Sourav Choudhary Instagram’s “Blend” feature lets users create a joint feed of AI-curated Reels with friends. Will it drive engagement, or flop in the cluttered messaging space?
Instagram is expanding its repertoire with “Blend,” a new feature that reimagines how users share Reels. After more than a year of testing, Blend is now available to select users in their DMs, allowing them to collaborate on a shared feed of AI-suggested content. Instead of sending individual Reels to friends, users can now see a collective stream based on each person’s viewing habits, dynamically updated as more content is shared.
Blend takes the growing trend of DM-based interactions and fuses it with Instagram’s popular Reels feature, creating a more collaborative experience. As users continue to engage with the app, the feed adjusts, reflecting the combined interests of both parties. This shift is intended to reduce the constant need to individually forward content, but it also presents challenges. Many Instagram users enjoy curating content tailored to each friend’s specific tastes—whether it’s dog videos or fitness tips—something Blend may struggle to replicate.
Despite the potential pitfalls, Instagram is pushing forward with Blend as a key element of its strategy to boost messaging engagement in 2025. Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s chief, has publicly expressed excitement about the feature, though his enthusiasm is tempered by past overpromises.
The question remains: will Blend resonate with users in the long run? If Instagram can fine-tune the feature, it may carve out a niche for more collaborative sharing. However, without a broader alignment of interests, Blend could end up another fleeting trend in the messaging ecosystem.
