It's been a busy fortnight in the social media world! Here's a rundown of the biggest updates you might have missed:

X (formerly Twitter) Updates

• Algorithm Shift: X is tweaking its algorithm to prioritise "entertaining/informative" content, potentially moving away from its heavily political past. This could mean big changes for how content is ranked and displayed on the platform.

• New Revenue Sharing for Creators: Creators will now be paid based on overall value brought to the platform, not just ad impressions. This comes with a price hike for X Premium+, so users will need to weigh the costs and benefits.

• Dedicated Video Tab: A dedicated video tab is now live for UK users, making it easier to find and watch video content on X.

Threads Updates

• Custom Display Names: Users can now personalise their display names, perfect for promoting events or special occasions. This adds a new level of customisation to Threads profiles.

• Profile Cover Images: Threads is experimenting with profile cover images, similar to Facebook and X. This could be a great way for users to express themselves and make their profiles stand out.

• Hide Threads Badge on Instagram: You can now choose to turn off the Threads badge on your Instagram profile, giving users more control over how they link their accounts.

Bluesky Social Updates

• Trending Topics: Bluesky has finally launched a trending topics feature, similar to X and Threads. This will help users discover popular conversations and stay up-to-date on what's happening.

• Growing User Base: The decentralised platform recently surpassed 25 million users, showing strong growth and increasing competition in the social media space.

TikTok Updates

• AI-Powered Features: TikTok is leaning heavily into AI with new features like AI Group Shot, AI Self (for personalised avatars), caption suggestions, and a meme generator. These new tools could make content creation easier and more accessible.

Instagram Updates

• Longer Reels: Instagram has officially expanded the maximum length for Reels to 3 minutes, allowing for more creative possibilities and longer-form video content.

• Vertical Grid: The profile grid now displays thumbnails with vertical alignment, giving profiles a cleaner and more modern look.

• WhatsApp Integration: Users can now add their WhatsApp profiles to their Accounts Center, further connecting Meta's platforms.

• Threads Analytics: Threads mobile users now have access to post analytics, providing valuable insights into audience engagement.

Other Notable Social Media Updates

• Snapchat launched new incentives for AR developers, encouraging innovation and growth in the AR space.

• Pinterest is highlighting its improving ad options, making it a more attractive platform for businesses.

• LinkedIn shared data on in-demand skills for marketers and outlined an improved approach to ad attribution, providing valuable resources for professionals.

• Meta gained approval to train its AI with UK user posts and is exploring celebrity-voiced AI chatbots, raising questions about the future of AI and its impact on social media.

This is just a snapshot of the constantly evolving social media landscape. Stay tuned for more updates in our next fortnightly roundup!