Instagram, the popular social media platform, is reportedly working on a new feature called “Blend” aimed at enhancing user experience by offering a personalized Reels feed tailored to the interests of users and their friends.
The company confirmed the development of Blend to Times of India on Friday, revealing that it is currently an internal prototype not yet available for external testing.
The discovery of Blend was initially made by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who shared a screenshot on X, shedding light on how the feature would function. According to Paluzzi’s findings, Blend would curate Reels recommendations based on content shared between users and their Reels interests. This suggests that Blend would generate a customized feed of Reels content that aligns with the shared interests of two users who have invited each other to a Blend.
The concept behind Blend appears to draw inspiration from Spotify’s similarly named feature, introduced in 2021, which enables users to collaboratively create playlists by combining their favorite songs.
However, in the case of Instagram’s Blend, the feed would remain private between the two users involved, with either party having the option to exit the Blend at any time.
Although the exact mechanics of how Blend would operate remain unclear, it is speculated that Instagram may leverage shared interests between users by analyzing Reels shared via direct messages.
Despite inquiries, Instagram refrained from divulging specific details about the feature, only confirming that it is currently undergoing internal testing.
As of now, it remains uncertain whether Blend will be rolled out to users in the future. However, its potential to offer a more tailored and interactive Reels experience underscores Instagram‘s ongoing efforts to innovate and enhance user engagement on its platform.