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Instagram Adds New Features to Reels as TikTok Ban Looms

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With TikTok on track to be banned from U.S. app stores starting on Sunday, Instagram is adding new features to Reels, its video-based feature that's modeled after TikTok.

Instagram-Feature-2.jpg

Going forward, there will be a new Reels feed that includes videos that your friends have liked or commented on, so you can see what your friends have watched and what they like. Your friends will also be able to see the videos that you have liked, which is something to be aware of.

In this new Reels feed filled with friend recommendations, there will be an option to "start a conversation" with someone over a reel that they've liked.

"We want Instagram to not only be a place where you consume entertaining content, but one where you connect over that content with friends," Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a video announcing the change.

Instagram used to have a dedicated Activity feed that offered up this information, but it was removed several years ago. It is not yet known if Instagram plans to provide an opt-out for the new feed.

The new feed is rolling out in a handful of countries right now, with Instagram set to expand it in the future.

Instagram competitor TikTok could be unavailable to use starting on Sunday, which is the day U.S. app stores will be prohibited from distributing the app. Instagram could absorb some displaced TikTok users if that ends up happening.

Article Link: Instagram Adds New Features to Reels as TikTok Ban Looms
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/01/17/instagram-new-reels-friend-feature/
Ameer_1 said:
They want to ban TikTok, but they can't ban pornography sites in America, on what planet does this make sense?
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I think maybe that people massaging their frijoles to corn videos is perhaps not quite as detrimental to society as having the majority of kids, teens, and young adults spending most of their waking hours glued to a video slot machine that's designed to keep them pulling on the lever until 04:00 in the morning.

Corn is also terrible. And a lifelong addiction to some. But most corn sites operate with way(!) lower budgets than big tech and social and could never get amount of data on user behavior that sites like TikTok have(nobody wants a corn-site user profile). Not even close and that's why they're nowhere near as addictive as social media despite showing corn.

TikTok is way worse.

Like, don't you have any kids or younger people in your life? No "iPad kids" that you know, personally?

Sure, if academic performance, physical fitness, and mental wellbeing hadn't taken a massive dip with social media then I would not spend a second thinking about what apps they're on.

But are we out here pretending it's all innocuous? Why?

And not to get personal, because this question pertains to anyone reading this

-But what about yourself, can you honestly say you feel fully in control of how much time you spend on social media? Can you say it feels productive, that it increases the quality of your life? That the time you spend on it couldn't be spent better elsewhere, but you feel like you're to some extent not able to abstain from using it, even if you really wanted to?

I'm not claiming to have a solution. But I don't know why anyone loves it so much and wants to prevent the ban?

But then again, the ban doesn't really matter as Zuckerberg, Musk or Google will gladly step in and fill the void with a TikTok clone if the ban actually happens. And America's CEO will, naturally, not have an issue with any of them as long as they serve his current interests.
 
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neuropsychguy said:
Technically the old internet was mostly social media as well (forums, IM, chat rooms, etc.) but mostly stayed online.
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It's completely unwarranted to label any part of pre-commercial-algorithm-based social media to what we have today.

-No algorithms to keep us angry, excited, curious, entertained, so that we stay on it for the highest possibly amount of time to show us the highest number of ads possible.

And most did not run around with devices in their pockets and constantly interact with forums, chat rooms, (desktop) messenger apps, etc. No instant push notifications regardless of how many were talking about something or what was breaking.

Completely different.
 
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neuropsychguy said:
Technically the old internet was mostly social media as well (forums, IM, chat rooms, etc.) but mostly stayed online.
Click to expand...
There was no platform that allowed a person to put their lifestyle on blast to millions. Forums and chat rooms is/were niche groups. IM was/is 1 on 1 messaging in most cases. There was no such thing as following/followers, simps, subs, orbiters, influencers etc.
 
