April brought a wave of exciting new features and updates across your favorite platforms. From fresh Instagram features to LinkedIn upgrades, here’s what creators and brands should keep on their radar this month.
Friend Map
Instagram is testing a Snap Map–style feature called Friend Map that lets you share your real-time location with Close Friends or Mutual Followers. You can even leave notes at specific locations. Don’t worry—it’s totally optional and can be turned off at any time.
Lately Highlight
Meet Lately—a new feature that automatically compiles your Stories from the last 7 days into a Highlight on your profile. You can still edit or remove Stories you’d rather not include.
Instagram Reposts
Instagram is testing a new “Reposts” tab where shared posts and Reels will live on your profile—similar to TikTok’s repost feature. It's a great way to spotlight creators you love or reshare community content.
Lockable Posts
Instagram is experimenting with lockable posts—blurred images on your grid that require a secret code to unlock. This could be a fun way for brands to build buzz for product drops or reward loyal followers through Broadcast Channels or email exclusives!
Reorder Your Grid
Some users are now able to reorder their profile grid, giving creators more aesthetic control. Keep in mind—this takes your posts out of chronological order, so plan your strategy accordingly.
Edits App Launch
Instagram finally launched Edits, a standalone video editing app designed for creators. From ideation to analytics, it’s built to streamline your content workflow. Check out our full review for everything you need to know!
Search is Getting Smarter
Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, confirmed that search functionality is getting a long-overdue upgrade. They’re focusing more on helping users discover actual content, not just accounts.
Monthly Creator Recaps
Some creators are seeing monthly recap summaries—think Spotify Wrapped for your content. Expect stats like total views, top-performing posts, and audience growth.
2x Speed on Reels
Good news for fast scrollers: you can now watch Reels in 2x speed by holding the side of your screen. A long overdue update, in our opinion.
Custom Colors for Notes
Instagram is playing with custom color and emoji options for Notes, letting you personalize your mini updates even more.
Preview Carousel Posts
Similar to the way you can preview your videos before posting, TikTok is testing a feature that would allow users to preview their carousel posts prior to publishing them – helping you catch those pesky formatting issues before the post goes live.
Business Reviews in Comments
As TikTok leans further into search, it’s experimenting with business reviews embedded in video comment sections. Expect this to shift how brands engage on the platform.
TikTok Ban Deadline Extended
In case you missed it, the deadline for a TikTok ban has been extended to mid-June. We’ll be watching closely and updating you on what this means for creators.
Video Trends Feature
LinkedIn is taking cues from TikTok with a Video Trends feature that encourages users to contribute their takes on trending topics.
Canva x LinkedIn Video Templates
Creating for LinkedIn just got easier—Canva now offers pre-built video templates designed specifically for the platform. Plug, play, post.
Cracking Down on Spam
Meta is tightening up on engagement bait tactics. That includes unrelated captions, hashtag overuse, and spammy post duplication across networks.
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