Social media updates and new features to know this week
New updates from Threads, Instagram and more.
We may be heading into a long holiday weekend, but social media apps are still hard at work. Meta in particular seems to be working overtime to stay a step ahead of Bluesky as its momentum builds, threatening to upend Threads’ hold on the title of Twitter successor. But it’s far from the only update this week.
Here’s what you need to know.
Threads
Threads’ behavior seems to be a direct reaction to the meteoric rise of Bluesky, an app that seeks to occupy the Twitter replacement niche in the social media spread.
Among the features that seem to be drawing inspiration from the upstart are:
- Changing the algorithm to show more content from users you actually follow rather than suggestions the app thinks you’ll like.
- Testing new feeds that are arranged around topics.
- Allowing users to set any feed, including Following or a custom feed, as default rather than the algorithmically driven For You.
Threads has a head start and numbers on its side, but will it gain ground by simply replicating the features people love about Bluesky? The tactic has proven successful in the past, including holding Snapchat at bay. Right now at least, Bluesky has the buzz. We’ll see if it lasts.
Among other changes to Threads this week are the announcement that users will no longer be encouraged to simply follow everyone they already follow on Instagram. “It looks like people actually prefer their experience if they build a different graph on Thread than the graph that they had on Instagram,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri said.
Threads has also introduced updates to search, including allowing search within a date range or from a specific user’s account. Trending Topics will also now offer up AI-generated summaries of why that topic is in the news. And in a small tweak, you can now turn your phone to watch video in landscape.
Instagram is working on allowing users to completely wipe their algorithmic recommendations clean and start with a fresh slate. The move, they said, is aimed primarily at teens as they roll out new tools to protect these younger users, but will be available to all. As we saw with Bluesky and Threads, we’re seeing a move toward great algorithmic control over content and away from the strict black box content drip that became popular in the early 2020s.
Also still in the testing phase are more tools to allow creators with crowded inboxes to better filter messages. Mosseri shared a screenshot of a number of potential filters, including by people you follow, businesses, verified accounts, creators and subscribers.
Instagram is also testing moving the DM button to the center of the Instagram nav bar rather than create. “Messaging is used a lot more than the create button,” Mosseri said.
X
X has introduced the option to hide all interaction buttons on iOS and interact with the app purely through swipes. Elon Musk teased this UX change earlier this year, but it appears the app is being a bit more measured in its rollout, offering it as an opt-in rather than a large-scale change.
YouTube
YouTube is experimenting with a new popularity signal: Hype. Users can hype a video for free up to three times a week. Most-hyped videos will make their way onto a new leaderboard designed to improve discoverability for up-and-coming YouTube creators. The platform is also experimenting with methods for allowing users to pay to hype additional videos. Currently, this is being tested with a small pool of Brazilian creators.
Messenger
Messenger, Meta’s texting and calling app, has rolled out a number of improvements to calling and video and audio messaging. These include:
- Use AI to create backgrounds for video calls.
- Quality improvements for video calls including HD video, background noise suppression and voice isolation.
- Leave audio and video messages when the caller doesn’t pick up.
- Siri can now make Messenger calls.
It’s definitely a robust refresh for Messenger.
WhatsApp is now offering autotranscription of voice messages.
LinkedIn Audio Events will sunset. The feature, which was created in the brief Clubhouse boom days, allowed users to livestream audio to audiences. Now, audio-only streams will have to be handled via a third-party platform. Video events can still be hosted through LinkedIn Live.
Audio Events will no longer be able to be scheduled after Dec. 2 and the last day to hold Events is Dec. 31.
LinkedIn has also announced Lead IQ, which will help provide salespeople with insights into the specific leads they’re pursuing. AI will help summarize “a lead’s experience, achievements, interests, commonalities, and activities,” LinkedIn said.
Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Bluesky or LinkedIn.
