Instagram Testing "Blend" Feature for Reels Recommendations

Instagram is reportedly working on a new feature called Blend that would recommend Reels to users and their friends based on videos they've shared with each other and their individual interests. The discovery was made by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, although Instagram has confirmed to TechCrunch that Blend is currently being tested internally and has not yet been publicly trialed. There is a possibility that Blend may never be officially released, but it's always intriguing to learn about the ideas Instagram is exploring.

While Instagram hasn't provided specific details about how Blend will function, it appears that the feature aims to allow users and their friends to discover new Reels together, rather than one user finding a video and sending it to the other via DM. It's likely that Blend will include an indicator showing whether the other person has already seen a particular Reel, facilitating discussions between the two users who have access to the feed.

According to TechCrunch, TikTok does not currently offer a feature similar to Blend, potentially giving Instagram an advantage in attracting users who enjoy watching short-form videos together. Like many other features introduced by social media platforms, Blend appears to be primarily focused on increasing user engagement.