The Instagram Stories - Social Media News

Welcome to The Instagram Stories! In this episode, Daniel Hill breaks down the latest Instagram updates from the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri's weekly Ask Me Anything. We tackle pressing questions like whether the platform is switching to paid tiers (spoiler: it's staying free, supported by ads!), the status of the Edits app for desktop, and how to reset your Instagram algorithm if you're tired of your current feed. Daniel also shares Adam Mosseri's insights on how posting trial Reels affects your reach and the best way to collaborate with smaller creators (hint: the order you post matters!). Plus, hear about the future of horizontal video for Reels (especially for TV viewing), the much-needed search bar for saved lists, and the challenges of fast-forwarding Stories. We also get an update on the globally expanding Series feature, a growing trend for episodic content. Tune in for all the news and feature suggestions to improve your Instagram experience.

Links:
The Equipment I Use:
Microphone: Shure MV7+ USB-C & XLR Podcast Dynamic Mic with Stand (Amazon)
Headphones: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds (Amazon)
Laptop: Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop Tablet Touch | 13" (Amazon)
Phone: Samsung S25 Ultra with S-Pen included (Amazon)

Leave a Review of the Podcast: Apple Podcasts

Connect with me on Instagram: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on Threads: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on YouTube: @danielhill_media

Transcript:

