March 2025 Social Platform Updates

March was crazy! X and xAI are merging, ChatGPT’s new image tool set off a Ghibli-style takeover, and Skype is officially retiring. 

Meanwhile, Instagram finally dropped 2x speed for Reels, TikTok shut down its Creator Marketplace, and LinkedIn is testing a Connections-Only feed. 

Catch up on all the latest drops below!

Bluesky 🦋

✦ Bluesky is increasing its video time limit from 60 seconds to three minutes, giving users more room for content.

Facebook 👍

✦ Facebook now lets creators earn money from views on public stories, available globally for eligible users.

Instagram 📷

✦ Instagram is prototyping a community chat feature for Discord-style groups of up to 250 members.

✦ You might soon be able to post AI-generated comments on Instagram posts and videos as part of a new experiment.

✦ Instagram’s highly requested feature is finally here! You can now play Reels at 2x speed. Simply hold down on the left edge of your screen to slow it down or on the right edge to speed it up.

✦ Instagram might add a picture-in-picture feature, letting users scroll while watching videos. This feature will be quite similar to those in TikTok and YouTube.

✦ Instagram will launch Edits, its CapCut alternative, in the EU on April 30.

✦ Instagram is testing Blends, a new Reels sharing feature within messaging that creates a shared feed of recommended Reels for you and a friend.

✦ Instagram is testing an Add Caption prompt for Stories to add captions that look just like public comments on Stories.

✦ Instagram is testing blue search links at the top of comment sections, linking to related topics in the video.

✦ Instagram released a creator guide covering how the updated algorithm works, shifting engagement trends, and tips to grow on the platform.

LinkedIn 🤝

✦ LinkedIn reports a 36% YoY increase in views, with video creation growing twice as fast as other posts.

✦ Full-screen videos are available on desktop and mobile, letting users swipe or scroll to discover more videos.

✦ More videos will appear in search results, helping users find relevant content.

✦ Tapping a profile picture in full-screen video shows a quick profile snapshot for easier engagement.

✦ A more visible follow button in full-screen video to boost audience growth.

✦ Creators can now track average watch time to measure engagement and content performance.

✦ LinkedIn shows impression counts for comments to see how many people viewed their contributions in discussions.

Pinterest ✨

✦ Pinterest plans to introduce more transparent AI labels on content for better clarity.

Reddit 🔴

✦ Reddit’s new Post Check feature lets users see if their content conflicts with subreddit rules before posting.

✦ A new Reddit feature will let users hide ads from specific advertisers for at least a year.

Threads 🧵

✦ Threads is testing a new personalization feature that lets you add individual interests to your profile.

✦ Threads users will soon be able to set their Following feed or any custom feed as the default on Threads.

✦ Threads has introduced profile topic tags, new quote and reply controls, and an updated video player for more user control.

✦ Threads is working on an update to help users follow the same profiles they already follow on X.

TikTok ♪

✦ TikTok is shutting down its Creator Marketplace, directing users to the new TikTok One platform starting April 1.

✦ A new TikTok feature will interrupt teens' For You feeds with calming music if they use the app after 10 PM.

✦ TikTok Shop is expanding to France, Germany, and Italy, with availability set for early next week.

✦ TikTok has finally removed its controversial AI “chubby” filter after backlash.

✦ TikTok is shutting down TikTok Notes, its Instagram-style app, and urging users to switch to Lemon8 instead.

✦ Perplexity has expressed interest in buying TikTok and rebuilding its algorithm.

X 🐦

✦ Elon Musk announced that xAI and X will be merged into one company, bringing his AI and social media ventures under the same roof.

✦ As part of the merger, xAI will acquire X in a deal valuing the AI firm at $80 billion and the social media platform at $30 billion.

YouTube 🎥

✦ YouTube is redesigning its TV app to blend free ad-supported videos with paid TV shows and movies.

✦ YouTube Premium Lite, which removes ads for $7.99/month, is now available to all U.S. users.

✦ YouTube is testing a feature that lets some users hide End Screens for a smoother, uninterrupted viewing experience.

✦ The platform is all set to experiment with dynamic ad reads that will be adjusted in real-time for better personalization.

✦ The platform is changing how it counts Shorts views, now including every time a short video starts playing or replays.

✦ YouTube is testing a Shorts editing feature that warns creators if on-screen elements like captions or stickers might be blocked by buttons or the video description.

✦ YouTube is updating BrandConnect to streamline creator-brand collaborations. Brands now have a central hub in Google Ads, while creators can pitch partnerships directly through YouTube Studio.

✦ YouTube will manually review more videos for ad suitability, using a green, yellow, or red rating system. Green means full ads, yellow limits ad availability, and red blocks ads entirely. 

✦ YouTube has tightened its gambling content rules, banning URLs, embedded links, logos, and even verbal mentions.

✦ YouTube is expanding its test of "Hype," a feature where viewers send hype points to boost rising creators' videos.

Others 📝

✦ Discord Inc. is preparing for an initial public offering with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, potentially seeking a stock market listing as soon as this year.

✦ Kick’s Creator Incentive Program is now the Kick Partner Program, with many users seeing higher earnings.

✦ Affiliates are now creators, and there’s no minimum follower requirement. Creators can also monetize after streaming for just five hours.

✦ Meta is launching a standalone AI app for its chatbot.

✦ Meta is considering ad-free, paid versions of Facebook and Instagram in the UK after a legal battle over data tracking. The option is already available in the EU, starting at €5.99/month.

✦ Microsoft will retire Skype for consumers on May 5, 2025, urging users to switch to Microsoft Teams.

✦ OpenAI's latest update to ChatGPT, powered by the GPT-4o mode is fueling a social media trend of Ghibli-style artwork, sparking both excitement and ethical debates. While fans enjoy AI-crafted visuals, concerns arise over copyright and the impact on traditional artistry.

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