Instagram experiments with user-created Templates for Reels

@JosephineMedia / Twitter

Instagram might make it easy for you to recreate video formats of other users. The Meta-owned site is testing out a Templates feature for Reels, which they're trying out with a small number of influencers. There is an existing version of Templates, but that gives some preset options. This new iteration allows you to use any Reel as a template. It'll set the timing for you to make it easier to make trends your own. 

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Instagram to tweak algorithm to 'value original content more'

Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash

Instagram is tweaking its algorithm again. This time, the focus is on how it ranks content. In a Twitter video, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said they will "value original content more." That means if you make videos from scratch, you will be prioritized. He said, "you should get more credit than if you are reshaping something that you found from someone else."

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Instagram reportedly testing voice message replies to Stories

Source: Alessandro Paluzzi

Instagram might be trying out a new way to reply to Stories. Developer Alessandro Paluzzi discovered a new feature that could let users send voice messages as replies to Stories. Paluzzi shared a screenshot of what the interface looks like. As with any potential feature tests, there's no guarantee these will be made public. But as Engadget pointed out, this seems to clash with the objective they set of decluttering people's inboxes through private Story likes.

Instagram's reverse-chronological feed is making a comeback with a few caveats

Source: Instagram

If you've been asking for Instagram to give back the reverse-chronological feed, the Meta-owned company is throwing you a bone. It announced on Tuesday that it will begin rolling out two new feed options: Favourites and Following. But as Mashable reported, there is a catch to this feature.

The former shows you a curated list of posts from people or accounts you want to hear from, while the Following shows you the latest posts of the accounts you follow. But even if you prefer to use these, every time you open the app, it will still default to the algorithmic Home feed. There's no way to set the default you want. 

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