TikTok went dark… and then came back!

January was a rollercoaster for TikTok users. Between influencers spilling their biggest secrets and emotional farewells to their favorite app, the potential ban stirred up plenty of chaos. While TikTok is back for now, the ban has been paused for 75 days. If you didn’t delete the app during its brief hiatus, consider yourself lucky – it’s no longer available for redownload in the app store.

For those of us who rely on this social media platform in our communication strategies, the uncertainty can feel daunting. Our advice? Stay the course with your current TikTok strategy.

Instagram is switching up users’ profiles quite a bit.

Instagram is rolling out big changes to profile grids with a more vertical look – and it’s sparked quite the conversation. Some users love it, while others… not so much.

According to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, the update aims to create a cleaner profile experience while giving creators even more control. Since most content uploaded today is vertical, the new layout is designed to better showcase photos and videos. Instagram is working on ways to let you customize thumbnails to maintain your grid’s aesthetic. If your content doesn’t look as polished in this new format, there’s a way to adjust it!

  • Go to your Instagram profile
  • Press and hold on the post you’d like to reformat
  • Click “adjust preview”
  • Click “fit”
  • Choose a white or black background

Coming soon
Highlights will move into the grid as a tab, allowing for more flexibility without cluttering your profile. Plus, Instagram is developing a tool to let you reorder your grid however you like. And for those who prefer a more curated approach, you’ll soon be able to post directly to your grid without it appearing in the feed.

These changes will roll out over the next few months, with adjustments along the way based on user feedback.

Instagram will show mutuals which reels you have liked.

Remember the old activity feed on Instagram? Well, it’s making a comeback – sort of. Instagram is introducing a new feature that lets your mutual followers see which reels you’ve liked. Whether you’re discovering fresh content or just curious about what your friends are enjoying, this update offers a new way to stay connected and engaged.

YouTube is testing a new tool to create YouTube Shorts from longer videos.

Short-form video has become a go-to way to watch our favorite podcasts, with clips dominating Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts. But with long-form content making a comeback, YouTube is now testing a new tool that lets creators easily create and share mini highlights from their longer videos. This feature helps creators repurpose their content and reach audiences who prefer bite-sized insights.

Meta takes a page out of X’s book with Community Notes.

Meta is shaking things up by introducing Community Notes, taking inspiration from X’s approach to content moderation. Starting in the U.S., Meta is phasing out its third-party fact-checking program and shifting to a community-driven model.

This change means a broader allowance for speech, with fewer restrictions on mainstream topics while focusing enforcement on illegal and high-severity violations. Additionally, Meta plans to offer a more personalized experience for political content, letting users control how much of it appears in their feeds.