Instagram Developing ‘Blend’: Personalized Reels for You and a Friend

Instagram Developing “Blend” Feature for Personalized Reels Recommendations

A New Way to Discover Reels with Friends

Instagram is working on a new feature called “Blend” that aims to create a private feed of Reels tailored specifically for you and a friend. While the feature is currently an internal prototype and not being tested externally, it has the potential to enhance the Reels discovery experience on the platform.

How Blend Works

Blend operates by generating a curated feed of Reels based on the content you and your friend have shared with each other, as well as your mutual Reels interests. This concept is reminiscent of Spotify‘s feature of the same name, which debuted in 2021 and enables two users to merge their favorite songs into a single shared playlist.

Reels recommendations based on Reels you’ve shared with each other and your Reels interests.

Privacy and Control

According to the screenshot shared by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, Blends would remain private between you and the other user, and you would have the ability to leave a Blend whenever you choose. Instagram has not provided specific details regarding the frequency of updates to Blends, whether they would continuously refresh with new recommendations or be updated after a set period.

Boosting Reels Discovery and Engagement

The primary goal of the Blend feature is to facilitate the discovery of new Reels between users, potentially increasing Reels’ watch time and overall engagement. By leveraging data from Reels shared via direct messages, Instagram would proactively recommend and display Reels that it predicts a pair of users would enjoy.

Potential Competitive Advantage

If launched, Blend would provide Instagram Reels users with a unique and collaborative feature not currently available on its main competitor, TikTok. Although the two platforms share many similarities, the introduction of Blend could give Instagram a slight edge over TikTok. However, it is important to note that TikTok continues to dominate the short-form video market, and the impact of Blend on this dynamic remains to be seen.

Future Developments

As with any prototype feature, it is uncertain when or if Instagram plans to release Blend to the public. The company has not provided a timeline or further details regarding its development. However, if launched, Blend could offer Instagram users a new and engaging way to discover and share Reels with their friends.