May 2025 Social Platform Updates

Hey Social Navigators 🖖

May was a busy month in the social universe, with nearly every platform shipping new features while adjusting existing ones.

Meanwhile Facebook is cracking down on spam, Threads hit 350 million users, and YouTube Shorts are earning as much as full-length videos.

We’ll unpack these and a whole lot more, as well as share a little something at the end to speed up your next content calendar brainstorming session.

Off we go.

Facebook 👍

✦ Facebook updated its algorithm to reduce spammy content, targeting posts with misleading captions, excessive hashtags, and coordinated fake engagement by promoting authentic interactions.

✦ Advertisers can boost live videos through Partnership Ads, expanding live-streaming monetization.

✦ Facebook launched a new Instagram account, @facebookforcreators, to serve as a comprehensive guide for content creators.

✦ Facebook is testing a downvote button to help users flag unhelpful content and reduce spam.

✦ Facebook introduced a copyright checker for Reels on Pages. 

Instagram 📷

✦ Brands can place ads immediately after top-performing Reels, targeting trending content or specific categories.

✦ A new Trends tab uses AI to identify trending topics on Reels and discover relevant creators.

✦ The Edits app launched 50 new text animations, 125 fonts, 15 voiceover effects, and better cropping tools to jazz up your videos.

✦ Instagram's Adam Mosseri advises it's better to continue an existing account than start anew.

✦ DMs got an upgrade - send voice messages up to 5 minutes with transcriptions.

 ✦ Instagram automatically translates text and captions on Reels.

✦ Instagram users now spend 51% of their time on Reels, while time spent on friend content has dropped from 11% to 7% in the past two years.

✦ Instagram supports 3:4 aspect ratio photos to upload images in the common phone camera format without cropping.

✦ Instagram is reportedly testing a new layout with the Story tray relocated inside the Reels tab.

✦ Instagram develops a new Shared Access feature allowing users to grant limited account access to up to three trusted individuals without sharing passwords.

✦ Instagram is testing an invite-only “Referrals” program that pays U.S.-based creators up to $20,000 for driving traffic and new sign-ups to the app through links shared outside Instagram. 

✦ Instagram is expanding “Share Only to Profile” to post content visible only on the profile grid without appearing in followers' feeds.

✦ The DM filter now sits to the left of folders like Primary, General, and Requests instead of the top-right corner.

✦ Meta is testing a new feature that brings 3D photo viewing to Instagram on Meta Quest VR headsets.

LinkedIn 🤝

✦ LinkedIn saw a 9% increase in user sessions, marking another quarter of record engagement.

✦ LinkedIn expands its BrandLink program allowing advertisers to place video ads alongside influencer content, signaling a move towards creator monetization.

✦ LinkedIn updated post embeds and launched a video-only option.

✦ Video content now garners 1.4x more engagement, with in-stream video ads achieving double the average completion rate.

✦ LinkedIn introduced AI-powered job discovery tools.

✦ LinkedIn’s new Revenue Attribution Report shows how different stakeholders within a target company engage with your ads.

✦ LinkedIn launched Job Ad Library, a searchable database listing all promoted job posts since April 2025. Users can explore job ads by company, keyword, country, and date range using this new feature.

✦ LinkedIn removed the custom call-to-action button feature from user profiles.

✦ A new playbook has been launched to help marketers better understand and implement LinkedIn’s Conversions API.

✦ LinkedIn’s new post analytics show when content drives profile views, new followers, and link clicks.

✦ LinkedIn will start sharing ad revenue with creators and allow sponsored creator posts.

✦ LinkedIn introduced First Impression Ads, a new video ad format that appears at the top of users' feeds for one day.

✦ LinkedIn is testing a redesigned Video tab that replaces the traditional full-screen vertical feed with a carousel-style layout.

Meta ♾️

✦ Meta is testing warnings for non-verified business accounts and “original content” tags to boost transparency and highlight authentic creators.

✦ Zuckerberg says AI bots are coming to your feeds. Meta is working on AI companions that can post, comment, and even go live.

