Instagram rolls out exclusive ‘close friends’ post sharing

WEB DESK: Instagram is actively exploring avenues to facilitate more personalised content sharing among users.

In a recent development, Instagram is currently in the testing phase of a feature that enables users to share their feed posts exclusively with their designated “Close Friends” group.

The new feature has not gone unnoticed, with a significant number of users, spotting its presence on the platform in recent days. While the company has confirmed the testing phase, it has refrained from disclosing the specific countries where this feature is being trialed.

you can now make posts for just your close friends on instagram?? pic.twitter.com/jeniCCbbAJ

— mac ∞ (@haileyuptn) September 1, 2023

According to media reports, a spokesperson from Meta, the parent company of Instagram, stated, “We’re testing the ability for people in select countries to share feed posts with their Close Friends. We’re always exploring new ways for our community to express themselves and connect on Instagram.”

Meanwhile, the introduction of this feature, if widely adopted, could potentially diminish the necessity for users to maintain a separate “finsta” account, which is typically used exclusively for sharing content with close friends.

Nonetheless, the move towards enhancing personal connections on Instagram builds upon previous endeavors. In 2018, the social network globally launched the ability to share stories exclusively with a private list of “Close Friends.”

Subsequently, in the following year, the company experimented with group chatting within Instagram’s “Close Friends” circle through an app known as Threads (unrelated to the social network of the same name launched in July). However, the group chat app Threads was discontinued in 2021, as Instagram redirected its focus towards improving the direct messaging experience.

More recently, in December 2022, Instagram introduced “Notes,” a feature that allows users to share text updates with their friends. Over the past few months, the platform has continued to roll out additional features, including music sharing, translation tools, and location sharing, further enriching the Notes experience and overall user interactions on Instagram.