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MacRumors said:
With TikTok on track to be banned from U.S. app stores starting on Sunday, Instagram is adding new features to Reels, its video-based feature that's modeled after TikTok.
Click to expand...
🤣 And Zuckerberg has the gall to say that Apple lacks innovation. Every new feature Meta/Facebook has rolled out is a copy of another companies feature.

Reels? Copied from inspired by TikTok

Instagram Stories? Copied from inspired by Snapchat

Threads? Copied from inspired by Twitter/X

Community Notes? Copied from inspired by Twitter/X

Messenger Rooms? Copied from inspired by Zoom and/or Houseparty
 
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ApplesAreSweet&Sour said:
Sure, if academic performance, physical fitness, and mental wellbeing hadn't taken a massive dip with social media then I would not spend a second thinking about what apps they're on.

But are we out here pretending it's all innocuous? Why?

And not to get personal, because this question pertains to anyone reading this

-But what about yourself, can you honestly say you feel fully in control of how much time you spend on social media? Can you say it feels productive, that it increases the quality of your life? That the time you spend on it couldn't be spent better elsewhere, but you feel like you're to some extent not able to abstain from using it, even if you really wanted to?

I'm not claiming to have a solution. But I don't know why anyone loves it so much and wants to prevent the ban?
Click to expand...
A large, modern nation has some cultural values decisions to make about weighing relative values like the liberty of free-willed adults to self-determination vs. managing the collective 'for their own good.' In the U.S., we have historically leaned toward the former, with some objectionable exceptions (e.g.: seat belt laws on adults). The basic idea is, unless I'm causing substantial harm to others, let me alone.

So it doesn't have to all be innocuous. 'I'm an adult, it's my decision and I choose to' is a fine reason...to be on FaceBook, eat at McDonalds (even though I'm fat), buy a plush LaZy Boy recliner that facilitates my sedentary lifestyle, etc... I don't smoke or drink alcohol and tend to regard those as stupid things to do, but you don't see me trying to stop you from doing them.

I'm probably in fuller control of how much I use social media than I am what I eat, and don't even think about trying to come between me and food.

When it comes to legislating things, the 'loss of control' mindset tends to come into play with very addictive drugs that drive people to crime, such as theft to buy more illegal drugs or psychotic states (as meth and cocaine often induce).

My choices don't have to be productive or increase the quality of my life, and it's not for the government to step in and go 'Big Brother' in me even if they don't.

Similarly, it doesn't matter whether time spent on it 'could be spent better elsewhere.' And it wouldn't. FaceBook could disappear and I still wouldn't go to the gym.

Wanting to prevent a ban isn't about loving it; it's about loving the freedom to choose.
 
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P.S.: Interesting conversation, given that the TikTok thing was partially rooted in the desire to keep Americans from potentially coming under the sway of an authoritarian government with a collectivist culture known for valuing collectivist concerns over personal freedoms.
 
They can put as many TikTok features into it as they would like, and it will never be half as good. They can't even spend a couple hours developing an iPad app! Instagram is extremely slow at refreshing and filling up my feed, and has a terrible algorithm. Not to mention pervasive ads and now with the removal of moderation, a whole bunch of misinformation.
 
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Ameer_1 said:
They want to ban TikTok, but they can't ban pornography sites in America, on what planet does this make sense?
Click to expand...
Constitutionally speaking, corn is protected speech under the 1st Amendment. The TikTok ban is considered completely separate because it was more of an economic regulation. Even the Supreme Court said they they were a bit leery of the TikTok ban, but ultimately decided in favor.
 
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Apple Fan 2008 said:
Constitutionally speaking, corn is protected speech under the 1st Amendment. The TikTok ban is considered completely separate because it was more of an economic regulation. Even the Supreme Court said they they were a bit leery of the TikTok ban, but ultimately decided in favor.
Click to expand...
It is also worth noting that the TikTok website should still be able to work. It would just use foreign servers instead of US based ones.
 
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