Social media updates and new features to know this week
Including Instagram, Meta, TikTok and more.
Hello social friends and happy New Year! We are back to share the latest changes to your favorite social platforms. There are definitely some handy features, particularly X’s new one-stop Creator Studio hub and TikTok’s improved accessibility tools. Let’s dive in and see where these updates can benefit you the most.
Instagram said it will limit the number of hashtags on a post or Reel to five. This small change will help narrow content focus and improve targeting. The app makers encourage creators to be intentional with their hashtags in order to reach the most relevant audience as this change comes into full effect later on.
Instagram is also bringing its Reels experience to your TV with a new app called “Instagram for TV.”
Instead of scrolling through videos on a phone, users can watch Reels on Amazon Fire TV screens for a shared viewing experience.
Users can log in to their Instagram account, and the app supports up to five accounts per TV. Reels will be organized into channels and topics, like sports, music or travel, so users can pick what to watch. The videos play automatically without needing to swipe.
Right now, the app is launching in the U.S. on Amazon Fire TV devices only, but Instagram plans to expand it to more devices and regions over time.
Meta
Meta may begin limiting how many external links people can share in organic posts. In a new trial, the company is testing pay walling link publishing.
In order to post more than two links per month, users must meet certain criteria, like having Meta Verified.
This isn’t a standard rule yet, however, it’s being tried with a small group of users. But it’s significant because it could affect how creators and everyday users share links to blogs, news sites, videos or other content outside of Meta’s own apps.
The update, pointed out by social media analyst Matt Navarra, clarifies that this isn’t a platform-wide change, but more of a trial to see how it works.
TikTok
TikTok recently launched “TikTok GamePlan,” a new set of tools aimed at sports teams, leagues, broadcasters and creators. These tools will help turn large amounts of sports content and fan engagement on the platform into measurable action.
Some examples of what these tools can do include providing official sports accounts alongside video, game schedules, scores, ticket-buying options and scheduling games on calendars all inside the app.
TikTok has also launched an accessibility page to show how the app is making the platform easier to use for people with disabilities by offering a bunch of built-in tools.
These include features like auto-generated captions for videos, alternative text descriptions for photos, screen-reader support, adjustable text size, dark mode and options to reduce things like photosensitive or motion effects.
The features can help users with visual, hearing or other needs better navigate and understand TikTok.
Snapchat
Snapchat just announced a new AI-powered creative tool called “Animate It.” This feature turns text ideas into short, animated videos in seconds directly in the Snapchat camera.
Users can type what they want to see or pick from suggested prompts. The resulting clip can be shared with friends or as a post in Stories.
Snapchat also added a new “Quick Cut” video-editing tool that makes it easy and fast to turn photos and clips into polished, music-synced videos.
Users can pick what they want from their Memories or camera roll, and Quick Cut automatically stitches everything together with a beat-matched track from Snapchat’s Sounds library.
Users can tweak the music or add Lenses to these videos. The tool is built to cut down on tedious editing steps so anyone can create shareable videos quickly. Snapchat says it plans to roll it out to more devices beyond iOS over time.
X
X has added a new Creator Studio hub inside its mobile app that brings creator tools together in one spot. These include features like a user’s revenue sharing status and estimated earnings, subscription eligibility, account analytics, payment settings and quick access to support without needing to jump to a desktop.
There’s also a new “Inspiration” tab showing top-performing posts across the platform to help spark content ideas. It’s basically a one-stop dashboard on your phone for tracking performance and monetization, making it easier for creators to manage growth and earnings while on their phone.
X is also testing a couple of small, but potentially handy tweaks, per Social Media Today. One is a Watch History or Seen tab that would let users see all the videos previously watched in order to easily find one again, and updated reply notifications that highlight when people users follow have replied to a post.
Both are experiments being tried with a limited group of users to see if they help people find content and conversations more easily.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].
