What’s new on Instagram?

Edit Updates for Halloween‍

Instagram rolled out seasonal Edit tools just in time for spooky season:

• Voiceovers with countdowns and retakes
• Ghostly fonts and colors
• Halloween-themed sound effects
• “Restyle” filters for haunted vibes

💡 What it means for you:
Perfect time to jump on seasonal content. These tools make your Halloween Reels more engaging without needing fancy edits.

Navigation Bar Redesign‍

More users are seeing the updated navigation bar with Stories, Reels, DMs, and Feed organized by usage priority.

💡 What it means for you:
Better UX = better discovery. If Reels and DMs are easier to find, your short-form content and interactions will likely see a boost.

Rings Winners Get Profile Labels‍

If you won Instagram’s “Rings,” your profile now shows a “Rings Winner 2025” badge and a custom background color option.

💡 What it means for you:
Gamification is officially part of Instagram’s branding. Expect more “award” features pushing user activity and creator recognition.

More Carousels Coming?‍

Instagram might be expanding the carousel limit beyond the current cap. TikTok allows 35 — Instagram could soon catch up.

💡 What it means for you:
More visuals = more storytelling. Prepare for long-form carousels and series content without needing multiple posts.

UI Updates Roll Out in the EU‍

Two subtle UI tweaks:

• A different icon for Reels in Explore
• Cross-platform consistency across iOS and Android

💡 What it means for you:
Better design flow = better user experience. If your audience is in the EU, their app just got more polished.

Post-to-Story KPIs Incoming‍

Instagram is testing visibility for KPIs like shares on Stories when users share Reels or carousel posts.

💡 What it means for you:
If this rolls out, you'll finally know how your posts perform when shared to Stories — a long-awaited layer of insight.

What’s new on TikTok?

Halloween Font for Creators‍

A seasonal font has landed in the TikTok editor, just in time for spooky content.

💡 What it means for you:
A quick, easy way to make your Halloween videos pop — especially useful for creators with tight timelines.

What’s new on YouTube?

Halloween Stickers + Gifts‍

New themed stickers (like Gamer Ghost and Pumpkin Puppy) are now available for live streams.

💡 What it means for you:
It’s not just aesthetics — use these to boost live engagement and donations during the holiday season.

AI-Generated Q&A Stickers‍

YouTube now offers AI-powered suggestions for live Q&A stickers so you don’t have to come up with your own questions.

💡 What it means for you:
Great for creators struggling with prompts or managing high-volume lives. Saves time, keeps viewers talking.

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Shorts Time Limit Feature‍

YouTube now lets users set a daily Shorts feed time limit (with reminders when it’s hit).

💡 What it means for you:
Might lead to more conscious scrolling, but also pressure to hook viewers quickly. Watch your first 3 seconds more than ever.

YouTube Communities Now on Desktop‍

Creators and viewers can now access YouTube Communities on desktop, not just mobile.

💡 What it means for you:
More visibility for your posts and polls. You can engage subscribers across devices, not just in-app.

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What’s new on X?

“About This Account” Feature‍

X users in the US can now tap on an account’s join date to see account information — similar to Instagram’s transparency features.

💡 What it means for you:
Could help users verify creators and brands. Might also help build trust in communities where spam and bots run wild.

New In-App Browser for Links‍

X is testing a new browser that keeps users on-platform when clicking external links. It keeps Like/Reply buttons visible while reading.

💡 What it means for you:
Could mean better engagement on link posts. If they stop penalizing links, publishers might finally see decent reach again.