---
**Daniel Hill:** Welcome to *The Instagram Stories* for Monday, October 5th. I'm your host, Daniel Hill. On Mondays, we talk about what the head of Instagram discussed on his weekly Ask Me Anything, and this week we're going to talk about if Instagram is switching to paid tiers—interestingly, it is not—how to reset your algorithm if you are tired of seeing the content that you are currently being shown, and updates for the Edits app for desktop. We'll also get into some feature suggestions: things that Instagram definitely needs, and we've been talking about for a while. All of that on today's episode, but first, a quick word from our sponsors.
*(Sponsorship Break)*
**Daniel Hill:** Welcome back. Getting into the questions and answers from the head of Instagram, and let's start with the most interesting one: **Is Instagram really going to go to paid tiers?** We've been talking about some of the paid plans that Instagram offers, but at its core, Instagram will always be free, supported by ads. Here's the head of Instagram to explain.
**Adam Mosseri:** No, Instagram is free, and it's going to stay that way. We do have some options if you want to buy extra features. It certainly allows you to buy ads. But the experience that 3 billion people use every day is free, and it's going to stay that way.
**Daniel Hill:** All right, now let's move on to **the Edits for desktop status question**. We've been coming across this fairly regularly, but if you're paying for a video editing app, maybe you won't need to once the Edits app for desktop comes out and it does all the things that you need, potentially. Here's Adam's update on the Edits app for desktop.
**Adam Mosseri:** So we have our first version of the Edits desktop out to a select set of creators. We're still iterating on it, getting a lot of feedback. One of the cool things that the Edits team does, I think, is work directly with a lot of creators and get their feedback as they design and build the app, and incorporate that feedback into what they build, which I think is one of the reasons why the Edits app, generally speaking, is loved. Obviously, there are critics, as there are of everything, and there are naysayers, and there's room to improve the experience. But the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and I think that's in a large part because the team works hand-in-hand with a lot of creators to get their feedback and shape their roadmaps. So, no updates on when we're going to have open access yet. We're working on it, and I'd like to get it out as soon as we can.
**Daniel Hill:** Okay, I just want to take issue with one thing that Adam said in that answer about the reason why the Edits app is so loved. I believe that the reason the Edits app is so loved is because it's free, as compared to CapCut, which is $19.99 a month or $180 per year. If you've been paying for CapCut or some other video editing app and someone presented you with a free alternative, you would likely love it too. That's my point.
Okay, now let's transition into the reach-related questions. The first one: **Does it hurt my reach if I post as a trial Reel first?** No, definitely not, and using trial Reels is a good opportunity to see how an audience that's not familiar with you might react to your content. Here is Adam's answer.
**Adam Mosseri:** No, it doesn't. If you post a trial Reel and then you like how it does and you want to upgrade it to a normal Reel and have it go to your followers and on your profile, that's great, and it will not hurt you that you had it start as a trial.
**Daniel Hill:** The next reach-related question: **Does collaboration with a small creator affect reach and engagement?** Well, not really. If you do a collab post, it's going to be shown to both of your audiences, but the order with which you post that collab is actually a factor. So, here's Adam to explain.
**Adam Mosseri:** When you do a collab, if the person you're collaborating with is a larger creator, you should have them start the collab, and it will help your reach. If you are the larger creator, you should also start the collab, and it's not going to hurt your reach, but it's not going to meaningfully help your reach either, because the person you're collaborating with is smaller. It will help a little bit, but not as much as the other way around.
**Daniel Hill:** All right, let's move on to a question about **how to reset the algorithm**. If you didn't know, you can completely reset your Instagram algorithmic experience, meaning the content that Instagram thinks you will like. You can also select topics you're interested in and what topics you're not interested in. Resetting your algorithm periodically is really good because it gives you a chance to see what content you are not potentially seeing. You might not be interested in it, but at least you get a fresh view of all the things that people are posting out there in the world that Instagram doesn't know that you might potentially be interested in.
The question here is: **Why is there no algorithmic reset option in India?** I was actually a bit surprised by this question because I wasn't aware that that was only limited to certain countries, but according to Adam's answer, it seems like everyone should have the ability to reset their algorithm.
**Adam Mosseri:** So, I'm pretty sure you can reset your algorithm no matter what country you live in. You go to the profile and settings, and there's a section under there called "What content you see," I think. If you go in there, there's actually a specific option—this is still just under settings—called "Content preferences," and in there, you'll find a reset option, which will reset how ranking works for all suggestions, all recommendations. So, check it out.
**Daniel Hill:** Quick side story about this: I showed my wife how to reset her algorithm a few months back, and last weekend, we were at a friend's house, and one of the friends there was complaining about her Instagram experience and how it was always showing her content she didn't like. My wife showed her how to reset her own algorithm and deselect which topics she was not interested in that Instagram was showing her content about. I've never been so proud!
We are going to take a quick break. When we come back, we're going to talk about the Instagram Series feature and when it's going to be more widely available, talk about some feature suggestions that people have made, and we'll get into full screen for Instagram Reels, but in a horizontal format. Stay tuned.
*(Sponsorship Break)*
**Daniel Hill:** Welcome back. Continuing with the questions and answers, the next one: **Any chance of full screen for horizontal Reels?**
This is interesting to me. I personally do not want a full-screen horizontal experience for Reels on my phone because I don't really want to rotate my phone, but I can see that some people would want to, so I get that as an idea. Here's Adam's explanation.
**Adam Mosseri:** There's a chance. I think that we need to figure out how to better support not only horizontal video, but longer video. We haven't historically focused on it on Instagram because it's usually pretty bad for—well, most everything other than time spent. It's bad for sharing, comments, likes, messages, because when you watch one long video, that's a lot of other short things you might have sent to a friend, liked, commented on, etc. But we do know that there's a lot of demand for long-form video, particularly on TV, as well as horizontal video. So, I think we should have to figure out how to balance that. How do we let long-form video grow inside of Instagram without crowding out everything else is the heart of the question, and it's something we're actively exploring. So, things like being able to view a horizontal or landscape video properly is definitely something that we're going to have to figure out.
**Daniel Hill:** When I first saw the question, I was thinking about it in terms of watching it on your phone, but I see now with his answer he's talking about televisions, which absolutely makes sense for horizontal viewing.
Okay, let's move on to some other feature suggestions. The question: **What are your thoughts on a search bar for saved lists in Instagram?** This is so badly needed. The search on Instagram is very challenging, especially for content that you've seen previously and want to find again—for instance, if you saved it.
**Adam Mosseri:** We should definitely make it so that you can search your saved. There's a lot of work to do to clean up saved, and we've got a couple people working on it right now. So hopefully, we can get something out relatively soon—not just for search, that might take a little bit longer, but for some of the basics that I think could just be easier.
**Daniel Hill:** The next feature suggestion: Fast-forwarding Stories, is that possible? Many times I want to skim the Story, not just skip it. I agree, this is a great feature suggestion. Instagram should have had that, but Adam correctly points out the challenge around this, which I do agree with.
**Adam Mosseri:** Um, it is possible, but we haven't built that yet. We use long press on the right-hand side of the screen to speed up, go to 2x for Reels, but if we do that on Stories, it's going to be tough because we also use tap-and-hold to pause or tap to advance. So, we have to figure out the sort of collision of all the gestures. But it's a good idea, so we will look into it, but no promises.
**Daniel Hill:** And the last thing we're going to talk about today is **the Series feature**. This is something that Instagram talked about a couple of months back, but had not widely released. Basically, a series lets you group content together, sort of like a playlist, and people would expect content from you in a series on some kind of regular basis—so, meaning every Friday or something. The question: **When is this Series feature going to be launched globally? Any plans supporting productions?** Here's Adam's answer.
**Adam Mosseri:** So, for those of you who don't know, Series is a growing trend, particularly in Southeast Asia, but in other parts of the world as well, as in the US, where people create these little episodic series that's content. It's like a TV show, but each episode is, you know, 9x16, so the ratio of this video right here, and, you know, just between like, I don't know, 1 and 3 minutes long. They're kind of wild. A lot of them are coming from countries around the world; a bunch of them are AI-generated, and they seem to be growing in a way that people like. So, we're trying to experiment with that format, figuring out how to support it for this class, make it work for the creators of these series, make sure that they can get paid for their work. It's early days, but eventually, once we get everything working, we will launch it everywhere.
**Daniel Hill:** All right, that is it for the questions and answers from the head of Instagram. As always, thank you for listening, and come back next time for more social media news, strategy, and other things you should know.
---
*(Outro Song)*
**Rap Outro:**
Yeah! Let's get it!
The year was 2013!
You posted your first pic, and you're glad your post got seen!
Your friends liked it too, but what you didn't know was what posting on that platform would do!
Taking all your time and attention!
Doomscrolling, ah, so let me mention!
You gotta post on every platform, putting content on every set just to conform!
Likes gave you validation, and you got hooked!
Now engagement is down, you're feeling overlooked!
Hey, keep coming back for more podcasts!
And find me on Instagram @DanielHillMedia!
I'm gone!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sharpen your Instagram strategy with the latest updates, including Meta's new AI assistant in the Edits app. This episode dives into how this powerful tool analyzes your Instagram account data, offering personalized suggestions on what's trending, why certain videos performed well, and even ideas for hooks, captions, and trending audio. Daniel shares his own test, where the AI accurately identified a too-long hook in one of his videos, highlighting its actionable feedback. A clip from the Instagram @creators account emphasizes how the Edits Assistant saves time and helps creators understand their data for better content.
Next, learn about Instagram's new feature allowing you to boost live streams. Historically, boosting was limited to posts, Stories, and Reels, but now you can expand the reach of your live broadcasts. Daniel explains how this is a game-changer for creators doing sales, hosting events, or featuring keynote speakers, allowing you to schedule promotions at least two hours in advance. These boosted live streams run only while you're broadcasting, ensuring active Instagram users see your in-progress content and join your audience.
Finally, Daniel shares valuable Instagram content strategy advice from Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, on content repurposing. Mosseri explains how to take one successful idea and translate it into different formats to get more mileage without simply reposting. He suggests turning a well-performing Reel into a carousel, or vice-versa, and looking at comments for new content ideas. Adam Mosseri also recommends recreating popular content with new information, like his annual updates on how Instagram ranking works. Daniel adds his own tip: use the Edits app AI to brainstorm ways to transform your successful content into new formats, leveraging its insights.
If these Instagram updates help you, please follow Daniel on Instagram @danielhillmedia and leave a review.
Links:
Edits: Meet the Edits assistant, the one that knows your Instagram (Instagram Blog)
Instagram: Boost your live video on Instagram (Instagram)
Instagram: Why to turn a piece of content into other content - and how (Instagram)







