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I send an Instagram Reel to my best friend or adult daughter — who is also my best friend — almost every day. It’s how I kill time waiting for my plane to take off or procrastinate when an important deadline looms (like with this story right now). More than anything, though, it’s how I say “I love you” without using actual words. Sometimes it’s a heart-squeezing clip of a dad learning to do his daughter’s hair before school, sometimes it’s an absurdly immature joke that makes us both laugh so hard we risk actual public spit-takes. Reels are basically my digital love language.
When Meta offered me early access to Instagram’s new feature, Blend, I said yes — as a reporter, of course. Not because I needed help sharing Reels, but to see whether this feature actually adds value, or just gives the algorithm another excuse to sneak into our friendships and make Meta even more money based on our attention.
Blend creates a private, curated feed of Reels based on what you and your friends are into. It’s part shared discovery, part algorithmic intimacy experiment, and Meta’s latest move to keep us all swiping longer and talking more inside the app.
I tested it with my best friend, my adult daughter and a coworker I lovingly refer to as my “digital enabler.” What followed was part social experiment, part accidental soul-baring, and slightly more fun than doomscrolling solo. Though, fair warning: a colleague told me using it with their manager made for a very awkward 48 hours. Choose your Blend crew wisely.
Here’s how it works: open a 1:1 or group DM, tap the new Blend icon (it looks like two sparkly Reels having a sleepover), send an invite, and boom — you’re in. You’ll get a feed based on your previous activity that mashes up what Instagram thinks both of you will like. Every time someone reacts or replies to a Reel, Instagram notifies the group to keep the dopamine flowing and the conversation going.
The vibe is like a TikTok group chat meets a digital friendship mirror
My Blend feed is a fascinating peek into other people’s algorithm-curated psyches. My daughter’s side offers an empowering number of human rights activists and baby capybaras on skateboards. My coworker’s feed comes in hot with interior decorating ideas, parenting tips and AI-powered salad choppers. Mine? Tech product reviews, weird gadgets, and — let’s be honest — more than a few too many clips of dogs “talking” to their owners with automated buttons.
You can’t hide in a Blend. Not really. Instagram literally shows you who each Reel was recommended for. So if you’re into oddly satisfying soap-cutting videos at midnight, your friends are about to find out. There’s a certain intimacy — and maybe a smidge of horror — in realizing your “For You” page is now a shared experience. “We want Instagram to be a place where people connect over creativity,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a Reel. “And this is one more way to do that… It’s a really fun way to not only share your interests, but to learn a little bit about your friends’ interests.”
He’s not wrong. But also, welcome to the era of the algorithmic friendship test.
Who is this for?
Meta says Blend is for “people who want to connect over entertaining content.” Translation: people who are tired of sending Reels into the void and want to know what their friends actually think without texting “lol” for the tenth time.In testing, Meta says people reported it helped them discover more about each other’s interests. Which sounds sweet — until you realize it also nudges everyone to spend more time watching Reels, right inside the app, without leaving the cozy cocoon of a DM.
I also combed through a ton of feedback on Mosseri’s post, Reddit threads, and elsewhere — and the feedback is less than stellar. The comments getting the most attention include sentiments about how there are too many options and features, and that the company should focus more on ways to make the app easier to use and easier for creators to make money. (Reality check: When has Meta ever operated in our best interest?)
With more than two billion monthly users on Instagram worldwide, Meta’s not-so-secret motivation here is to get us hooked on Reels solo and socially. More engagement equals more ad views, which equals more money. It’s like if Netflix introduced a feature that let you and your friends simultaneously binge different rom-coms and then gossip about them in real time.
The creep factor is mild but manageable
Let’s talk about the voyeur in the room: Does this feel a little invasive? Maybe.
Blend shows you which Reels video it serves to which friend and invites commentary. It’s like peeking at someone’s diary, except that diary is full of dog videos, conspiracy-theory cooking tips, and a disturbing number of people whispering into microphones. But the voyeurism is mutual. And opt-in. You’re not forced into Blend — you have to agree to join. Still, if you’re the kind of person who meticulously curates their online persona, you might feel a little exposed.
Is Blend worth it?
If you love Reels and love knowing what makes your friends laugh, cry, or send a surprised-face emoji, you might like Blend. It’s like a group chat meets a group brain. You’ll discover new content, start new conversations, and probably learn that your friend Jessica is secretly into raccoon ASMR.
For Meta, it’s a potential goldmine: more time in-app, more personalized engagement, and more eyeballs for advertisers. For us real people though, it’s more of a mixed bag. Sure, it might be a fresh way to feel closer to people you care about without needing to schedule a call or (gasp) leave the app. But it’s a way to go even deeper into the dark side(s) of Instagram and social media at large. Cue “Adolescence“, the manosphere, conspiracy theories, and an echo-chamber of personal propaganda that’s not doing you — or society — any good.
Is it revolutionary? No. But is it fun, addictive, and just the right amount of cringe? That remains to be seen.
The bottom line
Blend lets you and your friends share a custom Reels feed inside DMs. It’s social, revealing, and probably designed to make you spend more time scrolling together. Just be ready for your algorithmic skeletons to come dancing out of the closet and straight into your group chat.
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for “The Today Show.” The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her via her weekly newsletter Techish.com or @JennJolly on Instagram.