June 2025 Social Platform Updates

Hey Social Navigators 🖖

June came in hot and so did the socials. 🔥

Meta’s aiming to fully automate ads by 2026, Facebook is turning every video into a Reel, and Instagram public profiles will soon start showing up in search engine results. 

Meanwhile, Threads is flirting with the fediverse and YouTube Shorts hit 200 billion views per day, showing short-form is officially the format to beat.

What else happened this month? Let’s scroll.

Facebook 👍

✦ Facebook says putting links in post captions lowers reach. Some users are getting alerts suggesting links in the comments instead.

✦ Facebook is turning all videos into Reels, no matter length or format.

✦ Facebook launches passkey support for mobile for users to log in using biometric data or device PINs.

Instagram 📷

✦ Instagram is testing 20-minute Reels, pushing the limits of short-form content.

✦ Instagram launched an Expander tool for Stories that stretch photos to fill the screen vertically.

✦ Instagram tests Explore Stories for users to view similar stories from public profiles. 

✦ Instagram lets creators with over 100K followers sort comments by Top Comments, Newest First, and Followers, and filter comments by People You Follow, Verified accounts, and Subscribers.

✦ Instagram’s bringing a teleprompter to Edits.

✦ Suggested Fixes offers handy tips before you post a Reel.

✦ Instagram is trying a “Tap to change size” option to stretch in-feed posts to fill your Stories screen.

✦ Two new creator features land on Instagram: 

• Recap, a quick rundown of how you’re doing with some helpful tips, including a weekly summary and more in-depth monthly data. 

• Celebrations for milestones, like 10K followers, to share with your fans.

✦ Starting July 10, Instagram will let search engines show public photos and videos from professional accounts in search results.

✦ Instagram confirmed a repost feature to share public Reels or feed posts.

✦ Instagram maps out new features like profile grid rearranging, Spotify song shares in Notes, and Trial Reels.

✦ Instagram juiced up its Edits app with keyframes for animating clips, cleaner voiceovers, and 30+ new text effects.

✦ Instagram confirmed that editing posts after posting won’t hurt reach.

LinkedIn 🤝

✦ LinkedIn put out a guide to help brands with B2B influencer marketing. Some standout stats:

• 82% of B2B buyers say content directly influences their decisions.

• 87% prefer content from industry influencers.

• 79% engage with creator content monthly.

✦ LinkedIn updated connection requests so all messages stay visible during replies.

✦ LinkedIn lets you create video ads in Adobe Express using AI-powered templates and export them straight to Campaign Manager.

✦ LinkedIn dropped a guide with 13 quick video tips.

✦ LinkedIn added “First Impression” full-screen video ads and upgraded CTV placements.

Meta ♾️

✦ Meta’s expanding AI tools for ads. 

✦ Meta tests AI agents that chat with users via text or voice right from ads.

✦ WhatsApp is bringing ads to the Status page. Businesses can also promote their Channels in Explore and offer paid subs for exclusive updates.

✦ Meta updated its Marketing, Graph, and Ad Copies APIs.

✦ Meta plans to use AI to handle 90% of privacy and safety checks on Facebook and Instagram. 

✦ Meta hopes to fully automate ad creation by 2026.

✦ Meta rolled out Opportunity Score to boost ad performance with AI-powered tips.

✦ Meta shared what makes ads work best.

✦ Meta received re-accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC) and brand safety certification from the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) for Facebook and Instagram ads.

Pinterest ✨

✦ Pinterest and LTK are teaming up to share LTK creators’ content as Pins that link back to the original posts and products, giving creators credit without needing to opt in.

✦ Long‑press any Pin to zero in on specific elements (like color, style, fit) and use a new refinement bar to tweak things like fabrics or vibes.

✦ Pinterest’s ranking system is now looking at more user signals to surface better Pins.

✦ New AI collages automatically turn product catalogs into stylish, shoppable layouts.

Reddit 👽

✦ Reddit lets you control what others see on your profile.

✦ Reddit rolled out Community Intelligence with Reddit Insights.

✦ You can now turn standout comments into posts, complete with new titles and context.

Snapchat 👻

✦ Snapchat shelled out over $500 million to creators and media partners in 2024.

✦ Snap is moving toward permanent content, allowing creators and brands to save Stories to public profiles.

✦ Snapchat rolled out Timeline Editor so creators can cut, trim, and stitch videos right in the app, plus add filters, music, and more.

✦ Snapchat bought Saturn, a calendar app built for high school and college students.

✦ You can create custom Bitmoji outfits and animations with more fresh game assets for fun turn-based gameplay in Lens Studio.

✦ Snapchat rolled out a standalone Lens Studio app for iOS and web.

✦ Snapchat to launch its first consumer AR glasses, called Specs, in 2026.

✦ Snapchat released a dedicated Apple Watch app for users to preview and respond to messages.

✦ Snapchat lets you create highlight reel videos from Memories with music and templates. 

✦ Lens+ is a $8.99/month subscription to exclusive AI-powered Lenses.

✦ "Snapchat Generation" report reveals how users connect with brands and each other.

Threads 🧵

✦ Threads is boosting how posts with links get ranked, Adam Mosseri says performance is much smoother.

✦ Threads is testing Direct Messages with a separate inbox from Instagram DMs.

✦ Threads added a spoiler alert feature for users to blur text or images.

✦ Threads just upgraded Hidden Words with bulk custom filters for blocking words, phrases, and emojis.

✦ See posts from platforms like Mastodon, WordPress, and Flipboard in your Following tab in Threads, and even search for users across the fediverse.

