The pace of social media updates never really stops. The top platforms are constantly making changes to upgrade the brand and user experience, and it can be tough to keep up with it all. That's why we're creating this spot we're going to update regularly – Bookmark it! – with the latest changes that could impact your customers and your strategy.
You'll be able to follow along below with all the changes labeled with the month they were made, starting with the most recent:
October
TikTok is launching a new automation option for ads. Smart+ automates the performance advertising process across targeting, bidding, and creative to deliver the right ad to the right person to offer the best performance. Advertisers simply input their assets, budget, and targeting goals and Smart+ automatically creates or selects the best creative asset - utilizing TikTok Symphony, chooses the right audience, and puts the best ad in front of the right customer at the right time.
Facebook is testing a new Local tab which brings together content from Reels, Events, Group, and Marketplace and “Explore” tab, showcasing accounts you don’t currently follow but may be interested in.
Facebook is making it easier for users to find Reels and other videos on Facebook by introducing an updated, full-screen Video tab that gives Reels a more prominent home on Facebook.
Facebook made an update to its events page. They added a new feature that allows you to invite your Instagram followers to events you’ve created on Facebook. You can also send SMS and email invites to guests, meaning anyone can view and RSVP to an event, whether they are on Facebook or not.
Facebook is testing a new groups AI to help members of groups find answers to questions, especially questions that have previously been asked. When a group admin decides to enable this feature, members can open a chat with the group’s AI, which can answer questions and link to relevant Groups posts. This test just started rolling out in the US and Canada to a small number of groups.
WhatsApp has updated its Chat Filters option, which it launched back in April, and evolved it into a new function that it’s now calling “Lists” instead. With Lists, you can now filter your chats with custom categories of your choice.
WhatsApp made changes to their pricing. Starting November 1, 2024, service conversations were made free for all businesses (free-tier conversations are now unlimited instead of capped at 1,000).
In Meta’s Q3 2024 earnings call, Mark Zuckerburg announced Threads has now reached 275 million users.
YouTube has updated its YouTube Studio app to include more format types, like videos, shorts, and live.
X (Twitter) is making changes to how you manage Communities. Community admins are now able to edit themes, banners, rules, and whether the Community is open or invite-only.
On X (Twitter), when new Tweets come in on timelines, they’ll be grouped behind a new Tweets bar. This helps maintain your position while scrolling and allows you to view new content when you’re ready.
X (Twitter) is making changes to its “block” feature. The company announced that users you’ve blocked will still be able to see your posts, they simply won't be able to interact with them. X said this change is to combat accounts that “share and hide harmful or private information about those they’ve blocked.”
X (Twitter) is updating their terms of service. Starting November 15, the new terms require users to agree that X has the “right to analyze text and other information you provide and to otherwise provide, promote, and improve the Services, including, for example, for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type.”
Snapchat is allowing users to open their camera directly from the iPhone lock screen on iOS 18.
YouTube changed the length of Shorts. Creators can now upload Shorts up to three minutes in length. Shorts longer than one minute that have an active Content ID claim will be blocked, regardless of policy.
Pinterest is introducing Pinterest Performance+, a new type of campaigns that help manage their campaigns from targeting to bidding.
September
YouTube will soon expand its "auto-dubbing" feature, enabling creators to share their content in additional languages and reach a broader audience.
Just in time for the holiday season, Meta introduced enhanced ad features, including more prominent discount codes, refreshed site link options, improved reminder ads, and other updates.
Instagram is setting new restrictions on teen accounts (for users under 16), limiting the content they can access, who they can interact with, and prompting them to take breaks after 60 minutes of daily use.
Instagram has introduced a suite of creative tools, featuring updated fonts, new animations, effects, and the ability to add text and stickers to photos and carousels.
TikTok is experimenting with a "delete and re-edit" function for uploaded clips, allowing users to restart their in-app video edits.
YouTube introduced "Communities," a feature that lets creators build channel-based groups for deeper engagement.
TikTok's new "Manage Topics" feature empowers users to refine their For You page content and personalize their algorithm experience.
