Reposts Instagram: Meta updates the app by launching Reposts, ‘Friends’ tab and Instagram Maps
Almost 15 years after launching, social media giant Instagram has taken pages out of TikTok and Snapchat’s books — adding three new features to their app.
The changes were announced by parent company Meta on Wednesday, with roll-outs for the new features within Australia happening on Thursday.
The new features have Aussies talking, with Instagram trending as a top Google search in the country throughout Wednesday and Thursday — so what are the new features, and how do they work?
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Instagram Reposts
The biggest change that Australians have seen to their Instagram feeds allows users to share public reels and feed posts with their followers – with the app following TikTok’s lead and branding the function “reposts.”
The Meta team behind the update explained friends and followers can see any repost made, with any shared content crediting the original creator.
“Reposts will be recommended to your friends and followers in their feeds, and they’ll also be in a separate tab on your profile, so you can always go back to revisit your reposts,” the Meta team explained.
Users also have the option of adding personal notes to reposts by typing a message in the thought bubble that appears.
New ‘Friends’ tab in Reels
Following the success of short-form video content, Instagram has also updated their Reels section.
A new ‘Friends’ tab has appeared on Instagram’s Reels page, allowing users to view videos that friends have like, reposted, commented on, and created.
“Friends will help you see which reels the people you care about most are creating and engaging with,” Meta said in relation to the new tab.
Officials at the app have also confirmed they are working to upgrade features of the Friends tab over the next couple of weeks, allowing users the ability to hide content they’ve liked and commented from appearing in this section.
Instagram Maps
A new-US exclusive feature on the app has caused waves online — allowing users to share their location with others in real time, letting them to see content posted nearby from friends and other creators.
Similar to the map feature on Snapchat, users are given the option to opt out of location-sharing but will still be able to view the map and people who have chosen to share.
The maps feature also includes a parental supervision update, allowing parents to receive notifications if their teen has shared their location and allowing them to control the feature’s availability.
While this feature has not hit Australian’s accounts yet, the Meta team behind the update promises Maps will have “global availability very soon.”