TikTok ♪

✦ Manage Topics on TikTok lets you pick which content shows up in your For You Feed.

✦ TikTok for Artists is giving artists and their teams access to song and post stats, follower insights, how-to guides, and support.

✦ TikTok launched TikTok One Content Suite where brands can find and filter UGC.

✦ TikTok’s Ad Assistant can tweak stuff automatically like pause bad ads, adjust budget, or switch up creative.

✦ TikTok Shop sales in the U.S. are booming with 120% growth, fueled by live shopping and strong support for small businesses.

• 83% of shoppers discovered a new product through TikTok Shop.

• 70% of shoppers found a new brand on TikTok Shop.

• Over 800 hours of live shopping sessions were hosted.

• 76% of live shopping viewers made a purchase.

• U.S. small business sales up 70% year-over-year.

• Small businesses accounted for one-third of all U.S. TikTok Shop purchases in 2024.

✦ TikTok upgraded Symphony AI tools so brands can turn pics or text into videos.

✦ TikTok kicked off its latest “Community Fest”, a live content event spotlighting top livestream creators as the platform ramps up efforts to get more people tuning into TikTok LIVE.

✦ TikTok teamed up with Scope3 to measure and cut carbon emissions from ad campaigns.

✦ TikTok just added Bulletin Boards, a one-way update stream for creators and brands.

✦ TikTok will allow users to create and edit quick replies in DMs. 

✦ ByteDance is shutting down 8th Note Press.

✦ TikTok dropped an Account Check feature.

X 🐦

✦ X added checkmark explanations, clarifying what blue ticks mean.

✦ With XChat rolling out to Premium users, X revamped DM encryption for better security.

✦ X continues to promote itself as a “news” app in the App Store, which has been flagged as misleading compared to actual usage.

✦ XChat, with vanishing messages and file sharing, is live for Premium users. 

✦ X is projected to make around $3 billion in revenue this year.

✦ X switches from a flat-access fee to a revenue-share model for Enterprise API customers starting July 1.

✦ X experiments with highlighting posts liked by users across the political spectrum to promote bipartisan appeal.

✦ X is considering a physical debit card.

YouTube 🎥

✦ YouTube is blurring thumbnails for flagged videos.

✦ Creators on YouTube can upload different thumbnails for videos in different languages.

✦ YouTube adds a Posts button to the Shorts feed.

✦ YouTube’s bringing Google DeepMind’s new video AI, Veo 3, to Shorts. It was recently  revealed that Shorts are getting over 200 billion views daily.

✦ YouTube opened up Communities to all creators with Posts access, letting them turn it on from their Channel page.

✦ YouTube refreshed Advanced Analytics in Studio to make it easier to find what you need with quick filters, a handy sidebar, saved reports, and a new search tool to look up specific content.

✦ YouTube's Open Call lets advertisers post campaign briefs and pick creator video submissions to run as ads.

✦ YouTube added tappable product stickers in Shorts leading directly to the retailer’s website.

✦ YouTube now requires users to be at least 16 to livestream.

✦ YouTube is rolling out AI summaries on videos in a search results carousel.

Others 📝

✦ In 2025, creator platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are set to out-earn traditional media in ad revenue for the first time, pulling in nearly $190 billion.

✦ Spotify rolled out multiple updates like new Following feed, recommendations with notes, episode links to other Spotify content, and threaded comments.

✦ Twitch is testing a new clipping feature that lets viewers create and share clips without interrupting the live stream.

✦ Creators on Twitch can stream in both horizontal and vertical formats.

✦ Starting August 4, 2025, Patreon is increasing prices for new creators.

✦ Tubi launched Tubi for Creators, kicking off with creators like FunnyMike and Mythical Entertainment and over 500 episodes to watch.

✦ Deezer is labeling fully AI-generated music and removing it from playlists, recommendations, and royalty payouts.

Social Prompt of the Month 🤖

Now that we’ve reached the end of the social updates, we’re trying something new in our unending quest to make managing social a little less painful. 

While AI evokes plenty of opinions, there’s no doubt it’s a helpful tool for all of you overworked social media managers.

Below is a prompt that might help the next time you’re sharing a post on a particular platform. Like many AI-produced results, it won’t get you all the way to the finish line, but it’s a nice place to start.

AI Prompt: Generate a social media content checklist for [Platform: ] tailored to [Industry: ] targeting [Audience: ]. The checklist should help ensure posts are high quality, on-brand, and optimized for engagement. Include best practices for visuals, copy, hashtags, and timing. Consider top players and their profiles on respective platforms for further enhancement. 

Example:

Industry: Beauty & Skincare

Audience: Men Aged 25-40

Content Theme: Simple Skincare Routines for Busy Guys

What it gets right/does well:

• Add that fine touch to your posts

• Helps you catch little mistakes before posts go live

• Keeps your branding consistent 

• Cuts down last-minute panic

• Perfect for handing off tasks

What needs work:

• Doesn’t take algorithm changes into account

• Needs to be updated per branding guidelines and priorities

• Doesn’t cover creative

Why this is helpful: 

This prompt is useful for solo players and small teams who single-handedly publish content to multiple channels and often miss out on platform nuances. While it’s not a complete, hands-off solution, it saves a lot of time by delivering a handy checklist that helps posts go live with fewer slip-ups.

Go ahead and give it a shot. If you do, we’d love to hear how it worked for you.

Today's issue of Social Navigator is brought to you by Measure Studio.

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