Oh my, it seems that the Instagram we know right now will not look like that by the end of 2025. IG’s team has been busy tweaking the algorithms to better serve the audience and (yes) beat its biggest competitor: TikTok. We’ve seen new Instagram features, old features updated, new metrics, and statements that confirm the change.
If you’re an Instagram user with a business or creator account, and you woke up one day and noticed your reels underperform compared to the same period last year, you’re not alone.
That is a sign your Instagram strategy needs to change because the algorithm prioritizes something else now.
But we get it, it’s almost impossible to keep track of everything (and it seems that 2025 will be full of changes), so we wanted to give you a hand with this article.
So, here we’ll keep an eye on Instagram news and user feedback, and inform you every time something significant changes, month by month.
Let’s get ready for the new Instagram!
Table of Contents
- Biggest New Updates on Instagram in 2025 so Far
- Instagram New Features: September 2025
- Instagram New Features: August 2025
- Instagram New Features: July 2025
- Instagram New Features: June 2025
- Instagram New Features: May 2025
- Instagram New Features: April 2025
- How Instagram’s Algorithm Works in 2025
- Good to Know about the Latest Instagram Updates
Biggest New Updates on Instagram in 2025 so Far
What you need to know is that Instagram algorithms change daily. Within 24 hours, several updates can occur, which you might not even notice.
But if we talk about major updates (those that have been affecting your content), there are a few that you’ve probably noticed by now.
And before we even step there, let us explain the logic behind all these changes.
In an interview with Grace Beverly in May 2025, Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, shared some interesting insights:
- There are way more shared images and videos within DMs than on Instagram stories.
- There are also way more photos and videos shared within stories than classic Instagram posts.
Yet, when you ask people about Instagram, the first thing that comes to their mind is the feed. Wrong!
Mosseri explains that the feeds are not the way people consume the content, especially young people.
So, let’s go over the top 3 major Instagram updates and new features of the first half of 2025. We picked the following based on what Mosseri highlights in his interviews and posts lately.
1. Group Chat QR Codes
We chose this update as one of the most important this year. It opens so many opportunities for marketers and businesses, yet not many people consider this option at all.
We all know that the Group Chat feature has existed since 2015, but now, with the new personalized QR code, you can invite people to join the group chat for a specific purpose, event, promotion, and so on. The possibilities are immense.
It can be used as a personalized newsletter inbox for your segmented audience, VIP customer club, or niche-specific communities. Oh, and don’t forget the group has a limit of 250 people.
2. Shares Over Saves
Now, the most significant shift is about the metrics that signal to algorithms that your content is valuable.
Reach is still important, but not as a metric in itself. Now, it’s important in combination with likes and shares (especially in DMs) per reach and, for videos (Instagram reels), the watch time.
While explaining why shares are so important (those private messaging one-on-one or group), Mosseri pointed out that DM chat sparks interaction and invites people to open the app.
3. Edits: The Stand-Alone Instagram Video Editor App
On April 21st, Instagram released a stand-alone video editor app, Edits, which is free to download on Google Play and the App Store. This app helps creators produce high-quality content on Instagram with easy video editing.
Source: creators.instagram.com
But wait… does that sound familiar? Oh, yes — CapCut. The popular video editing app by ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) has dominated the short-form content space so far.
With Edits, Instagram is clearly stepping into the same arena, aiming to keep creators editing and posting within its own ecosystem.
The goal is to make the video creation process as easy as possible for those small creators with unique and interesting ideas but no budget for an expensive video editing tool.
Instagram New Features: September 2025
It seems that September has been a relatively quiet month for Instagram, considering the number of updates in the previous months. However, the platform did release one major and several minor updates related to the Edits app.
1. Instagram Comes to iPad
After years of anticipation, Instagram launched a native iPad app on September 3rd, 2025, finally optimized for larger screens and no longer a stretched-up iPhone version.
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The app puts Reels front and center, offers a “Following” tab for chronological viewing, and takes advantage of the extra screen space to display DMs/comments side-by-side with video.
