Social media updates and new features to know this week
Including Meta, Instagram, Facebook and more.
Last week, hackers tricked Meta’s AI support chatbot into giving them access to Instagram accounts.
They asked the bot to add a new email address to someone else’s account. The bot sent a code to the hacker’s email, then let them reset the password and take over the account.
Gizmodo reports that Meta said more than 20,000 Instagram accounts were likely affected.
Meta said it fixed the issue, disabled the tool, removed the bad code and added extra protections for affected users.
“The tool itself worked properly and functioned as intended; however due to a bug in a separate code path, the system did not properly verify that the email address provided by the individual requesting a password reset matched the email address associated with that user’s Instagram account,” Meta said, per the outlet.
Some high profile accounts were affected, including Sephora and an Obama White House account.
Let’s hope these changes to social media tools turn out a little better.
Meta
Meta is testing a new Series feature for Reels on Instagram and Facebook.
TechCrunch reports that some creators will now be able to group related Reels together as episodes, so viewers can follow a story or topic in order.
The series will live in a dedicated hub on the creator’s profile, making Reels feel more like episodic content.
Meta also said it’s exploring ways to monetize the feature, but hasn’t shared details yet.
The company additionally announced it will expand its 13+ content setting for teen accounts globally on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.
Teens will be defaulted into settings that hide content Meta considers inappropriate for their age, especially in places like Feed, Reels and Messenger links.
There will also be a stricter Limited Content setting coming to Facebook and Messenger later this year, they said.
Similarly, Meta is also testing a feature on Instagram that limits teens from seeing too much sensitive-but-not-banned content, like posts that might have inaccurate information about weightlifting, nutrition or anxiety, for example.
Instagram also launched Instagram Plus, a new paid subscription with extra features.
Users can pay $3.99 a month for more options for Stories, profile customization and extra insights. The features include:
- Longer-lasting Stories
- Custom Story audiences
- Searchable Story viewers
- Rewatch counts
- Special app icons
- More bio font options
- Ability to pin more posts.
The regular free version of Instagram is staying the same for now, IG says.
Facebook recently launched Creator Assistant, an AI tool built into its creator dashboard.
Creators can use it to brainstorm post ideas, get plain language explanations of their content’s performance and ask questions without leaving the app. The AI assistant also allows creators to more easily plan content in advance and see insights in one place.
The experience should feel more personalized overall, Meta says.
LinkedIn is testing mobile post boosting with prepaid credits. Some users will now be able to boost LinkedIn posts from their phone instead of only on desktop.
Users can choose an audience, duration and budget, then buy ad credits at checkout if needed.
On iOS, the credits are bought through Apple; on Android, payment happens through LinkedIn checkout. The minimum per day for mobile boosts is $10.
LinkedIn says the test is rolling out gradually, so not everyone has it yet.
X
In more mobile updates, X recently added a React with Video feature for iOS users.
People can now record a short video reaction to a post with the feature letting them place the original post in the video as a green screen or split screen (kind of like what TikTok does).
X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, has an example of what this will look like here.
TikTok
TikTok is trying out a new app called TikTok Pro Events. It is separate from the main app and only launching in the U.S. right now.
The app makers said it will debut with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and give users a place to find videos, trends, creator content and updates. Users will be able to watch clips, engage in conversations and see all event-related content through the app.
It’ll also have coupons and other deals exclusively for those who use it.
