Acquired by Facebook in 2012 for what is now the bargain price of $1 billion, Instagram continues to be a flagship platform within the Meta portfolio and TechCrunch continues to cover its evolution. Instagram has recently shifted its focus toward Reels, its short-form video product that is strongly reminiscent of TikTok, and its latest offshoot platform Threads, which is the company’s X challenger that could also become the wider public’s introduction to the fediverse and federated social networks.
Instagram and Threads will no longer ‘proactively’ recommend political content
Meta doesn’t want its new app Threads to become another Twitter, full of heated political debates and the resulting toxicity that entails. In an announcement today, the company detailed how…
Threads tests the ability to save posts as it continues to compete with X
Instagram Threads is getting a highly requested feature that puts it in closer competition with X/Twitter. The text-based social networking app is experimenting with the ability to save posts, allowing…
Oversight Board calls on Meta to rewrite ‘incoherent’ rules against faked videos
The Oversight Board, the external advisory group that Meta created to review its moderation decisions on Facebook and Instagram, issued a decision on Monday concerning a doctored seven-second video of…
Threads now reaches more than 130 million monthly users, says Meta, up 30M from Q3
Instagram Threads now has more than 130 million monthly active users, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings today. The text-based social networking app is one of…
Threads is working on surfacing Trends, says Instagram head Adam Mosseri
Instagram Threads will adopt another Twitter/X feature: Trends, the company has confirmed. In a reply to a user on the app, Instagram head Adam Mosseri noted that work on such…
Mark Zuckerberg says Apple and Google should manage parental consent for apps, not Meta
In today’s congressional online safety hearing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg again pushed back at the idea that businesses like his should be responsible for managing parental consent systems for kids’…
Instagram Threads triples downloads in December, reaching the top 10; X falls to No. 36
Instagram Threads is gaining traction after growth stalled last year, which had some prematurely wondering if the app was already dead. New data indicates that’s not the case — in…
Instagram confirms test of ‘Flipside,’ a feature that turns ‘finstas’ into an official product
Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed the company is testing a feature called Flipside — an experiment that would essentially turn users’ “finstas” — their separate, private and more personal accounts…
Meta is rolling out tighter teen messaging limitations and parental controls
Meta announced today that it is rolling out new DM restrictions on both Facebook and Instagram for teens that prevent anyone from messaging them unsolicitedly. Until now, Instagram restricts adults…
Court rules in favor of a web scraper, Bright Data, which Meta had used and then sued
Meta has lost a claim in its legal battle with an Israeli tech firm Bright Data, which it sued last year for scraping data from Facebook and Instagram via the…
Featured Article
Selkie founder defends use of AI in new dress collection amid backlash
When Selkie, the fashion brand viral on Instagram and TikTok for its frothy, extravagant dresses, announces new collections, reception is generally positive. Known for its size inclusivity — its sizing ranges from XXS to 6X — and for being owned and founded by an independent artist who’s outspoken about fair…
TikTok may have been the world’s top app by downloads and consumer spending in 2023, but it was not the top by actual usage. Last year, Facebook again maintained its…
Instagram’s new ‘nighttime nudges’ aim to reduce teens’ time on the app
Instagram is introducing new nighttime nudges for teen accounts to limit their time on the app, the company announced on Thursday. The new nighttime nudges will appear when teens have…
Instagram cuts 60 jobs, eliminating a layer of management at the company
Instagram has cut 60 technical program manager positions, eliminating a layer of management at the company, according to a new report from The Information. The impacted employees have two months…
Threads will allow you to follow Mastodon users by year-end, according to Meta meeting details
Threads’ roadmap for integrations with the fediverse, aka the network of decentralized apps that includes Twitter/X rival Mastodon and others, has been revealed. A new blog post by Tom Coates,…
Meta to restrict teen Instagram and Facebook accounts from seeing content about self-harm and eating disorders
Meta is going to automatically limit the type of content that teen Instagram and Facebook accounts can see on the platforms, the company announced on Tuesday. These accounts will automatically…
Instagram has a feature where you can add music directly to your posts — a popular option among users who want to add life to their content and show off…
Instagram launched a new feature where you can create customized “Add Yours” templates with GIFs, images and text, allowing you to make your own meme-able Stories for followers to participate…
Five months after its launch in July, Meta’s social network Threads is now finally available to people living in the European Union. In a post on Threads, Mark Zuckerberg announced…
Instagram introduced its generative AI-powered background editing tool to U.S.-based users Wednesday. Meta’s lead for generative AI, Ahmad Al-Dahle, posted on Threads saying that the tool will let users change…
Instagram’s status feature now lets you post short video updates
Instagram is launching the ability for users to post video Notes, the company announced on Wednesday. Notes is Instagram’s status feature that launched a year ago. Up until now, you…
Instagram finstas may turn into a new product called ‘flipside,’ meant only for close friends
Instagram is considering a new feature called “flipside” that allows users to establish a new, private side to their profile where they can post more candid and personal photos for…
Threads is rolling out its hashtags without the hash symbol globally
Meta’s social network Threads got a major update Thursday as the company started rolling out tags (without the hash symbol) on the platform. Users will be able to tag only…
Meta’s AI characters are now live across its US apps, with support for Bing Search and better memory
Earlier this year, Meta introduced a set of AI characters, including those based on real-life celebs including the likes of Paris Hilton, MrBeast, Kendall Jenner, Tom Brady, Charli D’Amelio, Snoop…
Meta set to discontinue cross-messaging between Instagram and Facebook
Meta has silently updated its support pages to indicate that the company won’t let users on Instagram message their Facebook contacts anymore. The company, as pointed out by 9to5Google, said…
Threads downloads return to growth as X adds Walmart to its advertiser exodus
Recent efforts by Meta to grow Threads’ install base have been working. According to a new analysis of app store trends, Instagram Threads is now outpacing X, formerly Twitter, at…
Instagram Threads search now supports ‘all languages’ in latest update
Instagram’s Twitter/X rival, Threads, is becoming more competitive with the expansion of its keyword search feature to all markets where the app is available. The feature was initially tested in…
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said Wednesday that the app now allows all users across the world to download public Reels to their devices. Prior to this rollout, you could only…
Instagram adds new features, including custom AI stickers, photo filters, a clip hub and more
Alongside a bevy of creator updates, Instagram is adding a new feature that will allow users to create custom stickers for their Reels and Stories using AI. Driven by Meta’s…
Instagram’s Close Friends feature is expanding. Previously, users could share stories with a select group of people, rather than all of their followers, but now, users can also share main…