✦ AI tools on Meta are boosting ads, with Reels conversions up 5%. Improved recommendations raised time spent on Facebook by 7%, Instagram by 6%, and Threads by 35%.

✦ Meta is testing an API to facilitate third-party tools in connecting with Instagram’s Creator Marketplace and streamline creator discovery.

✦ Meta's AI suggests organic creator content for Partnership Ads, optimizing brand-creator collaborations.

✦ Meta is expanding access to its AI-powered Opportunity Score to help advertisers improve campaign performance.

✦ Meta’s new Early Release program lets select advertisers try out AI ad tools before widespread release.

✦ Meta AI surpasses 1B monthly active users across its apps. 

✦ Meta is planning a premium subscription tier to integrate ads into its AI assistant app, Meta AI.

Pinterest ✨

✦ Pinterest is putting labels on AI-generated images so you know what’s real and what’s AI-made.

✦ Pinterest’s latest promotional campaign is helps you find your own unique style with personalized fashion and beauty picks.

✦ Visual search now allows users to search by colors or patterns in a photo to find similar stuff.

✦ Pinterest added 17 million new users, bringing the total to 570 million monthly active users.

✦ Pinterest advises advertisers allow a two-week learning phase for Performance+ campaigns and suggests setting daily budgets at least five times the target cost per result to optimize ad performance.

✦ Pinterest acknowledged that recent account suspensions were due to an overextension of efforts to remove problematic content, particularly adult material, and is working to address the issue.

Reddit 👽

✦ Reddit is bringing its AI-powered search tool, Reddit Answers, into the main search experience. Until now, Reddit Answers has lived in a separate tab on both desktop and mobile, but soon will be fully integrated into the core search bar.

✦ Reddit Pro lets businesses generate AI-suggested bios from their website and cross-post community content directly.

Snapchat 👻

✦ Snapchat introduced AI-driven smart bidding and improved Sponsored Snaps to streamline ad campaigns and targeting. Brands can send sponsored messages directly from a creator’s handle within the Chat Feed.

✦ A new report reveals that India's Gen Z users value authenticity over celebrity endorsements.

✦ You can unpin the ‘My AI’ chatbot from the top of your chats for a clear look.

✦ Reports show 86% of social shoppers who bought something after seeing a Snap were influenced by creators or influencers.

Threads 🧵

✦ Meta is testing video ads (16:9 or 1:1) between organic posts on Threads.

✦ Threads hit 350 million monthly active users.

✦ Add up to five links in your Threads profile and use analytics to track clicks. Say goodbye to third-party link-in-bio tools.

✦ Meta integrated Threads feed ads into its Marketing API, enabling advertisers to create and manage campaigns via third-party platforms.

✦ Threads is testing a new feature allowing users in the EU to create a Threads account without needing to log in through Instagram.

✦ Meta launched global advertisements on Threads.

✦ Threads is prompting users to share posts on Instagram with a Try It button.

TikTok ♪

✦ TikTok’s new Promote ads let businesses send lead messages straight to WhatsApp, Messenger, and other messaging apps for easier customer chats.

✦ TikTok Shop launched in France, Germany, Italy, and Mexico in 2025, extending its safety and IPR efforts to these new markets.

✦ TikTok’s Pulse ads place ads next to trending content by category or season, or even use AI to create custom lineups.

✦ Creators can add a DM button during TikTok livestreams to chat with viewers using Live setup for client acquisition. 

✦ Turn still photos into animated videos with TikTok’s new AI Alive tool.

✦ TikTok lets creators add or edit AI-generated alt text on photos to make content more accessible for visually impaired users.

✦ TikTok’s new guided meditation and sleep prompts help you chill out and get better sleep.

✦ TikTok teams up with SoundCloud so you can save songs from TikTok straight to your SoundCloud playlist.

✦ TikTok’s new AI Seller Assistant helps sellers optimize listings and manage shops with real-time tips inside the app.

✦ Creators can add clickable external links to Stories.