The Equipment I Use:
Microphone: Shure MV7+ USB-C & XLR Podcast Dynamic Mic with Stand (Amazon)
Headphones: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds (Amazon)
Laptop: Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop Tablet Touch | 13" (Amazon)
Phone: Samsung S25 Ultra with S-Pen included (Amazon)

Leave a Review of the Podcast: Apple Podcasts

Connect with me on Instagram: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on Threads: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on YouTube: @danielhill_media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Instagram Stories, I'm breaking down the latest insights from Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, on how creators can maximize their reach and understand Instagram ranking. This is part four in his series, where Adam shares three key pieces of advice: first, focus on engagement rates, not just total views or likes. He explains that Instagram uses proxies like watch time, shares, and likes to determine interest, so understanding the *rate* (percentage of people who liked or shared after seeing your content) is crucial. I'll also walk you through where to find these insights on your own posts, showing you how skip rate, share rate, and like rate are ranked in order of importance for your reach.

Adam's second piece of advice is to experiment. What resonates today might not resonate tomorrow, so keep trying new things. He even mentions `trial reels` as a low-pressure way to test content with non-followers. His third tip is about post frequency: while more posts can mean more reach, it's vital to find a sustainable rhythm to avoid burnout.

We also tackle listener questions, starting with an update on the `Edits app beta` for desktop. Adam confirms it's rolling out to a limited number of creators, and I'm personally eager to get my hands on it! For `Instagram Stories`, we discuss `automatic subtitles`. While they're not automatic, Adam demonstrates how easy it is to add them using the `caption sticker` from your sticker tray, giving creators the choice. I recommend adding subtitles to all your content, including song lyrics.

Other questions covered include whether Instagram `boosts specific genres` like art or food (Adam says no, it's about user interest), if `blocking someone harms your reach` (it doesn't), or if `deleting old videos or archiving` them affects current reach (also no). We clarify the `restrict feature`, explaining that restricted users can comment, but only you see it unless you approve, and they won't know they're restricted. Finally, Adam addresses using an `old account` to start posting again, advising not to overreact if the first few posts underperform as the algorithm warms up. We wrap up with a look at Meta's new `Muse Charm` hardware and how it can interact with your Instagram account.

