Instagram, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, continues to work on improvements for both its own platform and Threads. In the Instagram app, a new “automatic” lyric addition system has been introduced for Reels, similar to the Stories framework. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, mentioned, “We noticed that people manually add lyrics to Reels, so we hope this new feature will make it easier for you to use music to express yourself. We are also working on more features to enhance creativity in Reels, so stay tuned.” Additionally, Threads, a rival to X (Twitter), received updates focusing on the web version. These updates include a “drag and drop” media feature, the ability to view quotes and reposts by clicking on likes or views in a post, the option to add multiple Threads to a topic before posting, and the ability to set subtitles for videos and photos when sharing a post from the web.
Recently, it was revealed that Instagram is working on an “AI Friend” system, mainly centered on Instagram. This system will allow users to create artificial intelligence-based Instagram friends with whom they can communicate in writing and, likely, verbally. During the friend creation process, the company, as revealed by Alessandro Paluzzi, will offer customizations such as gender, ethnicity, interests, personality style, and age. Users can also assign a name and avatar to this AI friend. The release date for this intriguing feature is yet to be confirmed.
In addition, a package that removes ads for Instagram is in development. Meta recently announced that they will begin selling a subscription service for Facebook and Instagram in European Union countries. This subscription, priced at €9.99 per month through websites and €12.99 per month on iOS and Android platforms due to Google and Apple taxes, offers an ad-free experience. By implementing this, Meta aims to counteract European Union regulations that restrict some of their data collection methods. According to Meta, advertising generates 10% of the company’s total revenue in the European Union, and they are reluctant to see a decline in their European earnings.
Despite offering ad-free, paid packages, the company plans to continue providing free access, and it remains uncertain if the ad-removing subscription will significantly increase their revenue.
