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February 2025 Social Media Platform Updates

Thursday 6th March 2025

Blog Author Beth Perrin by Beth Perrin

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February was another busy month in the world of social media, with Threads, WhatsApp, TikTok and more all launching updates and new tools which will help individual users connect more easily with their friends and family members, while also allowing businesses to level up their content and customer service. Read on to find out which recently released features might be beneficial for you or your brand this spring.

 

Ad-Free Snapchat+ Platinum

Snapchat began the month by introducing a new ‘Platinum’ version of its Snapchat+ subscription plan, which costs double the price of the regular Snapchat+ package. Users who sign up for Platinum will be able to enjoy all of the regular Snapchat+ benefits (custom chat wallpapers, seasonal app icons, Bitmoji pets, early access to new features, boosted Stories and more that you can read about later), as well as seeing no Sponsored Snaps or ads.

The company announced back in November that 12 million Snapchatters are already using Snapchat+, so the arrival of the Platinum version could prove to be a popular choice for those who want to upgrade their subscription and unlock a fully ad-free experience.

 

Better AI Transparency on Instagram & Facebook

Meta began the month by refreshing its transparency labels for AI-based content within ads on its platforms, in order to make it clearer when images and videos have been created or significantly edited using its in-house generative AI tools. If an ad contains AI imagery, a new label will appear in the three dots menu, and if it contains a photorealistic human specifically, the label will be displayed next to the ‘Sponsored’ message.

Explaining the update, Meta’s Monetization Policy Director, Pedro Pavón, said: “By building and refining our transparency around how AI impacts the ads users see, we aim to build trust and increase our accountability”, and confirmed that labels for ad images made or edited with non-Meta AI tools will also be coming soon.


Smartphone screens showing Meta's new AI transparency label

 
 

Custom Feed Sharing on Threads

Threads introduced a new function that will enable users to share the public feeds they’ve created with other users, giving people more ways to connect with others and build topic-based communities. Meta describes shared feeds as “a new way for you to connect with people around similar interests, and find profiles and conversations that are relevant to you”. To share a custom feed, tap and hold the feed you’ve created at the top of the app screen, then tap ‘Edit feeds’. Make sure to toggle your feed to ‘Public’ if this option hasn’t already been selected, then tap ‘View feed’, followed by ‘Share feed’, where you can then send your feed as a link or via a DM.

 

 
View on Threads

 
 

New Snapchat Features

Snapchat announced the arrival of some new features for both regular users and Snapchat+ subscribers:

• Snap Modes

Snapchat+ subscribers will have access to a new feature called Snap Modes that adds even more customisation and fun to the way you Snap with friends and family, including expiring Snaps for those ‘you had to be there’ moments.

• Custom AI stickers

Snapchat+ subscribers in the US can now generate stickers based on a message they’ve typed. Simply start typing in the chat bar then tap the sticker search button, which will create an AI sticker that includes your text and a relevant image.

• New looks for Bitmoji

Users can now give their Bitmoji a wardrobe update with lots of new styles to choose from, including long skirts and dresses.

• Movie posters

Users can generate a fun movie poster featuring themselves and their friends, created by AI.

 

 
 

LinkedIn Video Updates

Following a successful mobile rollout, LinkedIn is now bringing its TikTok-style full-screen video experience and ‘Videos for you’ module to its desktop site, meaning the two platforms will be better aligned when it comes to video content. It’s also testing a larger video display in the mobile app, which it first previewed in December last year, as well as another new option that displays all of a member’s video uploads in a separate section on their profile, titled ‘Recent videos by [user]’. Additionally, you can now track your average video watch time to uncover what resonates most with your audience, and to help inform the next videos you create.

 
 

Sponsored Comments on Instagram Partnership Ads

Instagram creators will soon have access to a new type of partnership ad called ‘Testimonials’, which are essentially sponsored comments that appear below an ad on the platform. Influencers simply need to write a short message of endorsement (under 125 characters) that connects to a brand’s campaign or a specific product, then the brand will make sure that it gets displayed as a comment under the corresponding ad.

Because testimonials are text-only endorsements, Instagram hopes they will be “fast to make and easy to stack on top of existing brand deals”. For now, brands will only be able to include one testimonial comment per Partnership post.

