Social media updates and new features to know this week
Including TikTok, X, Facebook and more.
Welcome to a new week of updates. TikTok says its U.S. joint venture has now received a formal security infrastructure certification, meaning an independent third party has verified that its data protection systems meet major industry standards.
Essentially, TikTok is trying to prove, with outside verification, that U.S. user data is being handled safely and separately from its China-based parent company ByteDance.
Now let’s get into some other updates.
TikTok
TikTok is upgrading its ad creation tools by adding a new AI video model called Dreamina Seedance 2.0 into its TikTok Symphony platform. Brands, creators and marketers will now be able to generate full videos from text prompts, images or reference clips within the app.
The tool is designed to produce more realistic, consistent videos with less manual editing, so users can go from a general idea to finished content much faster.
X
X is launching a new feature called Cashtags. It’ll be tied to real-time financial data, starting in the U.S. and Canada, X’s Nikita Bier said.
When users type or search a stock ticker or crypto symbol, the platform will suggest the exact asset and attach live pricing data.
When a user taps on it, they’ll be able to see a price chart and all related posts without leaving the app.
Threads
Threads is working on a new feature called Live Chats, which is basically a more active, real-time version of Instagram’s broadcast channels, Threads CEO Connor Hayes said during Coachella.
Instead of posting updates to a feed, creators or brands will be able to start a live conversation stream, invite collaborators to post and let followers subscribe.
Most users won’t be able to post themselves, but they can follow along and react as things happen.
The app makers also began rolling out indented replies for iOS users this week. This update should make it easier to track replies in a more cohesive and visible way.
The feature is being tested on Android models right now and Hayes promised it should be available to those users shortly.
Meta
Meta is making its ad tracking tools, Meta Pixel and Conversions API, much easier to use. The biggest change is a new one-click setup for the Conversions API, which used to require developers and a lot of technical work. Now businesses can turn it on without needing engineering help, making more advanced tracking accessible to smaller teams.
At the same time, Meta is adding AI-powered improvements to Pixel, which automatically pulls in details from brand websites. These would be things like product names, prices and page info. This should help send more complete data back to Meta so its ad system can improve targeting and performance, the app makers said.
Facebook recently launched a new feature for users in the U.K. and European Union called Camera Roll Suggestions. This update lets users opt in for improved photo sharing suggestions powered by AI. If users turn it on, Facebook can look at any photos and videos stored on a user’s phone and suggest things like collages, edits or Memory posts they might want to share.
The feature will privately recommend suggestions for user feeds, Stories or Memories and the user may decide if anything actually gets posted.
Facebook stressed the feature is completely optional, likely to avoid concerns about privacy and safety, which has been a hot button issue, especially in the EU.
YouTube
YouTube is changing how mobile users share specific parts of videos. Instead of using the old Clips feature, where users could cut out a short section of a video, it’s now making a Share At Timestamp setting the default way to send someone a clip.
Users can pick a point in a video and share a link that starts exactly at that moment, without creating a separate clip.
This feature is already available for users on PCs.
LinkedIn recently made its AI-powered way to search for people available to all U.S.-based users. The feature was previously available to Premium subscribers only.
The biggest change is that users don’t have to rely on exact names, titles or keywords anymore. They can just describe who they’re looking for in plain language, and LinkedIn’s AI will show relevant people based on intent, rather than just matching words.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].