2. Horizontal, Ultra-Wide Reels & Posts 5120×1080
Speaking of iPads… have you tried the new Instagram dimension in reels? 5120×1080. Yep, shocking.
Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.
For some, it’s a visual treat, for others, deeply disturbing. But actually, it works surprisingly well for certain types of content: landscape shots, sweeping panoramas, B-roll, moody vibes, cinematic storytelling, product reveals, basically anything that thrives on negative space and visual drama.
3. Story Reach Bug Fix
There was a bug that wrongly limited reach when you posted many Stories in one day. Mosseri confirmed that the bug has been fixed, and reach should no longer drop simply because you published multiple stories.
Some users, however, are still reporting inconsistencies, so it might not be fully stabilized yet.
4. 3 Billion Users & Algorithm Topic Controls
Instagram hit a major milestone: 3 billion monthly active users. To give users more control over what they see, Mosseri also announced an upcoming test allowing users to tune their algorithm by adding or removing topics (starting with Reels).
This is Instagram signaling that recommendation-based reach will become increasingly central, and giving creators some control over where their content surfaces.
5. More Edits Tools: Fades, Overlays & Noise Control
Edits got upgrades again! You can now:
- Control fade-ins/fade-outs for clips and overlays.
- Save sound effects for reuse.
- Convert clips to overlays, or vice versa.
Instagram New Features: August 2025
1. Friends Map: Location Insights on Your Terms
Instagram’s opt-in Friends Map is now live in the U.S., letting you share your last active location with friends you pick and explore location-tagged content from creators or pals around you.
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This feature is optional and highly customizable, so you choose whom to share with, including custom lists or Close Friends. Parents also get visibility if teens start sharing, aiming to balance community connection with privacy oversights.
2. Friends Feed: What Your Circle is Watching
Instagram officially launched the Friends Feed, a Reels tab that shows content your friends have liked, commented on, reposted, or created, making it easier to spark conversations around what’s trending among your community.
You can also control what your friends see by muting activity or hiding your interactions, ensuring that the connection remains personal and not invasive.
3. Instagram Insights: Zooming In on Reels, Carousels & Demographics
Instagram is doubling down on transparency, offering creators and marketers more precise engagement and audience data than ever before. And these updates are related to your reels and carousels (a hint: perhaps that’s the direction they want us to go).
- When People Liked Your Reel: You can now pinpoint the exact moment in your Reel when viewers hit that Like button, revealing what scene, phrase, or product shot actually triggered the engagement.
- When People Liked Your Carousel: For carousels, you’ll see which slide got the most love, helping you understand what caught attention and what fell flat.
- Extensive Demographics for Posts: Demographic insights also got a serious upgrade. In addition to age, gender, and country, you can now see which cities your audience is from, the age range split by gender, and when your followers are most active. This makes targeting and content scheduling way more precise, especially for region-based campaigns or account growth planning.
4. Top Follower Drivers
Instagram added a new section in your Followers Insights that highlights which posts brought in the most new followers. It’s displayed as a slider or list, showing your most effective content for growth.
Whether it’s a viral Reel or a high-performing carousel, you’ll now see exactly what’s converting viewers into followers.
If your account has been a bit quiet lately, you might not see anything yet, but once you’re active, this becomes a valuable compass for planning your next post, campaign, or content theme.
5. Focus on Views instead of Reach
Instagram made it clear (again): Views matter more than Reach. While Reach tells you how many unique accounts saw your content, Views show how many times your content actually got watched, which is especially important for Reels and videos.
It is now clear that it’s a metrics mindset shift. Instagram’s own Insights now highlight Views more prominently than ever, reinforcing that repeated engagement and replay-worthy content should be your creative goal.
Source: @creators
6. Edits Updates
Just like every month, Edits is going through a transformation and upgrade. This time, the Edits app introduced these new features:
Source: @creators
- Share Edits drafts via DMs: For speeding up the collaboration by sending in-progress videos directly to teammates or clients.
- Stickers to Teleprompter: Instantly convert your sticky notes into on-screen script prompts for smoother filming.
- Sound goes to 150%: Give your audio an extra boost when you need your message to punch through the scroll.
