Instagram search is getting more visual soon thanks to a TikTok-like grid that in the future will more prominently feature relevant photos and videos in search results.
The TikTok-ificaton of Instagram search is in full swing
Social
Instagram is officially ditching swipe-up links for the new URL sticker in stories
The new Instagram link sticker is replacing the familiar swipe-up gesture for accessing external webpages in stories beginning August 30, the Facebook-owned company has confirmed.
You can now watch and create reels from the Facebook app
Facebook Reels, another TikTok competitor, is rolling out on a staggered basis to some people in the United States, who can now watch and create reels from the Facebook app.
Twitter is testing letting you flag tweets containing possible misinformation
A new Twitter test will let you report misleading tweets, starting with some customers in a few countries, including the United States and Australia, before releasing the feature publicly.
New TikTok privacy features for teens include notifications curfew
TikTok is bringing new privacy protections designed to make the app less likely eat into teenagers' sleep time, such as automatic notifications muting after 9pm and 10pm, and more.
The businesses of banning people on Instagram
One guy claims to have made earned over five figures from selling lucrative Instagram bans in just under a month, cautioning that banning “is pretty much a full-time job lol.”
TikTok is testing a Snapchat Stories clone
A new, unreleased TikTok Stories feature is currently in testing. Similar to Snapchat Stories and the like, it lets you add text, captions and music to a video to make it more immersive.
Twitter’s new banners pop up right at the top of your timeline if your account gets restricted
Is your Twitter account locked? Has it been permanently suspended? With dedicated new notices now in testing across the company's apps for iOS, Android and the web, now you'll know if Twitter has suspended your account just by glancing at your timeline.
Under 16? Instagram will now default your account to private during initial setup
Instagram's safety procedures are tightening, with any new accounts created by kids younger than 16 automatically set to private by default to boost privacy of the youngsters.
Twitter’s Trusted Friends would let you tweet to friends, post under different personas and more
Twitter is experimenting with new ways of increasing engagement on its platform which would permit you to choose the audience for specifics tweets, including limiting a tweet to trusted friends instead of your followers and tweeting from different personas from one account.
Instagram now testing a linking sticker because not everyone has 10,000 followers
A new Instagram linking sticker is now being tested to enable just about anyone—whether they're verified or have at least 10,000 followers—to share a link in stories.
New Instagram test intersperses suggested posts throughout your feed, sometimes ahead of your friends’
Instagram's suggested posts may soon be interspersed throughout your feed, in some cases appearing ahead of posts from people you follow.