 
 

New WhatsApp Customisation Options

WhatsApp has added two new customisation options to allow users to further personalise their experience in the app:

• Chat themes

You can now turn your chat bubbles and background into your favourite colours, with plenty of options to choose from. You can either pick one of WhatsApp’s pre-set chat themes or mix and match colours to fit your personal style.

• New wallpapers

Choose from 30 new wallpaper options or upload a background from your camera roll to make your chats more fun and unique.

You can either apply the same theme to all of your chats, or choose a different theme for each one depending on the mood and vibe of the conversation.

 

 
 

Reply Controls & Profile Search on Bluesky

Bluesky has added some more Twitter-style features to its app in order to make it feel more familiar for those who aren’t keen on X and are looking to use Bluesky as a Twitter alternative.

• Reply controls

You can now choose who can respond to your posts. Simply tap on the ‘Anybody can interact’ prompt within the post composer, where you can then choose to restrict your replies.

• Profile search

Tap on the three dots menu on a user’s profile, then select ‘Search posts’ to look for posts made by that user containing your chosen keywords or phrases.


Bluesky profile search

 
 

New Instagram DM Tools

Seeing as DMs are now the primary way that users connect with each other in the app, Instagram has begun rolling out a variety of new messaging features to further build on this type of engagement.

• Translations

Users can now effortlessly communicate around the globe without worrying about language barriers. To translate a message, hold down on it and tap ‘Translate’. The translated message will then appear below the original message in your conversation.

• Song sharing

Open the sticker tray in a chat and tap on the ‘Music’ option to search for any song in the Instagram audio library. Tap on the track to send a 30-second preview of the song along with a spinning vinyl animation beside the album cover art.

• Message scheduling

Users can now schedule DMs to be sent at a later date and/or time (currently only available for text messages, not images, videos or GIFs).

• Pinned messages

Up to three specific messages can now be pinned to the top of a chat.

• QR code invitations

Users can now share a personalised QR code for each of their group chats, which, when scanned, will give newcomers instant access to the group.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Instagram’s @Creators (@creators)

 
 

New Newsletter Metrics on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has added two new metrics for newsletter creators on the platform, providing more ways for them to measure the performance of their communications and find out what’s resonating with their subscribers.

• Email sends

This will show the total number of subscribers that have received each newsletter edition.

• Email open rate

The percentage of subscribers that have opened the email (this number is an estimate and may not be precise).

 
 

LinkedIn Comment Impression Counter

To help users gain insights regarding the impact they’re making within their LinkedIn community, a new counter is being rolled out that shows how many impressions a comment has received. One impression is counted each time someone views your comment, and the counter is non-unique, so even if the same member views a comment twice, it will be counted as two separate impressions. Only you can view the impressions of your comments, and page admins will be able to see the impression counts for all comments left as the page.

 
 

AI Audio Replacement Options on YouTube

In July last year, YouTube added a range of new audio editing options to the YouTube Studio to help creators address copyright strikes and prevent their videos from being taken down. When a copyright violation is detected for the audio in your clip, you can either remove that audio or replace it - and now, thanks to a recent update, a range of AI-generated recommendations of alternative music tracks will appear, providing a quicker way to pick a replacement song. According to YouTube, this will “give you more power over your audio edits, and make it easier to deal with copyright issues.”


 
 

Refreshed TikTok Desktop Site

TikTok launched an updated version of its desktop website, which it hopes will align it better with its ever-popular mobile app, saying: “While TikTok is known and loved as a mobile-first platform, we know there are times when desktop viewing is more convenient.”

• Immersive modular design

The repositioned navigation bar reduces distractions, offering a more immersive viewing experience and seamless feed exploration.

• Live gaming streaming

You can go live in either portrait or landscape mode, delivering a full-screen horizontal view for desktop users, while mobile users can simply rotate their devices to join in.

• Floating player

Available exclusively on Google Chrome, the flexible floating window keeps TikTok visible above other windows, allowing you to multitask while watching your favourite content.

• Collections

You can now organise your favourite videos into custom categories, making it easier to find and revisit your saved content.

 

 
 

Summary

Whether you’re a casual scroller, a content creator or you work in the brand marketing space, we’d love to hear if you’ve tried any of these updates and which ones you’ve found beneficial so far. Mention us in a post over on X @3sixfivepro to tell us which new features you’re excited to use and which social media platforms you’re currently enjoying the most.


 
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