• Instagram Tests Content Display Based on Mutual Follows
• The trial includes replacing the "Following" counter with "Friends" and labeling some posts

A technology-focused newspaper reported that Instagram is testing new adjustments aimed at highlighting user interactions with their friends, as part of a limited global experiment, according to Meta, the app’s owner.

The experiment introduces a new definition of “friends,” based on mutual following between users, instead of simply counting the accounts a user follows.

Under this change, the “Following” section on some profiles will be replaced by a “Friends” counter, reflecting only accounts with reciprocal follows.

Meta said the goal of the test is to measure user engagement with more content from their friends’ accounts within the app, emphasizing that friendships are a core element of the Instagram experience and aiming to make these connections more visible and impactful.

The experimental adjustments also include labeling some feed content as “Friends” instead of terms like “Posts” or “Following.”

This move comes amid rising criticism over Instagram’s content, with influencers, brands, and AI-generated content reducing the platform’s role as a space for friends to connect.

In recent years, Instagram has increasingly emphasized features for closer circles, such as “Close Friends,” alongside expanded direct messaging usage.

The newspaper noted that the platform recently introduced new tools to boost friend interactions, including the “Blend” feature, which allows sharing a mutual feed of Reels, along with other features like a social map similar to Snapchat’s and a “Friends” feed in the Reels tab.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri previously stated that the platform’s goal is to be a space where users can genuinely engage and build relationships with the people who matter to them.