Once a month we like to compile a list of our favorite social media stories from the past few weeks and share them again with you so you never miss a thing — even when you’re not logged in. What happened in February? Let’s review.
Facebook rolled out a few big features this month — and maybe the biggest of them was Reactions. The signature like button has now been expanded to offer a wider variety of emoji responses to posts, including love, haha, wow, sad, and angry.
The other big thing that happened this month? The feature we’ve all been waiting for finally arrived on Instagram. Users have been begging for the capability to bounce between accounts seamlessly since Twitter introduced the feature. We have too, considering we all like to post on behalf of Hurrdat and our dogs from time to time. Users can now quickly switch accounts as often as they like without logging in and out.
Now that switching accounts is easier, Instagram also made accounts tougher to hack. This month it added two-factor authentication, which incorporates phone number verification. If Instagram suspects an account is being hacked, it will require the user to type in a passcode sent to them via text.
Oh, Instagram also started counting more than hearts this month — it’s now counting video views too. Now when users share a video, in place of the heart counter, they’ll find a triangle denoting the video’s number of views. Clicking on the number will redirect the user to the total number of views and the usual list of those who double-tapped.
Facebook rolled out another interactive platform for brands, specifically big news brands. Instant Articles allows users to dive deep into current events and big stories, rather than simply click and read. Videos, ads, and high-resolution photos can all be included in one story to provide a full experience — not just info and a few photos.
Facebook also introduced something similar with ads. Canvas provides brands and advertisers with the opportunity to serve up more than a simple ad, but take Facebook users into a fully-immersed, interactive brand experience.
Twitter users melted down midmonth about a possible timeline change. Twitter is known for its reverse chronological timeline, but began testing an algorithmic one — based on its “While You Were Away” feature — earlier this month. For now, the alternative timeline is an optional feature users can turn on or off, and many are hoping it stays that way.
Twitter also tested and began rolling out its GIF search button this month — making quickly finding the right GIF right in the app super simple. We’re good with anything that gives us more GIFs.
If news feed ads weren’t quite enough, Facebook has plans to place more ads in Messenger. Talk about direct targeting.
Facebook’s newest feature makes it look a lot like FaceTime. Likely in an effort to compete with Periscope, live-video streaming is now rolling out around the world.
Snapchat’s newest feature is making it possible to create your own filter for your wedding — or any other event. Users can now create a custom geofilter, choose a location, and submit filter requests to Team Snapchat — who promises to quickly review and approve it.
Snapchat also debuted a slew of new lenses last week, including the whole Internet’s favorite FaceSwap. It’s our favorite too.
#HotRef was the hottest topic at this year’s Super Bowl 50 — and he just happens to hail from our home state. Meet Clete Blakeman, former Husker QB.
Peach is now on Android — and we’re on Peach. Boop us!
This month @_christiandrew celebrated a full year on our team and shared what he’s learned so far on our blog. Get a look at what it’s like to spend a whole year in our office.
The post OK, Let’s Review: February Recap appeared first on Hurrdat.