After Facebook (now Meta) acquired Instagram in 2012, the platform evolved into one of the most used social media apps. It has also introduced a lot of new features, such as Reels, Stories, Explore page, and all sorts of nifty tools. Recently, Instagram finally launched an iPad app—15 years after its debut.
Now, it appears that Instagram is testing a new feature for Reels that will require a code to unlock and view it. As spotted by Social Media Today, the Meta-owned platform is quietly experimenting with locked reels, which can be opened with a code and a provided hint.
According to the report, this could be "a simple way to increase engagement with the creator’s content, but it could also offer creators and celebrities a way to share exclusive reels with their most dedicated fans, who are more likely to know the answer to hints."
Notably, neither Instagram nor Meta has said anything about this testing. The social media platform was spotted trialing this feature on its Design account. When opened, the reel shows a QR Code and a message: "Unlock this reel from design. Enter secret code in the app." A hint is also provided—"1st # in the caption"—the code used in the test Reel is "threads."
Upon unlocking the Reel, there is an animated banner that reads "coming soon," which could be the Design account's way of announcing their arrival on Threads. The new Reels feature could be another handy way for creators, brands, and celebrities to generate buzz around new products and launches. Regular users might also be able to lock reels for specific friends.
For now, there is no information on when Instagram will launch this new feature for Reels. So, stay tuned.
3 Comments - Add comment