- Compare Reels’ engagement: Swipe through Reels insights side-by-side to see which one really performed best.
- Safe zones: Visual overlays now show exactly where not to place text or elements (hello, Like button blind spots).
- Align with the edges: Snap stickers, overlays, and text cleanly to the frame edge for a more polished look.
- Curves for smooth animation (for iOS only): Add natural movement and flow to animated elements using curves.
- Detailed export progress: See exactly how your video is rendering, frame by frame, so you’re not left guessing.
7. Meta AI Translation for Reels
This free new AI translation feature opens the door for you to reach the audience that speaks other languages. For now, it’s only English to Spanish and vice versa.
As an addition, you can also check the metrics to see which language your audience speaks.
“Your voice, different language!” has finally knocked on the marketers’ doors.
You can access the feature by clicking “More options” before publishing and then selecting “Translate voice”. After that, make sure to select “Translation settings” to turn off lip synching and turn on approvals. That way, you can preview the reel before you post it.
Best fit for:
- Solo video, when facing the camera without covering your mouth.
- No background noise or music.
8. Link Reels for Seamless Storytelling
Finally, no more scrolling through the feeds to find Part 2. It was pretty much frustrating for your audience.
Instagram now lets you link Reels together in captions or via the overflow menu, so your multi-part stories flow cleanly from one video to the next.
9. New Metrics for Reels: Retention and Skip Rate
Instagram now offers granular insights to improve content performance. New Reels analytics include a Retention chart (showing where viewers drop off) and a Skip Rate metric to flag weak openings.
Source: @creators
- Retention Chart: You can now check the percentage of the audience who watched your reel and at what point the retention dropped.
- Skip Rate: This metric is a red flag for weak content. It shows the percentage of people who skipped your video, without watching it for at least the first 3 seconds.
Instagram New Features: July 2025
Instagram continued rolling out a mix of creative tools, safety enhancements, and new ways to connect throughout July.
1. 1,000 Followers Required to Go Live
As of July, you need at least 1,000 followers to go live on Instagram. Users below that threshold received a pop-up notice removing their Live access, with no official announcement from Instagram, just an updated policy.
This shift probably aims to reduce spammy or low-quality broadcasts, aligning Instagram with platforms like TikTok, which already require a similar follower count.
For smaller creators, it’s a new milestone to unlock, while for larger ones, it means less clutter in the Live feed.
2. Edits App: Ideas, Voice Tweaks & Animated Layers
Instagram’s standalone video editing app, Edits, keeps evolving into a serious creative studio. July brought a lot of updates helpful for content planners, storytellers, and perfectionists alike.
Whether you’re scripting, syncing, or fine-tuning, this round of updates puts even more power at your fingertips.
New tools added this month include:
- Ideas tab: Save creative ideas as audio clips or sticky notes, mark them as done, and filter by status or last edit.
- Explore reels by audio: See more Reels using the same tracks you’ve saved.
- New insights: View net new followers, accounts reached, and sort Reels by likes, comments, and saves.
- Voice enhancement: Reduce background noise and highlight your voice with smart volume/speech balancing.
- Direct sharing: Post straight from Edits to Instagram, Facebook, or iOS, with flexible export options.
- Keyframe animation: Animate stickers, text, cutouts, and overlays frame by frame.
- New voice effects: Try 10 fresh sound filters.
- Royalty-free music: Easily find high-quality, copyright-safe tracks.
- Fonts galore: Pick from over 150 new font styles.
- Save progress: Store Edits drafts directly on Instagram.
- AI Restile button: Allows you to change anything you want through a text prompt quickly.
View this post on Instagram
3. Repost Button in the Works
After years of relying on Stories and third-party apps, Instagram is testing a native repost feature for feed posts. It allows you to reshare someone’s content (with their permission) and display it in a dedicated “Reposts” tab on your profile.
The test is limited for now, but it’s a clear signal Instagram is embracing a more share-friendly model, giving users an easier way to amplify creators, causes, or just great content.
