2 weeks Ago By Kahekashan
Instagram is rolling out a new feature called Blend, designed to personalise your Reels experience by sharing it with close friends or a group. This invite-only feature creates a unique, daily-updated Reels feed based on the viewing habits of you and the people you choose to connect with. The goal? To encourage more social engagement and differentiate Instagram from TikTok, especially as Meta continues to face increasing antitrust scrutiny.
Blend offers a curated space where users can discover videos together in real-time. “It gives you a glimpse into the Reels you and your friends enjoy,” says Instagram, and it doubles as a way to spark fresh conversations within direct messages. By letting users bond over shared content, Instagram is banking on deeper, more interactive connections on the platform.
How does Blend work? To get started, open any private or group DM and tap the Blend icon located at the top of the chat. From there, select “Invite” to choose who you'd like to join the Blend. Once at least one person accepts your invitation, your shared Reels feed is activated.
The algorithm behind Blend generates a collection of Reels tailored to everyone in the chat. When someone in the group reacts to a video, Instagram sends a notification, encouraging further interaction and making it easier to kick off conversations around shared interests. If you want to return to the feed later, just go back to the DM and tap the Blend icon again.
And if you decide the feature isn’t for you? Exiting is easy. Open Instagram, tap either the paper plane or messenger icon, and enter the chat that contains the Blend. Tap the Blend icon in the upper-right corner, then hit the three-dot menu.
From there, select “Leave this Blend” to opt out and remove yourself from the shared Reels feed. A Strategic Launch Amid Legal Tensions This feature comes at a pivotal time. While Meta is dealing with legal battles over its dominance in the tech space, rival platform TikTok faces uncertainty in the U.
S. Although still operational, TikTok is at risk of a nationwide ban. Former President Donald Trump, known for his earlier attempts to regulate TikTok, is reportedly negotiating a new deal with its Chinese parent company.
The original April 2 deadline to resolve TikTok’s U.S. status has been extended by 75 days.
Instagram’s launch of Blend seems like a calculated move, enhancing user engagement while uncertainty looms over a major competitor. By doubling down on social features, Meta is positioning Instagram as a go-to platform for personalised content, just in case TikTok loses footing in the American market. Instagram for iPad: Finally in the Works In other news, Instagram is finally developing a dedicated app for the iPad.
While users can currently run the iPhone version on tablets, the experience has long been subpar due to scaling issues and poor UI optimisation. According to an internal source, a tablet-specific version is under development, although no release date has been confirmed. For iPad users, this could be a long-awaited upgrade that enhances how they interact with Instagram’s features, including Blend.
.
