ByteDance releases Instagram clone and Instagram gets musical

1/5 ByteDance releases “Whee”, an Instagram clone

While no one was looking, ByteDance has quietly released a new app called Whee; which looks astonishingly similar to Instagram. Available for download on Android, the platform seems to be a more personable approach to Instagram. Users are able to share photos purely with their friends, rather than the public focused interface found on its inspiration. ByteDance’s decision to release the app has left many puzzled, given that it only recently launched TikTok Notes, which also seemed to draw plenty of inspiration from Instagram. Perhaps the developer is seeking a Meta-like approach, by releasing a separate app to test its popularity before integrating its features into existing apps.

2/5 Instagram unveils Creator Insights profile performance overview

In a bid to aid creators in partnering with brands, Instagram is testing a new “Creator Insights” display. Found on creators’ profiles, the new dashboard gives brands a brief overview of the account’s recent analytics, showcasing total followers, accounts reached, and accounts engaged. From this dashboard, brands can then either send a partnership message, or view other similar creators. The metrics displayed are spruced from the previous 30 day period, and creators can choose whether to opt in. Whilst the feature is still in its infancy, and only available to select profiles, it could be an incredibly valuable tool for brands and creators alike hoping to foster partnerships.?

3/5 Instagram adds music on video carousel posts?

Hoping to up engagement, Instagram is now allowing users to add music to their carousel posts that include videos. Whilst users have been able to include music in their static carousel posts for some time, the app historically blocked video posts from this luxury. Instagram has been slowly adding more music features to its platform in recent months, likely in preparation of a TikTok free U.S. TikTok has become a key fixture of the music industry, given its incredible reach and ability for music promotion. Yet, if it is removed, these music promotion efforts will have to go elsewhere; hence, Instagram’s sudden obsession with making music a key fixture of its offerings.?

4/5 YouTube tests out community notes?

YouTube recently announced that it will be testing a community notes option on its interface. The feature would allow users to add their own notes to videos in order to offer “relevant, timely, and easy-to-understand context”. The feature is, therefore, YouTube’s version of X’s Community Notes. The notes will appear publicly beneath a video, and an algorithm will analyse its helpfulness, accuracy, and neutrality, before they are approved. The testing is rolling out in The U.S. on mobile for the moment, before it is released globally.?

5/5 Smart doorbells reshape political canvassing?

These days, you’d be hard pressed to find a home without a smart doorbell carefully adorned on its walls. Whilst these little cameras hope to aid in home security, they provide an interesting dilemma for political canvassers. Campaign managers have had to make it painfully clear to door knockers that they are being recorded at all times, and must act accordingly. Yet, the doorbells do provide some positives. Given their Facetime-esque abilities, door knockers have found that they can speak to the owners of the home even if they are miles away. Whether good or bad, smart doorbells provide a range of new experiences for political canvassers; yet another interesting new facet of our technological era.

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