Things are getting a whole lot more exclusive on Instagram, thanks to a fresh new update.
The change means you’ll be able to keep more of your social content private, sharing only with the people who matter most.
The added feature lets you share feed posts and reels only with people on your ‘Close Friends’ list - just like you’ve been able to for a while now on stories and notes.
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“We know our community already uses Close Friends as a pressure-free space to connect with the people who matter most,” Instagram said.
“We hope this opens up more ways to be your most authentic self on Instagram while having more choices over who sees your content.”
To mark the arrival of the new privacy tool, Instagram said those who have already spent time divvying up their extensive friends list between Close Friends and not-so-close friends should soon spot an in-app ‘Easter egg’ when opening the app today. If you’ve received the update, you should see the ‘+’ button transform into the Close Friends green star icon.
We’ve been checking our app and haven’t spotted the arrival of the update just yet, but it might be that Meta is rolling it out incrementally across different regions, meaning some users might receive it before others.
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To make use of the fresh feature, simply choose Close Friends from the Audience option before sharing your post or reel. This will mean that your post or reel will appear on the Instagram feeds of those on your Close Friends list and will be labeled with a green star icon. Your Close Friends list will remain the same across posts, reels, stories and notes.
If you haven’t set up a Close Friends list yet and want to, you can do that by following the steps Instagram has outlined online.
This isn’t the only update Instagram has made in the last 24 hours. The company has also reported to have made changes to the X (formally known as Twitter) rival, Threads, which means users can delete their accounts while keeping the linked Instagram account.
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An Instagram account is required to sign up to the X-like app, but users weren’t best pleased that it wasn’t possible to delete Threads alone. However, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri revealed the change in a post on the platform this week.
These recent Instagram updates arrive weeks after Meta, Instagram's parent company, announced it is offering Instagram and Facebook users in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland the opportunity to pay a monthly subscription to not see advertisements.
While members of the paid subscription means they won't have to see any adverts while using Instagram and Facebook, they will have to pay $14 (£12.99) for the privilege.
The fee isn’t mandatory, though, so don’t panic - it’s merely to 'comply with evolving European regulations'. You can still use Instagram and Facebook for free, you’ll just have to see ads.