators, the new Repost button simplifies resharing and could lead to better reach, while the Friends feed in Reels helps smaller accounts show up in more intimate circles where word-of-mouth still matters. For brands, this shift opens new organic discovery opportunities – your content might travel farther through peer-to-peer sharing, and UGC can now be easily amplified with one tap. It’s a good time to rethink how you encourage fans and creators to share your posts.

Format Funnel for Content Strategy

Instagram shared a guide showing which formats work best for each stage of the audience journey:

• Awareness: Reels, Carousels
• Engagement: Carousels, Stories, Photos
• Retention: Lives, Channels

💡 What it means for you: Plan your content mix more strategically. Trying to grow your audience? Focus on Reels. Want to nurture your current followers? Use Stories and Lives.

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Reels Edited in-App May Get a Temporary Boost

Mosseri hinted that using Instagram’s native editing tools might improve reach – for now.

💡 What it means for you: If you're curious, try creating your captions directly in Instagram Edits instead of using CapCut, Adobe, or other tools. Just keep in mind there’s no data on how big the boost is or how long it’ll last.

Captions in More Languages Are Coming

Instagram is working on expanding its “Captions” sticker to more languages (possibly powered by AI).

💡 What it means for you: Once live, this makes your talking-head content accessible to a global audience. Captions boost watch time, retention, and accessibility.

Instagram Rolls Out Repost Feature With Side Commentary

Instagram has officially launched its “Repost” feature, and now it comes with an extra twist: a note-like side comment option. That means when you repost someone’s content, you can now include your own short commentary alongside it.

💡 What it means for you: Reposting is no longer just a passive signal boost. You can now add your own take or quick thought, giving your reposts more personality (or context).

What’s New on YouTube?

Collaboration Tagging Is Here

YouTube is testing a collab feature that lets creators tag each other on videos, like Instagram & TikTok collabs. Viewers can click to see all participants, and videos will be pushed to both audiences.

💡 What it means for you: Partner up with influencers, brands, or mutual creators for co-branded content that benefits both sides. You’ll tap into each other’s audiences with zero extra effort.

Comment Box for Shorts (iOS Only, For Now)

Shorts now show a comment box if viewed from a creator’s dedicated Shorts shelf.

💡 What it means for you: Use this as a call-to-action: Ask viewers to comment directly in your Short. Also, since this feature is tied to your profile shelf, encourage followers to binge your Shorts there.

What’s New on X?

Grok AI Adds Image Generation (Mobile)

xAI's Grok now allows all users to create images via its mobile app.

💡 What it means for you: Whether you’re crafting tweets, blog headers, or concept art, you can now create visuals on the go. Great for quick prototyping or meme content.