Instagram tests Social Library for easy access to shared posts

Instagram is testing a new 'Social Library' feature that compiles all posts and Reels users have interacted with, including those they’ve re-shared, liked, or bookmarked, for easier access and retrieval. As you can see in this example, posted by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, 

Post by @alex193a

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The feature aims to address the common issue of users struggling to find previously shared or liked content, by organising it into lists under specific tabs within the app.

Sharing posts via direct messages has become an increasingly dominant form of interaction on the platform, with fewer users posting personal updates to their main feeds.

The platforms' chief Adam Mosseri noted in 2022 that users are now sharing more via Stories and DMs than posting on their main feeds, as social media shifts towards discovery and content sharing over personal expression.

Friends post a lot more to stories and send a lot more DMs than they post to Feed. If you want to make sure you never miss a feed post from a friend, add them to your favorites and they’ll show up at the top.

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) July 26, 2022

The rise of AI-recommended content and meme sharing has contributed to changes in user behaviour, with social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook seeing increased usage due to the sharing of trending posts.

The new feature has not yet been rolled out for public testing, and the platform has not provided further details on its availability.