April 24: The latest social media news

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📉 Meta (Ads)

• Meta added a new security feature for ads, “Peer Approval”. (source)

• Meta now allows all eligible advertisers to place ads on Threads. (source)

💠Meta (AI)

• Meta added a shortcut for Meta AI on desktop (web) as well. (source)

👤 Meta (Misc)

• Meta is working on two new standalone apps, one for Instagram Reels and one for Meta AI. (source)

• Meta allows users to share videos as Reels via the Meta Business Suite apps as well. (source)

🥽 Meta (xR)

• Meta added a “Live Translation” feature for Meta/Ray-Ban users. (source)

💙 Facebook

• Facebook added on iOS a new “Focus” feature for content creators. (source)

• Facebook page admins can now link the TikTok and YouTube accounts to the pages they manage. (source)

💖 Instagram

• Instagram added a new editing feature for Instagram Reels, “Overlays”. (source)

• Instagram added a “Music” sticker for broadcast channels. (source)

• Instagram added a new “Cutout Collage” feature for Instagram Stories. (source)

• Instagram added a new AI-powered feature for posts, reels and stories captions, “Rewrite”. (source)

📱Instagram Edits

• Instagram Edits is now available worldwide.

  — Apple App Store.
  — Google Play Store.

• Instagram is working on a paid subscription for Instagram Edits. (source)

💚 WhatsApp

• WhatsApp will soon remove deleted messages from quoted replies. (source)

• WhatsApp will soon allow you to scroll through the list of unread channels. (source)

• WhatsApp will soon allow you to choose the quality for downloaded photos or videos via a new “Auto-download quality” setting. (source)

• WhatsApp will soon allow you to choose how voice messages are transcribed. (source)

• WhatsApp is testing on Android two new features for the “Music” sticker (source):
  — A new “Music” button in the status update share sheet.
  — Music cards.

• WhatsApp is testing on Android a new accessibility feature for chat messages and channel updates, “Translate messages”. (source)

• WhatsApp is testing on iOS a new section for broadcast channels, “Media and links”. (source)

• WhatsApp now lets you block people from exporting your entire chat history via a new “Advanced Chat Privacy” setting. (source)

🧵Threads

• Threads is testing on iOS an interest checker for posts. (source)

• Threads is showing an “Author” label to replies left by the original author of a post. (source)

💃🏻 TikTok + CapCut

• CapCut is testing a new “Record screen” feature on desktop (web). (source)

• TikTok is testing on Android a “Preview post” button for photo posts. (source)

• TikTok is testing on desktop (web) an AI-powered feature that offers users more context about videos. (source)

• TikTok now allows users to display their earnings in their local currency. (source)

• TikTok now allows artists to access TikTok SoundOn in the app as well. (source)

• TikTok added a new “Interact” feature for live videos. (source)

• TikTok added a new AI-powered feature called “Text me”. (source)

🦜 X (Twitter)

• X is working on four new features for X Money (source):
  — Bill Pay.
  — Direct Deposit.
  — ID Verification.
  — Link Bank Account.

💠xAI

• xAI is working on a new tier for Grok AI called “SuperGrok Legacy”. (source)

• xAI added on iOS vision capabilities for Grok AI. (source)

• xAI added on iOS a “Custom instructions” feature for Grok AI. (source)

💼 LinkedIn

• LinkedIn now allows users to display its verification badge on other websites and platforms. (source)

🔎 Google

• Google may add a direct query URL for Google Search used via its new AI-powered Google AI Mode feature. (source)

• Google is testing an animated/playable video in the shopping card block. (source)

• Google added a new "Popular Products" report in Google Merchant Center. (source)

• Google added a new "Video Previews" feature for Google Business Profile video verification. (source)

• Google is rolling out age-based exclusions for Ads Performance Max (PMax) campaigns. (source)

• Google now allows advertisers to display their ads in both the top and bottom positions of search results. (source)

• Google increased the number of characters an advertiser can add for the Ads Performance Max campaigns descriptions from 60 to 90. (source)

🎥 YouTube

• YouTube added a new feature for creators enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program, “Automatic Dubbing”. (source)

• YouTube added a new feature for vertical livestreams, “Combo gifting”. (source)

🎼YouTube Music

• YouTube Music added a “Share lyrics” feature on Android. (source)

• YouTube Music added a “Consistent volume” setting on Android and iOS. (source)

• YouTube Music added a double-tap gesture that lets users “like” a song by tapping the album cover center. (source)

🟦Bluesky

• Bluesky introduced a blue check verification system for "authentic and notable" accounts: government officials, journalists, celebrities and key opinion leaders. (source)

👾Discord

• Discord is testing a new “DM Wallpapers” feature with select Discord Nitro users. (source)

📌Pinterest

• Pinterest is testing a feature that prompts teens to close the app during school hours. (source)

• Pinterest added a new “Performance Essentials” badge that users can earn via its Pinterest Academy education platform. (source)

💜Twitch

• Twitch will automatically apply a Content Classification Label (CCL) to certain gambling content. (source)

📊 Quick Insights

• Meta | A Guide to Reels Ads. (source)

• Meta | Advanced best practices for Click-to-Message Ads. (source)

• YouTube | The Rise of Virtual Creators on YouTube. (source)

• YouTube | Transition from Long-form content to YouTube Shorts. (source)

🗓️ Upcoming social media holidays

• 25 April – National Telephone Day.

• 26 April – World Intellectual Property Day.

• 26 April – International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day.

• 28 April – World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

• 29 April – International Dance Day.

• 30 April – National Honesty Day.

• 30 April – National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.

• 30 April – International Jazz Day.

• 1 May – World Password Day.

• 1 May – Mental Health Awareness Month (1-31 May).

💡 7 content ideas

1. Showcase the latest social media trends that shaped the industry in the first four months of the year.

2. Post a fun "Would you rather" question to engage your audience.

3. Talk about the inspiration behind starting your business.

4. Share a curated list of free tools and resources your followers will find valuable.

5. Create a photo-dump style post with a behind-the-scenes look at office life.

6. Frame a post with: “Like this post if…” to spark interaction.

7. Highlight a product or service that solves a common problem your audience faces.

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Read our previous social media editions: April 10 and April 17.

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Showing special appreciation to all the sources listed in this newsletter. They all have great newsletters and social media feeds worth subscribing to.

https://www.9to5google.com/

https://www.androidauthority.com/

https://www.techcrunch.com/

https://www.theverge.com/

https://www.seroundtable.com/

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniemaihodge/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bramvanderhallen

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kritig/

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lakshmansom

https://www.threads.net/@alex193a/

https://www.threads.net/@jonahmanzano/

https://www.threads.net/@jaskaransainiz/

https://www.threads.net/@liahaberman/

https://www.threads.net/@lindseygamble_/

https://www.threads.net/@mattnavarra/

https://www.threads.net/@theahmedghanem/

https://www.threads.net/@wabetainfo/

https://www.threads.net/@wearesocial/

https://www.threads.net/@zachbussey/

https://www.youtube.com/@creatorinsider

https://x.com/aaronp613/