Instagram is testing a feature to let you share feed posts only with ‘close friends’

Instagram users have been complaining for some time about the impersonal nature of the social network, largely due to its algorithmic feed. The company tried to launch more ways for users to share content with their friends. To that end, Instagram is currently testing a feature that lets you share feed posts only with your “Close Friends” group.

In recent days, many users, including Lia Haberman from the ICYMI newsletter – I spotted this feature.

The company confirmed to TechCrunch that it was testing the feature in a few countries, but didn’t specify which ones.

“We are testing the ability for people in certain countries to share posts in News Feed with their close friends. We are always exploring new ways for our community to express themselves and connect on Instagram,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

If sharing news feed posts with friends becomes widely available, this may reduce the need for users to have a “finsta” account (i.e. an alternative friends-only account) .

In 2018, the social network launched globally a feature to share stories with a private list of “close friends”. The following year, the company attempted to bring the idea of ​​group chatting to Instagram’s circle of “close friends” to life through an app called Threads (no, not the social network it launched in July). However, the Threads group chat app was shut down in 2021 to focus on a better direct messaging experience.

Last December, Instagram launched Notes, a way to share text updates with friends. Over the past few months, the company has introduced features like music sharing, translation, and location sharing for Notes.