If you found these insights helpful, follow the show and leave a review!

Links:
Instagram: Guide to Ranking (Instagram)


The Equipment I Use:
Microphone: Shure MV7+ USB-C & XLR Podcast Dynamic Mic with Stand (Amazon)
Headphones: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds (Amazon)
Laptop: Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop Tablet Touch | 13" (Amazon)
Phone: Samsung S25 Ultra with S-Pen included (Amazon)

Leave a Review of the Podcast: Apple Podcasts

Connect with me on Instagram: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on Threads: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on YouTube: @danielhill_media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, I'm breaking down the biggest social media updates for creators from the recent Meta Connect and Made on YouTube events, plus a key Instagram strategy to boost organic engagement. First, we dive into the Meta Connect announcements, where Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Muse, their new AI personal agent with voice and real-time video capabilities. This "personal superintelligence" is designed to help users accomplish goals, and Meta is exploring a novel business model where Muse helps people make money through transactions, a significant shift from their usual approach. We also cover Meta's new glasses, including enhanced privacy features, private processing for AI, FDA-cleared hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss, camera-free audio glasses, Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3, and even VR glasses that offer a private cinema or workstation.
Next, we shift to the Made on YouTube event, focusing on new creator tools coming to YouTube Studio. You'll hear about Ask Studio expanding to mobile, which I've found incredibly useful for generating thumbnails and scripts. YouTube is also rolling out A/B testing for videos and Shorts, new Research and Insights destinations, Dynamic Thumbnails, and conversational editing for Shorts, all designed to help improve content performance and discover new audiences.
Finally, for our strategy segment, Steven Adams from Emplifi shares insights from their new report on Instagram collab posts. The data shows that letting creators publish the post (accepted collaborations) drives significantly higher organic reach and engagement, especially in retail and e-commerce, with over five times more shares for authentic content. The report also highlights that focusing on Reels for engagement is far more effective than carousels in these partnerships. I'll link to the full Emplifi report in the show notes. Thanks for listening! Follow the show and leave a review if these updates helped you think about your content strategy.

Links:
Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Connect Roundup (Instagram)
Meta Connect 2026 (YouTube)
YouTube: MadeOn YouTube 2026: Shorts Series, Video A/B testing, Shopping Updates & more | Creator Roundup (YouTube)
Emplifi: Instagram collab posts drive higher organic engagement across brand sizes (Emplifi)



Leave a Review of the Podcast: Apple Podcasts

Connect with me on Instagram: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on Threads: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on YouTube: @danielhill_media

The Equipment I Use:
Microphone: Shure MV7+ USB-C & XLR Podcast Dynamic Mic with Stand (Amazon)
Headphones: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds (Amazon)
Laptop: Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop Tablet Touch | 13" (Amazon)
Phone: Samsung S25 Ultra with S-Pen included (Amazon)



Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Meta introduces its "Meta One" unified subscription tier and previews the upcoming "Edits+" feature. Threads launches new podcast integration tools, Instagram’s head explains algorithm controls, and growth strategist Maral Sattar shares tips for turning podcast content into engaging social clips.

In this episode of The Instagram Stories, host Daniel Hill breaks down the latest platform updates and social media strategies:

Meta One Launch: Meta bundles individual subscription plans across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp into a single "Meta One" package offering enhanced AI features and new tools like links in Reels.

Edits+ Preview: A first look at the upcoming Edits+ creator tools, featuring expanded cloud storage for cross-device project backups and additional Meta AI credits.

Threads for Podcasters: New features for creators on Threads, including podcast profile banners, episode pickers, tappable link cards, and built-in reach insights.

Instagram Algorithm Insights: Adam Mosseri shares three practical tools users can leverage to control their feed and tune their recommendations.

Podcast Growth Strategy: Growth strategist Miral Sattar drops by to discuss faceless content tactics, B-roll utilization, and how to structure short-form video hooks for maximum listener conversion.

Links:
Meta: Introducing Meta One: A Subscription Service With More Features and AI to Create, Connect, and Stand Out (Meta)
Edits: Edits Plus: Coming Soon! (Instagram)
Threads: Threads Expands Podcast Toolkit for Creators and Listeners (FB)
Instagram: Part 3 of Ranking series - The controls you have to shape your experience (Instagram)


Leave a Review of the Podcast: Apple Podcasts

Connect with me on Instagram: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on Threads: @danielhillmedia
Connect with me on YouTube: @danielhill_media

The Equipment I Use:
Microphone: Shure MV7+ USB-C & XLR Podcast Dynamic Mic with Stand (Amazon)
Headphones: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds (Amazon)
Laptop: Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop Tablet Touch | 13" (Amazon)
Phone: Samsung S25 Ultra with S-Pen included (Amazon)



Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.