Instagram is preparing a new functionality for closed groups

As Instagram strives to harmonize the direction of application development with the changing behavior of users, they are introducing a new option to share posts from the "feed" only with close friends ("close friends"). This enables an additional way of slightly more closed group communication.

As you can see in the example at the link www.bit.ly/InstagramRN1, published by influencer marketing expert Lia Haberman (via creator Jordan Shalhoub), some users already see the new option "Audience" while preparing a post. , which allows them to share their post "from the feed" with everyone or only with close friends. Otherwise, it is a classic type of post on their profile.

Since 2018, Instagram has made it possible to share content such as "Notes" and "Reels" with close friends, but until now you could not also share "feed" posts in this way.

Instagram has been experimenting with several different ways to share content privately, including ways to share posts with select users. You can also set a privacy level in your profile to limit the availability of posts for public viewing. But the new option would allow limiting who can see your posts right inside the creation process. Thus, the setting could be activated for each post separately.

The update is a kind of logical sequence of the moves of large social networks, which, from the initial focus on public posts, are increasingly inclined to private use of networks and use in smaller, closed circles of groups. The first man of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has repeatedly said that Instagram users now share much more content through private messages than through "feed" posts or stories. So of course, his team is working hard to develop new features that tie into this trend, including collaborative posts, chat collections, notes, and more.

Sharing posts with only your closest friends is another step in this direction that could help users feel more comfortable sharing content more often, knowing that only a few trusted people will see their post.

It is a minor change and, functionally speaking, a minor shift. But regardless, it introduces an additional option for closed group discussions, which could help Instagram keep up with the latest behavioral trends.