Madiha Yaqoob
Instagram is currently working on a new feature called “Blend.” With the help of this feature you and a friend can create a private feed of recommended Reels. The company states that “Blend” is not currently being tested outside the company and is still in the early phases of development as an internal prototype.
Alessandro Paluzzi a well-known reverse engineer who frequently finds impending social media features before they are formally introduced made the discovery of this new function first public. Based on a screenshot shared by Paluzzi, a “Blend” would provide “Reels recommendations based on Reels you’ve shared with each other and your Reels interests.”
In a different way if you were to ask a friend to participate in a “Blend,” Instagram would then create a customized feed of Reels based on what it thought you two would appreciate and find interesting. There are some similarities between this idea and Spotify’s 2021 “Blend” feature. Two users can combine their favorite songs into a single shared playlist using Spotify’s “Blend” feature.
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The leaked screenshot indicates that Blends would be private and exclusive to the two users involved. Additionally, users would have the flexibility to leave a Blend at any given time. Instagram has not provided any detailed information regarding the feature, such as whether the Reels in a Blend would continuously update with new recommendations or if they would be refreshed after a certain period of time.
The primary aim of the “Blend” feature is to enable users to discover and explore new Reels content together. This could potentially be a strategic move by Instagram to increase the discovery and viewing time of Reels. Given that users already frequently share Reels with each other via direct messages, Instagram seems to be leveraging this existing behavior to proactively recommend and display Reels that both users are likely to enjoy.
As with any prototype, it remains uncertain when or if Instagram plans to roll out the “Blend” feature to the public. But if and when “Blend” is formally introduced it will give Instagram Reels users access to a special collaboration tool that isn’t offered by its primary rival TikTok. Even though the two apps have comparable features Instagram may have a small competitive advantage over TikTok now that “Blend” has been added. Still TikTok holds a commanding lead in the short-form video market.
