Instagram Experimenting with Option to Share Feed Posts Solely with Your ‘Close Friends’

In the past, many Instagram users have expressed dissatisfaction with the platform’s algorithm-driven feed, as it can make the experience feel less personal. In response, the social media platform is experimenting with a new feature that allows you to share posts from your main feed exclusively with a select group of your closest friends.

On Monday, Lia Haberman, an instructor specializing in digital media marketing, shared a screenshot of the new feature on a platform now known as X, previously referred to as Twitter.

Coming to Instagram 🔥 Close Friends feed post. It’s been spotted by someone posting in the UK

This would be one way to get people off Stories and out of DMs — create a Close Friends feed experience

h/t @jordLS pic.twitter.com/BBp0uDpJnF

— Lia Haberman (@liahaberman) September 4, 2023

The company has officially acknowledged to TechCrunch that they’re currently experimenting with this feature in certain countries, although they haven’t disclosed which ones specifically.

A spokesperson from Meta, the parent company of Instagram, stated, “We’re trying out a new option that allows people in a few chosen countries to share their feed posts exclusively with their Close Friends. We’re constantly looking for fresh ways to enable our Instagram community to express themselves and bond with each other.”

Starting in 2018, Instagram introduced the “Close Friends” feature for users posting Instagram Stories. This feature allows users to curate a list of specific individuals with whom they want to share their Instagram Stories, ensuring that these Stories remain private and aren’t visible to all their followers.

Last December, Instagram introduced a feature called “Notes.” It lets users share text updates with their friends. In the following months, Instagram added more options to Notes, like the ability to share music, translate text, and show your location.