Meta’s latest tests focus on episodic reels and teen wellbeing

Barely a week goes by at the moment without Meta testing some new features on one of its apps and/or scrambling to head off concerns of regulators about the way they work. We’ve got one of each for you this morning.

First, Meta is testing a new reels feature called ‘Series’ on Instagram and Facebook.  TechCrunch broke the news, describing it as a way to bundle individual reels – “both new and old” – into an episodic story with its own hub on your profile.

“For example, if a creator is doing a ’10 days of healthier baking’ series, they can bundle all 10 videos into a single series,’ it explained. “The series would appear in a new tab on the creator’s profile with its own page so people can find all the episodes, watch them in order, and pick up where they left off.”

There is clear potential in this feature for musicians. For now it’s just being tested with “select creators and content producers” who have already shared serialised content on the two platforms.

As for the regulatory scrambling… Meta is expanding its new 13+ content settings for Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, while also testing something new on the first of those to support teenagers’ wellbeing.

“We recognize that some content — like posts about nutrition, weightlifting, or how to cope with anxiety — can be helpful, but it should be balanced with other types of content rather than shown repeatedly,” explained Meta.

“That’s why we’re testing ways to limit teens from seeing too many posts of this kind in one go, including in Explore, Feed, and Reels.”