Instagram's 'Blend' feature recommends Reels for you and your bestie
Instagram is currently developing a new feature called "Blend," aimed at creating a private feed of recommended Reels for users and their friends. The company confirmed this to TechCrunch, stating that the feature is still in the prototype stage and has not been tested externally yet. The existence of this feature was first discovered by Alessandro Paluzzi, a reverse engineer known for uncovering pre-launch social media features.
How the feature will work
The Blend feature will provide you and your bestie with Reels recommendations based on the Reels you've shared with each other and your individual interests in Reels. A screenshot shared by Paluzzi indicates that if a user invites a friend to join a Blend, Instagram will curate a personalized feed of Reels that aligns with both users' interests. This concept is similar to Spotify's Blend feature, launched in 2021. It merges two users' favorite songs into one shared playlist.
The new feature will foster private and customizable experience
The Blend feature will be private between the user and their friend. Users will have the option to exit a Blend whenever they wish. However, Instagram has not yet disclosed whether Blends will continuously refresh with new recommendations or if updates will occur after specific intervals. The primary goal of this feature is to enable users to explore new Reels together, potentially increasing Reels's discovery rate and watch time.