Instagram Developing Option to Share Feed Posts with Select Group of ‘Close Friends’
Meta-owned Instagram is now testing a feature that will allow users to share feed posts only with their “Close Friends” group.
Director of Digital Media Marketing Lia Haberman posted a screenshot of the new feature on X (formerly Twitter) and said: “Coming to the Instagram Close Friends feed. It has been spotted by someone posting in the UK. This would be one way to get people out of stories and DMs – create a close friends feed experience.”
According to TechCrunch, the company is testing this feature in a few countries, but which ones are not yet known.
“We’re testing the ability of people in select countries to share feed posts with their close friends. We’re constantly exploring new ways for our community to express themselves and connect on Instagram,” a Meta spokesperson said.
The feature was originally spotted by mobile developer and leaker Alessandro Paluzzi in May.
“@alex193a (Alessandro Paluzzi) spotted this test in May, but now it’s actually there for some accounts – Do you see Audience in your feed settings?” Haberman said.
If the new feature becomes widely available, it could reduce the need for users to have an alternate account just for friends.
Meanwhile, Instagram is reportedly working on a longer version of Reels that will allow users to record up to 10 minutes of video.
Paluzzi shared the development at X, sharing screenshots of two side-by-side Reels pages, one recording three minutes and the other 10 minutes, reports The Verge.
“#Instagram aims to create #reels up to 10 minutes long,” he said.
By increasing the length of Reels to 10 minutes, it moves closer to YouTube videos, but not as far as short-length video competitor TikTok, which already offers more time to save videos.
