Meta-owned social network Instagram is developing an app for the iPad, according to a report from The Information. An Instagram employee with insight into Instagram's recent moves to take advantage of the situation with TikTok shared the tidbit about the company's work on an app for tablets. Instagram users have wanted an Instagram app since the social network launched in 2010, but Instagram has only been an iPhone-only app. Instagram hasn't wanted to put the time or effort into ‌iPad‌ app development, and in 2022, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in 2022 that there were no plans for an ‌iPad‌ app because there is "not a big enough group of people" calling for it to make it a priority. In…

Instagram has introduced a new fast-forward feature for Reels that allows users to speed through videos by holding down on either edge of the screen. The action plays content at double speed, similar to a feature already available on TikTok. The Meta-owned platform initially limited Reels to 15-second clips but has since expanded the maximum duration to three minutes, making playback controls increasingly necessary for users who want to quickly navigate through longer content. To use the new feature, simply press and hold on the right or left side of their screen while watching a Reel. The video will then play at 2x speed, enabling you to skip to the parts that interest you most. Instagram users have become accustomed…

Instagram is testing a "dislike" button that can be used for comments, Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed today. The dislike button is designed to give people a "private" way to signal that they don't feel good about a particular comment. Mosseri says that the feature is just a test at the current time, but the goal is to help "make comments more friendly." If the test goes well, the dislike signal could be integrated into comment ranking to move disliked comments lower down in the comment section of an Instagram post or reel. There is no dislike count for posts, nor can the post creator or other commenters see if a user has disliked a post. Dislikes are an internal…

Meta has announced that it's now possible to add WhatsApp to Accounts Center, the company's hub for managing how user information is used across its platforms. The integration means that users can now adjust their settings from one place and share their status updates across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Meta says the option to link WhatsApp to Accounts Center is completely optional and disabled by default, and that WhatsApp messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted regardless of whether users choose to add the app or not. From the company's news blog: Our approach for WhatsApp is simple: your account is separate from other apps and no one but you can change that. While adding your WhatsApp to Accounts Center is…

Instagram has unveiled a new video editing app called Edits, which aims to fill the void left by CapCut's removal from U.S. app stores following federal restrictions on ByteDance-owned applications. The announcement came from head Adam Mosseri, explaining that Edits as a "full suite of creative tools" for mobile video creators. According to Mosseri, Edits is aimed at creators who produce short-form videos on mobile devices: Edits will have a much broader range of creative tools and probably a smaller addressable audience. Think a place to track all your ideas instead of templates. Think AI video editing tools on a per clip or per video basis. Think new insights on why your videos are succeeding or struggling. The app includes…

With TikTok on track to be banned from U.S. app stores starting on Sunday, Instagram is adding new features to Reels, its video-based feature that's modeled after TikTok. Going forward, there will be a new Reels feed that includes videos that your friends have liked or commented on, so you can see what your friends have watched and what they like. Your friends will also be able to see the videos that you have liked, which is something to be aware of. In this new Reels feed filled with friend recommendations, there will be an option to "start a conversation" with someone over a reel that they've liked. "We want Instagram to not only be a place where you consume…