Meta is reportedly planning to offer paid blue checkmarks for Facebook, Instagram

Photo: Gabrielle Henderson/Unsplash

Code within the Instagram app suggests Meta is planning to take cues from Elon Musk's Twitter by adding blue checkmarks in its app, which is verification on the social platform that Twitter now charges for. Reverse engineering professional Alessandro Paluzzi spotted a new mention in the codebase of both Facebook and Instagram suggesting it wants to add a "paid blue badge."

Meta has yet to confirm or deny the feature, but if true, it looks like the company is looking for a new way to monetize. It's a baffling source of revenue from a creator's perspective, given verification is crucial for ensuring prominent people or profiles are distinguished from copycats, scammers, and the like. What value would these blue checkmarks bring if people can just pay for them? Since this is hidden within the code, it may not even be released. But it gives us an idea of what Meta might be considering.

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Instagram expands the functionality of its "not interested" button

Source: Instagram

Aside from rolling out Quiet Mode, Instagram has also expanded on its "not interested" button. The feature lets you flag certain types of content you don't want to see. The platform will now let you hide more than one piece of content on the Explore page. You can now add a list of words, hashtags, or emojis to avoid in the captions of recommended content. It works similarly to how the app already lets you hide DMs with words you don't want to see.

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Instagram's Quiet Mode lets you pause notifications

Source: Instagram

Instagram has taken out of testing a feature that lets you temporarily silence push notifications on the app. Quiet Mode is one way to prevent people from getting in touch with you there when you want to take a break. It will send automatic replies to users who try to message you on the platform. It will also show an "in quiet mode" status on your profile to let others know you're not looking at interactions on the app. 

You can schedule specific times when the feature is automatically activated. It'll also give you a summary of notifications you might have missed when you return.

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Instagram ditches Shop tab

Source: Instagram

Instagram is shelving the Shop tab the company placed in the main navigation bar. In its place, the Create button will make a comeback. According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, they wanted to "simplify" the app and refocus its priorities to "bring people together over what they love." This means, the options you get in the navigation bar include Home, Search, Create, Reels, and Profile. The changes will take effect in February.

Shopping won't take a backseat in the app, though. You can still shop in the app. The Meta-owned company also stated on its help page that it would “continue to invest in shopping experiences that provide the most value for people and businesses across feed, stories, reels, ads and more.”

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