You are about to see a flood of product recommendations on Instagram and Facebook
Your Instagram and Facebook feeds are about to get more shoppable, as Meta rolls out new affiliate tools that let creators tag products directly inside posts and Reels, pushing more buying opportunities into your scroll.
Reddit wants to check if you’re using the iPhone’s Face ID camera
Reddit is exploring Face ID-style verification methods to combat bots, raising questions about privacy and user identity on the platform.
Yet another global study says Instagram and Tiktok are bad for your mental health
A new global study from the World Happiness Report 2026 links heavy use of platforms like Instagram and TikTo to lower wellbeing.
Instagram is getting rid of its most secure chatting feature
Instagram is ditching end-to-end encryption in DMs by May 2026. Here's what that means for your privacy, why Meta is doing it, and who saw it coming.
Two new hosts join Digital Trends
Meet the newest hosts joining the Digital Trends YouTube channel. Sam and Faiz introduce themselves, share the tech they’re most passionate about, and talk about the perspective they’ll bring to future videos. Expect more reviews, deep dives, and hands-on coverage as the channel continues to grow. Subscribe to follow along.
Facebook Marketplace’s new AI ends the “is this available” nightmare
Facebook Marketplace now offers AI auto-replies that answer buyer questions instantly using your listing details, plus tools that generate listings from photos and suggest prices.
Tinder is adding a bunch of safety features to spare you the horror date
Tinder is rolling out a wave of safety upgrades powered by AI, including smarter message detection and auto-blur for inappropriate content.
Bumble wants you to trust its Bee AI assistant to date humans
Bumble has introduced an AI assistant called Bee that learns your values, goals, and communication style through private chats to find you more relevant matches.
Tinder is betting on IRL events to fix swipe fatigue
Tinder is introducing IRL events and virtual speed dating features as part of a broader effort to bring people back to the platform and combat dating-app burnout.
WhatsApp’s new pre-teen accounts put parents in charge, not the algorithm
WhatsApp's new parent-managed accounts let guardians control who contacts their pre-teen, which groups they join, and all privacy settings, while keeping individual chats end-to-end encrypted.
You can now stream full songs on TikTok, if you pay for Apple Music
TikTok now lets you stream full songs directly inside the app using Apple Music. If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can tap Play Full Song on TikTok and listen without leaving the platform.
WhatsApp will now sniff and warn if a scammy link could steal your account
WhatsApp’s new warning system can stop scammers from hijacking your account by tricking you into scanning a QR code or entering your phone number.
Facebook Messenger will use AI to read your chats and save you from scams
Meta is rolling out AI-powered scam detection on Messenger and new warnings for suspicious friend requests on Facebook.
X finally lets you block Grok AI from modifying your photos, but the fix falls short
X’s new Grok edit blocker promises more control over your photos, but the feature only prevents AI edits triggered by tagging @Grok in replies.
Anthropic research says AI can mass expose of anonymous internet accounts
New research suggests AI models can analyze online posts and link anonymous accounts to real identities.
Investigation finds YouTube is serving mindless AI slop to toddlers and preschoolers
A new investigation reveals YouTube's algorithm floods kids' feeds with bizarre AI videos after trusted channels, while creators profit from the synthetic content with millions of views.
Instagram comes to Google TV, if you prefer mindless doomscrolling on a giant screen
After launching on Fire TV, Instagram’s TV app is now available on Google TV in the U.S., as Meta bets that short-form video and passive scrolling belong on the biggest screen in the house.
Threads now lets you personalize your feed with simple text prompts
Threads is rolling out a new feature called Dear Algo that lets you temporarily adjust what appears in your feed using a simple text prompt.
Your next binge on Instagram could be creator-made mini dramas
Instagram seems to be working on its own spin of the popular short vertical drama format.
Meta thinks you’ll want a whole app just for AI videos
Meta is testing a standalone Vibes app focused solely on AI-generated short videos, moving the feature out of Meta AI.
Meta premium subscriptions are coming, here’s what you’ll actually pay for
Meta is testing premium subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Pricing and launch markets aren’t public yet, but early Instagram perks point to power-user tools and AI features that may be locked behind a paid tier.
WhatsApp has begun testing a long-overdue group chat feature
WhatsApp is testing a new "group chat history sharing" feature that allows admins to share up to 100 recent messages with new members, helping them understand context instantly when joining.
You can now choose the kind of content you see on Instagram Reels
Instagram has rolled out Your Algorithm, a new feature that lets users control the kind of content they see on Reels by adding or removing topics, giving people more say over what shows up in their feed.
New UK under-5 screen time guidance targets passive time, what it changes for you
The UK will publish its first under-5 screen time guidance in April. It targets passive viewing after research linked very high daily use in two-year-olds with weaker vocabulary and other concerns.
Instagram says it fixed the issue behind shady password reset emails
Numerous Instagram users received suspicious password reset emails amid reports of a massive data scrape. The social media company says it has resolved the issue but denies a data breach.
Instagram data of 17.5 million users resurfaces online after 2024 incident
Previously scraped Instagram user data has resurfaced, enabling realistic phishing and account takeover attempts, underscoring the long-term risks of exposed personal information.
You might soon be able to play mini games inside Threads DMs
Meta is reportedly testing a new feature that will let Threads users play mini games in DMs.
New York to start treating social media like cigarettes with warning labels
A new New York law mandates mental health warning labels on addictive social media features, allowing state enforcement and reflecting growing global concern over youth online safety.
Threads is about to become a hub of podcast chatter
Threads is rolling out podcast previews and creator-focused features to become a central hub for podcast discussion.
Instagram now limits you to five hashtags per post
Instagram is cracking down on hashtag spamming, limiting posts to just five hashtags each.
Facebook’s wants to turn basic link sharing into a paid feature
Meta is experimenting with charging users to share more than a couple of links on Facebook. While still a limited test, the change signals how basic platform features are increasingly being tied to paid subscriptions.
Your Snapchat Memories can be beat-synced in seconds, if you’re on iPhone
Snapchat is rolling out Snapchat Quick Cut iOS, a Lens-powered tool that turns Memories or Camera Roll clips into beat-synced videos fast. Android support is promised "soon," but Snap hasn’t shared dates.
You can now watch Reels on the big screen with Instagram for TV
Instagram has finally released a dedicated TV app that lets users binge on Reels on compatible Amazon Fire TV devices.
Meta’s Threads doubles down on Communities, along with “Champion” badge and profile labels
Threads has expanded its Communities feature to more than 200 topic groups and begun testing visible badges for super-engaged members.
Instagram supercharges creation and feed control with new Edits app features and “Your Algorithm”
Instagram is rolling out major updates that bring deep customization to Reels recommendations and make creation faster with new Edits app features.
Meta promises it’ll soon be easier to recover your hacked Instagram account
Meta is rolling out a unified support hub to make recovering hacked Instagram and Facebook accounts faster and easier, with AI tools and improved security.
You might be using Facebook more than you think, new research reveals
A new Pew Research Center study shows Facebook remains the only social platform used by a majority of U.S. adults, far surpassing TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and X despite ongoing narratives about its decline.
Lawsuit claims Meta stopped research showing users felt better after leaving Facebook
A lawsuit alleges Meta stopped an internal study showing users felt less depressed and anxious after leaving Facebook.