Instagram Adds a ‘Reposts’ Tab to Users’ Profiles, Similar to TikTok
Instagram has introduced ‘Reposts,’ which allows users to reshare public content, including Reels and grid posts from creators, that will show up in a new profile tab or in their friends’ recommendations.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri says that reposts have been requested for “many years” and Meta decided to introduce it now because lots of content that users see on the platform is recommendations from accounts they don’t follow.
“Reposts are a way to make those more social, more friendly,” Mosseri says. “Also, they are a way to give more credit back to the original content creators because we know people already download and reupload content on Instagram.”
The Verge notes that the new Reposts feature works similarly to TikTok, which also has its own tab. Previously, the best way to share other users’ content was to share it on Instagram Stories.
Reposts is not the only new feature Mosseri announced today. ‘Friend Map’ is similar to the Snapchat map feature which allows users to discover geographically-based content shared by users who are sharing their location.
Described as an “opt-in feature,” users can share their location with a close friend list or a custom list, which can be found at the top of the DM inbox.
TechCrunch notes that the feature doesn’t provide real-time location data like Apple’s Find My and Snap Map. Instead, when users log in it will update the location. Real-time sharing is available via DMs but is limited to one hour.
“It is a great way to not only stay connected with your closest friends but also to see what’s going on around you,” adds Mosseri.
The third and final update announced today is a ‘Friends’ feed in the Reels tab. US users may have already seen this, but it is now rolling out globally. Essentially, it is a way of exploring friends’ interests by “getting to know a little more about them.”
The Friends tab shows Reels that friends have liked and commented on and now it will show Reels they have reposted, too.
“We’re doing this one because we want Instagram to be not just a lean-back experience that is fun and entertaining but also a participatory one,” explains Mosseri. “One where you actually engage with and connect with the people that you care about.”
While these changes may have some upside to photographers, we are certainly now a long way from the time when Instagram was a photo-oriented app.
