Instagram tests feature to let you make stickers from photos

Meta

Instagram is testing a new feature that lets you create stickers from your own or other users’ photos and use them in Reels or Stories. Unlike Meta’s AI-generated stickers, this tool is simple. It just cuts out the subject of a photo and makes it a sticker. Think of it as the sticker feature built into iOS 17's iMessage.

Adam Mosseri showed how it works in a video on his channel. He said you can also make stickers from "eligible images" on Instagram, but didn’t explain more. Maybe users can choose to share their photos as stickers. This feature is not available to everyone yet, since it’s still a test.

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Threads lets you tag Instagram users that aren't on the app yet

Anuj Ahooja

Instagram has introduced a new feature for Threads that lets you tag Instagram users who are not on Threads yet. You can follow them and get their updates when they join Threads. The screenshot above, shared by Anuj Ahooja, shows how it works. You can tag an Instagram user who has not set up a Threads profile, and the tag will appear with an Instagram icon, not the usual @ sign. This way, you can follow them before they join Threads and stay connected with interesting users. You can also access their Instagram profile by tapping on the tag, creating more integration between the two apps.

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EU privacy rules may force Meta to offer subscription options for its apps

Meta might charge European Instagram users US$14 (around CA$19) per month to avoid targeted ads. It could also offer a US$17 (~CA$23) monthly fee for ad-free Facebook and Instagram on desktop. Meta reportedly plans to force subscriptions on users who reject ad tracking, based on their personal data. This is in response to a court ruling that Facebook must get users’ consent to access their data.

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Instagram adds new features to Reels templates for more customization and discovery

Image: Instagram

Instagram is rolling out new features for Reels. Meta is rolling out templates, allowing users to create their own videos based on others' formats. The Reels templates allow users to fill in a predefined formats with their photos and videos. For instance, a template could consist of five clips, each 0.7 seconds long, with a specific song playing in the background. 

This makes it easy for users to join viral trends without spending much time editing. But it also means more content will look quite similar, with only minor variations.

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