New social media features and updates to know this week
Updates to X, Instagram, TikTok and more.
Happy Tuesday, PR pros! We’re back with your weekly social media updates! This week’s batch is chock full of tech news and app insights. Now let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?
X
Elon Musk posted on X that the app will bring article headlines back. “In an upcoming release, 𝕏 will overlay title in the upper (portion) of the image of a URL card,” Musk wrote on Nov. 22. Musk axing the headlines shifted how people shared articles and removed needed context.
Social Media Today reported that Facebook will remove the “Hobbies” listings on the platform’s user pages on Dec. 13. Hobbies, added in 2019, showed other users what people liked and helped users find new friends. Social Media Today reported that Facebook wants to better its profile display choices with this change.
TikTok
Jonah Manzano, singer-songwriter and social media enthusiast, posted on Threads that the platform’s getting a new update to let users tweak their feeds. “TikTok introduced an option called ‘Customize Feed’ to tailor the For You page when long-pressing on the screen. You can even type what you want to see!” For example, users could opt to include more pets in their “For You” feed or choose to see “less magic” for the next two weeks.
Snapchat
The Verge reported that Snapchat is looking at debuting a new subscription plan that will remove ads as a new Snapchat Plus feature. Other social media networks have already gotten on board including Meta and X. The ad-free subscription plan is being tested in Australia and will eliminate ads from Story and Lens, although some ads could remain. The Snapchat Plus tier would cost $5.99 a month, $4.17 a month (when signed up for the annual plan), or $15.99 for the ad-free option.
YouTube
YouTube wants users with ad blockers to allow ads on the platform, according to Android Authority. Android Authority reported that YouTube stated that “users who have ad blockers installed may experience suboptimal viewing, regardless of the browser they are using.” Some YouTube users reportedly are experiencing a five-second delay when they load YouTube videos on non-Chrome browsers, according to the article. The delay is no longer seen when users swap to Chrome. Android Authority said that users who have these delays are advised to allow YouTube ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium.
Sherri Kolade is a writer and conference producer at Ragan Communications. She enjoys watching old films, reading and building an authentically curated life. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR/comms speaker in mind for one of Ragan’s events? Email her at sherrik@ragan.com.
