Instagram is working on a feature to get friends to share even more Reels with each other
Instagram fans have something new to look forward to with a brand-new feature called "Blend" that is brewing behind the scenes. This feature is expected to mix all your favorite Reels with a friend's — all curated just for the two of you.
This scoop comes straight from Mobile Developer and Reverse Engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who took to X to share his discovery. From this, it appears that with "Blend" you'll have a private place to share Reels recommendations that the Instagram algorithm thinks both you and your friend will identify with.
#Instagram is working on Blend: #Reels recommendations based on reels you've shared each other and your reels interests
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) March 28, 2024
Private between the two of you. You can leave a Blend at any time. pic.twitter.com/1kcssBuf7G
Spotify vibes, but with Reels
As noted by Techcrunch, this feature is a bit like Spotify's "Blend" feature, where you can mash up your favorite tunes with a friend to make one shared playlist. Imagine a similar experience, but instead of songs, you're mixing and matching your favorite short-form videos.
We're still fuzzy on some key details. For example, right now it looks like "Blends" are totally private, and you can bounce from one anytime, but these details have not been made public. We'll also have to wait and see if the Reels feed constantly updates, or if there's a set refresh time.
The appearance of this new feature signals that there's more at work here by Instagram. "Blend" could be a new initiative to boost Reels and get everyone watching even more. After all, you and your friends already DM each other all those funny Reels anyway, right? Now, Instagram wants to be part of the action by suggesting what you might love.
Like any project in the works, there's no guarantee that "Blend" will make it to your Instagram feed. But if it does, it's got the potential to shake things up. I can definitely see myself using this as I'm doomscrolling through Reels.
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