Instagram is one of the social networks where you might find yourself endlessly scrolling through various feeds and looking at reels, all while dealing with the ads that make Meta money. That doomscrolling experience is curated based on the accounts you follow, your interests, and how you use the app. Meta’s algorithm registers everything so it can keep you entertained for longer.
If you somehow thought you could use even more doomscrolling inside Instagram, Meta’s got you covered with a new feature called Blend. The name might sound similar to Spotify users who use a similarly called feature to blend playlists with friends.
Intagram’s Blend is similar, but it’s not about music (though most Reels do have sound and/or music). Instagram Blend is about sharing Reels with friends and groups inside DMs.
Blend’s purpose is to keep you entertained while you’re chatting to friends on Instagram. It will let you share a feed of Reels that you might like with friends inside DMs, and they can do the same. You won’t get to pick the Reels; Blend will do it for you automatically.
A new button will appear in the top right corner inside chats, letting you start or join a Blend. Instagram will then surface Reels content matching the interests of you and the other person in the DM (or the people in the group chat).
“Everyone has the option [to start a Blend] cause you’re actually sharing your interests implicitly,” Instagram’s Adam Mosseri said in a video. “What you’ll see if you go in there is Reels that we think you’re interested in, but also anybody else on that thread based on things like what people have shared in the DM thread earlier.”
Mosseri says Blend is a fun way to share your interests and learn what your friends like.
Instagram’s point is obvious here. They want to drive interest and usage up, and one way to do it is to have people talk about all sorts of Reels as easily as possible. Sliding those Reels into DMs is certainly a clever way to increase engagement.
While I’m not sure how much I’d use Blend or if I’ll ever do it, I do get the appeal. Each Blend you create or join will be unique, as it’ll be tailored to the interests of different people. Therefore, it can help you discover new content, including Instagram creators that you might want to follow.
You should start seeing the new Blend button in your DMs soon enough.