✦ TikTok is updating its direct message settings so you can choose who can send you message requests, both from followers (labeled as “Potential Connections”) and people you’re not connected with (referred to as “Others”).

X 🐦

✦ X is testing a new video interface with features like adjustable playback speeds, picture-in-picture mode, and better casting to your TV.

✦ X shared tips on using hashtags and mentions correctly to avoid common mistakes that limit post visibility while addressing concerns about shadowbanning.

✦ xAI is seeking $20 billion in funding to further integrate AI into X.

✦ X is partnering with Persona to implement ID verification using government-issued IDs and facial scans for upcoming payment features.

✦ X experimented with replacing the heart icon with thumbs-up and thumbs-down buttons to upvote and downvote posts.

✦ Grok featured a new voice called Gork. It started as a typo from Elon Musk but was intentionally adopted to give the AI a distinct personality.

✦ Community Notes surpassed one million contributors.

✦ X showed a cleaner ad layout for sales campaigns, with headlines and CTA buttons placed right on the image to drive more clicks.

YouTube 🎥

✦ YouTube displayed comment previews directly on Shorts for viewers to see and engage with reactions while watching.

✦ YouTube rolled out an upgraded Creator Partnerships Hub, the AI-powered Insights Finder, and expanded Partnership Ads options.

✦ For the first time, YouTube ads on TV screens edged out mobile, with brands now spending more on connected TV ads than on phones.

✦ YouTube is testing blurred video thumbnails for search results for mature content.

✦ YouTube is expanding its voice replies to comments test to Android which was previously available only on iOS. 

✦ YouTube Shorts now generates the same ad revenue per watch hour as long-form videos in the U.S. and surpasses it in some countries.

✦ YouTube piloted a new subscription tier called Two-Person Premium Plan, designed to offer a more affordable option for users who don't require the full Family plan. This plan is being tested in India, France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

✦ YouTube expanded its lower-cost, ad-free subscription tier, Premium Lite, to additional countries, including Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Great Britain. 

✦ YouTube introduced a new voting system for collaborative playlists, allowing signed-in users to upvote or downvote videos to influence their order.

✦ YouTube removed Revert to original from its Studio editor, meaning creators can no longer undo edits made with tools like Blur, Trim, Audio Replace, and Song Erase. This change requires creators to download their videos before editing if they wish to preserve the original version.

✦ YouTube introduced captioning features for Shorts to auto-generate captions directly within the Shorts editor and customize them with various text styles and colors.

Others 📝

✦ WhatsApp is testing AI-powered chat summaries to help users quickly catch up on long conversations.

✦ Spotify introduced a Plays metric letting users see how many times a podcast is watched or listened to.

✦ Substack announced the upcoming launch of audio-only livestreams. 

✦ Google introduced a new AI-powered shopping feature called Try It On, available through Google Search Labs.

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 building out a content calendar. Like many AI-produced results, it won’t get you all the way to the finish line, but it’s a nice headstart.

AI Prompt: Generate a social media content calendar for the next 30 days for a [Industry: ] targeting [Audience: ]. Focus on [Content Theme]. Include captions, relevant hashtags, and suggested times for posting.Tone of Voice: [Professional, Fun, Inspirational, Casual]

Example:

Industry: Email marketing agency

Audience: Podcasters

Content Theme: Why podcasts needs email marketing

Tone of Voice: Fun & Casual

What it gets right/does well:

• A rough plan of action.

• Gives you ideas to build upon.

• Suggested time slots serve as a good start for initial posting cadence. 

• Builds a consistent posting habit. 

What needs work:

• Far from foolproof - you can’t just copy/paste. 

• Content ideas must be tweaked for your brand strategy..

• Visual elements not included.

• Hashtag suggestions aren’t the best.

• Messaging needs massaging.

Why this is helpful: 

This prompt is helpful for solo players and small teams to brainstorm ideas and quickly fill their social media calendars. While there’s still hands-on work that needs to be done, this prompt saves a lot of time by providing a skeleton framework for an in-depth, consistent social calendar.

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

With that, we’re on to June.

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

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