Holy moly, just when we thought Instagram might be settling down with their updates, they’ve come in and hit us with some HUGE changes to Reels and videos. Not only that, but Meta has announced major changes to our Facebook feeds! There’s a lot to uncover here, so let’s get into this Instagram reel update and Meta’s new changes!

Instagram Reels really are the future

In what is one of the biggest Instagram updates we’ve had for a while, Mosseri has told us all about some major changes. Say goodbye to posting a video that isn’t a Reel; that is no longer an option. All videos on Instagram will be posted as Reels now. Whether it’s an animated gif or a 15-minute long video, it will all be Reels. This is just one part of the announcement; there are also brand new Reels creation tools! These include new options for the Remix feature and an expansion of Reels templates. Video content is the future of the app, but we’ve got to wonder how users will respond…

Say goodbye to the Facebook feed you’ve grown to know

Meta is changing up our Facebook feeds! In a recent announcement, Meta has said our feeds will now be split between a ‘home’ feed which shows you recommended content and a ‘feeds’ tab where you can view content from different groups, including your friends and family. In no surprise, it will also push video content.

Shopping through our DMs? Yes, please!

There is a new way to shop from small businesses coming soon! Meta has announced that (in the US only for now) Instagram users will be able to pay for products through DMs with the new ‘payments in chat’ feature. The new feature will also let you track your order and ask the biz questions in the same chat. How cool is this?!

LinkedIn is finally giving users a feature they’ve wanted for years

Last but certainly not least, LinkedIn is testing a new carousel posting feature! LinkedIn users have had to do makeshift carousels in the past, but LinkedIn is officially testing a new carousel function. The new test allows users to create carousels, including adding alt text. We REALLY hope this one becomes an official feature!

And that’s a wrap! See? We weren’t kidding about the big updates. What do you think of the latest Instagram Reel update? Excited? Nervous? That’s how we are feeling! As usual, we’ll be back again next week but in the meantime, check out our Instagram feed to see more about some of these big updates.

XOXO OMD SQUAD