A new Instagram feature called Blend is launching that takes Reels, one of the app's best features, and combines it with group messaging. It takes the Reel tastes of everyone in a group chat (or two people in a one-on-one chat) and mixes them together, creating an interesting feed where everyone can get what they enjoy mixed with their friends' tastes.
Instagram says the Blend feed will reset every day. With how quickly social video algorithms change based on what you watch and interact with, it only makes sense for them to update frequently.
For those sick of the same old video feeds on Instagram, TikTok and others, this new feature could be a great way to expand your horizons and find things that people you like (presumably, if you're messaging with them on Instagram) enjoy watching.
Interestingly, Spotify has a feature called Blends that lets two friends combine their music tastes into a single playlist. I might have expected Instagram to use a different approach for its taste mixing feature, but I suppose there's enough blending for everyone (imagine if you could blend browser histories?).
Of course, there are some potential pitfalls. What if you watch a lot of weird or embarrassing content on Instagram, and a friend invites you to a Blend? If you don't accept, they might be offended, and if you do, you could be embarrassed. Or what if your friend has terrible taste and watches questionable content?
Thankfully, Instagram has an answer to ensure you don't see anything too awful. "Instagram’s sensitive content settings can be used to filter and control how much sensitive content is suggested to you. Blends suggest reels using the sensitive content setting of the member who is using the strictest filter," reads the company's help page.
In the end, it'll be up to you to decide whether you wish to engage with the Reel blending feature, but it's ultimately a good idea, especially with the uncertain future of TikTok in the U.S.
