New Features Instagram is Testing in 2024

A large part of Instagram’s popularity is thanks to its appealing features. This is why this social media platform keeps experimenting with new features every few months to keep things exciting.

Instagram has been testing several new features in 2024 to attract even more users.

Editing Sent Messages

Direct messaging got an upgrade in 2024. Users have long been asking for an edit feature, and now they finally have the option to edit sent messages. Users can now edit messages up to fifteen minutes after sending them. Additionally, Instagram is testing a pin feature, allowing users to pin up to 3 group- or one-on-one chats.

Ads with Promo Codes

Instagram also rolled out a new feature last month that allows advertisers to create ‘ads with promo codes.’ Essentially, with this feature, advertisers can appeal to more buyers on Instagram by adding promo codes to captions. This helps improve sales conversion rates, and brands can track Instagram-driven purchases based on how many caption promo codes were used.

Instagram Notes

Instagram Notes is an exciting feature the social media giant launched late last year. Notes is supposed to be a new way to share short updates on an Instagram feed. Instagram is aiming to improve this feature by expanding its functionality in 2024.

In January, Instagram announced it was testing Notes prompts, which give users a new way to start group chats. These prompts consist of conversation starters or icebreakers.

The Notes prompts feature works almost like a Reddit thread. You would ask a question, and others would give answers for everyone in the group to see. Instagram Notes is also popular with younger Instagram users, which is why the platform keeps finetuning it.

Flipside

Instagram is also working on something called Flipside, a feature aimed at allowing users to create a private profile section where they can share personal content. This feature is similar to the Finsta concept, which users use to keep their public profile separate from their private account.

The Flipside feature lets users upload a profile picture of their choice and write a bio for their private account. Even better, users can decide who can view their private Flipside content.

Friend Map

In a somewhat controversial move, Instagram is also testing a so-called Friend Map feature. Following in the footsteps of Snap Map from Snapchat, the Friend Map will allow users to see other users’ locations in real time. The idea is that only friend locations can be seen.

The company has not tested this feature externally yet. It does not seem like this feature is going to excite a lot of people, however. There are concerns about the privacy implications of tracking someone via social media.

There is also massive potential for misuse, like stalking or monitoring someone’s movements without their knowledge.

Most likely, this will be an optional feature, and there will be a lot of privacy controls to choose from if the feature is eventually released.

Labeling AI Content

There is already a lot of AI-generated content, especially photorealistic images, making the rounds on social media. You would have seen this on Facebook, with people posting AI imagery, but without indication that they created the images with an AI tool.

Instagram wants to identify photo, video, and audio AI content with a ‘label’ called ‘imagined with AI.’ Instagram users will see AI content labeled on this platform and on Facebook to make this content easier to identify.

Stricter Settings

Meta is on a mission to protect teens who use its platforms and features. To that end, Instagram and Facebook will continue to hide inappropriate content on its platforms. Meta will also automatically restrict teenage user accounts according to its strictest content control settings on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta is even restricting the search feature so teens cannot search for additional terms. Instagram and Facebook are also attempting to encourage teens to limit their time online. The new nighttime nudge feature prompts teens to stop scrolling and close the app.

More Money For Content Creators

Instagram has been working on a suite of tools since 2023 to allow content creators to make more money on its platform. The current testing and updates for this suite include a holiday bonus for content creators who make the most of photos and reels.

It will also include higher earnings for creators with more than a million subscriptions and Instagram gifts to encourage more fan support. The suite will also have features that make it easier for content creators to dabble in ad creation and branded content.

Threads

Instagram Threads has been around for a while, but the company constantly updates this conversation app to encourage more people to use it.

Threads launched a Trending Topics feature and expanded on it in 2024 by adding a Top highlight feature. Topic Highlights now appear at the top of the Trending Now list. If this sounds like X, Instagram has already reiterated that Topic Highlights are not the same as trending news and politics on X.

However, in the same vein as X, Meta is testing a DM feature for Threads, which users can access via a specific ‘message ’button.

In addition to these updates and features, Threads is also introducing a like and dislike feature in the form of a swipe functionality. If a user swipes right on a specific post, they want to see similar content in the future. If they swipe left, they do not want to see more of that content.

Moreover, Threads is also working on a way for users to share in the Fediverse (federated universe). This feature will allow Threads users (from specific countries) to post and engage with people from other social media networks.

Instagram’s Features Continue To Build Its Success

Instagram’s non-stop innovation is helping the platform stay relevant, even with stiff competition from other social media platforms. These tests and updates will significantly impact how people experience social media, create content, and shop on Instagram.

Instagram is determined to keep users engaged on its platform (and on Threads), but with the necessary tools to keep vulnerable users safe. Ultimately, this is what will redefine the platform in 2024 and beyond.