4. Reels Up to 20 Minutes (Testing Phase)
Instagram began testing longer Reels — up to 20 minutes — for select U.S. users. This feature has been quietly rolled out to a few creators and appears to target YouTube-style content like vlogs, tutorials, and mini-documentaries.
It’s still in beta, but it’s clear Instagram wants a piece of the long-form video pie. If released widely, it could attract creators looking for a one-app solution for both short and long-form content.
Source: @holler.academy
5. More Protection for Teens and Kids’ Accounts
Instagram introduced new protections for Teen Accounts and those managed by parents on behalf of kids. Family or kid-focused profiles are now defaulted to the strictest privacy and DM controls, and the Hidden Words filter is automatically activated to block inappropriate comments before they even appear.
Teens also get enhanced in-app guidance, like warnings when chatting with suspicious new contacts, visible join dates, and an easy one-tap report-and-block feature.
Instagram New Features: June 2025
June brought numerous core changes to Instagram. Let’s go together through some major ones.
1. 3:4 Photo Ratio Support
It finally happened! Instagram now supports the 3:4 aspect ratio — the natural format for most smartphone photos. Until now, creators had to crop or rely on third-party apps to fit their vertical shots into Instagram’s layout, often sacrificing composition or clarity.
Source: Instagram Creators Page
This update means your photos can now take up more vertical space in the feed without looking awkward or forced. Whether you’re a product photographer, fashion blogger, or food stylist, your shots just got a little more breathing room — and a lot more visibility.
2. AI-Powered Story Expansion
U.S.-only for now (most of the states) — you can expand your Stories images using Meta’s AI. It lets you take an image and extend it beyond its original frame using AI, adding sky, background, or texture around your photo. It’s like content sorcery for Stories.
The feature is not available on computers, but it works on your mobile app (both Android and iPhone).
The best part? You don’t need to be a designer or Photoshop wizard to make it happen. A single tap and voilà — your story gets more cinematic, more immersive, and more scroll-stopping.
3. Recaps & Celebrations
Instagram’s new Recaps give you weekly and monthly snapshots of performance, including non-follower reach and engagement spikes. Even better, they come with Celebrations — those full-screen popups when your content hits a milestone.
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It’s part analytics, part motivation boost. For creators, it’s a subtle nudge to keep going. For marketers, it’s one more way to spot which content is pulling weight.
4. Custom Font, Courtesy of Rosalía
Instagram has added a custom font inspired by Rosalía’s handwriting, and it’s… muy fuego. You can use it in Reels captions, Stories, and more — perfect for creators wanting to add a little flair and personality to their content.
Source: rosalialivevocalss
It’s not just a font; it’s a vibe. Think emotional, stylish, and culturally current, ideal for brand activations and seasonal campaigns.
5. Posts Now Indexed by Google
Big news for visibility: public Instagram posts are now eligible to appear in Google search results, starting July 10th, 2025. It’s a quiet but powerful shift that makes your content discoverable beyond the app.
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For marketers and creators, this means captions, hashtags, and metadata matter more than ever. SEO isn’t just for websites anymore.
6. Shared Access for Accounts
Instagram is introducing a much-needed shared access feature, allowing teams and collaborators to manage a single account without sharing passwords. You can now assign roles, control permissions, and avoid awkward “who posted that?” moments.
Source: shemeanssocial
Perfect for brands, creators with managers, or even small businesses juggling multiple hands in one account.
7. 5-Minute Voice Messages (with Transcription)
Voice notes just got an upgrade. You can now send 5-minute-long messages in DMs. Even better? Instagram will auto-transcribe them so recipients can read or listen as they please.
This opens the door for more authentic connection and accessibility, especially for creators engaging with their audience on a deeper level.
8. Edits App Update
Most recent Instagram updates related to the Edits App include some interesting new features:
- Restyle (AI) U.S.-exclusive: Edits now has Restyle, an AI video editing tool that applies preset prompts to transform outfits, backgrounds, and styles. Edit smart and stay on brand with minimal effort.
- Teleprompter & Overlays: Edits also added a built-in teleprompter for smooth, scripted recording, plus new overlays and deeper insights — ideal for creating polished, professional content in-app.
Instagram New Features: May 2025
This chapter will help you track new features on Instagram chronologically. We’ve seen many important updates during May 2025.
Edits App Update
Edits just got better. According to the Instagram new update, here are all the changes:
- A wider variety of text animations, transitions, filters, and visual effects – plus new caption style options
- New beat markers make it easier to sync clips perfectly with the music
- Instagram captions can now be auto-generated for any audio track
- Faster and more stable exporting for a smoother editing experience
Instagram New Features: April 2025
1. New Meta AI App
We’ve all met a new Meta AI popping up in our chat box. But did you know that from now on, you can use this app as your personal AI assistant or producer (a sort of GPT specialized in social media).
Here’s where it can help you:
- Get answers: Ask questions on various topics, and Meta AI will provide relevant answers.
- Generate content: You can use it to generate text, images, or other creative content based on your prompts.
- Plan and organize: It can help you plan and organize tasks, such as scheduling events or creating to-do lists.
- Learn and explore: You can learn new things, explore topics, or get information on specific subjects.
- Creative expression: The thing that sparks is that you can use Meta AI to generate creative content, such as stories, poems, or dialogues.
Source: about.fb.com
2. Views Over Time Chart
Now, if you’re concerned about your Reels performance but not quite sure how to compare it with the previous ones, the new Instagram feature – Views over time chart – is here to address the issue.
View this post on Instagram
This new Instagram metric provides comprehensive insights into your reels’ performance to followers and non-followers, to understand if your video efforts are paying off (or not) with a glimpse!
3. Blend
On April 17th, the head of Instagram posted about a new feature called Blend. It allows you to share your Reels feed within Direct Messages (DMs).
According to Mosseri, the feature is designed to bring users closer through content they both enjoy. It’s basically a shared feed of reels.
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By clicking the Blend icon inside a DM thread, friends or groups can opt in and create a personalized feed that curates Reels based on their combined interests and interactions.
This shared experience adds a layer of social discovery to content consumption, transforming Reels from a solo scroll into a more communal and interactive feature.
All participants in the DM must opt in, making it a consent-based, exclusive space that mirrors the vibe of private group chats but with curated video content.
It’s a smart move from Instagram to fuse entertainment with relationship-building, encouraging more meaningful time spent on the app. And more Reels will be watched and shared among friends.
4. Teen Accounts Update
Instagram is expanding its Teen Accounts feature, which was designed to automatically apply safety settings for younger users. Based on parent feedback, new protections are being added, specifically around live video and images in DMs.
These safeguards are now rolling out not just on Instagram, but also on Facebook and Messenger. The goal is clear: to make Meta’s platforms the safest spaces online for teens.
5. Content Notes: Went to History
Since Instagram is testing new features and updates, not all of them stick. It seems that their Content Notes feature has been removed, as it was not as well-received by users as they expected.
This decision is part of a broader effort to simplify the app and focus on what users actually use.
How Instagram’s Algorithm Works in 2025
First of all, Instagram doesn’t have one algorithm in charge of everything; many of them work simultaneously, doing their best to provide the best possible experience for users, creators, and businesses.
As of 2025, we can see the shift Instagram is making through its updates. If we look closely, we’ll see that most updates are related to Instagram DMs (DM features), so we can conclude that this will be the main focus.
As a business, your goal is to create captivating content that nudges people to share. The more of your content lands on DMs, the more the algorithms (yes, all of them) will appreciate you!
The second thing that will probably be in focus is reels on Instagram, since they created a video editing app called Edits, which is here to help creators produce more interesting and catchy short-form videos.
All these new features in Instagram are screaming: Create videos and make them so irresistible that people want to share them with others (through stories and private messages).
Be the brand people talk about, not just your target audience, but wider.
Good to Know about the Latest Instagram Updates
Think of this article as a dynamic and endless source of inspiration, guidelines, and a map to your Instagram success.
We’ll track everything happening on Instagram and update the article monthly with new insights, whether it’s testing a feature or introducing a new one.
Until next time, bookmark this page, and see you next month for more Instagram updates!
