The Instagram updates in 2025 that are rewriting the rules of the game

From AI in advertising campaigns to professional video editing, Instagram is becoming a smarter, more creative and competitive platform.

Instagram has become much more than a social network. In 2025, its new features elevate the experience of creators and brands with advanced editing tools, AI in advertising and more personalized options to connect with the audience. Here we summarize all the key news up to August, organized by topic, so you don't miss a thing.

‍

FOR CREATORS: EDITING AND CONTENT

‍

Edits: More Control and Creativity

Instagram launched advanced features in its editing app:

➡️ Keyframes: They allow you to control the movement, scale and rotation of clips at specific times.

➡️ Renewed Ideas tab: saved audios, sticky notes and better organization of the creative process.

➡️ Automatic voice enhancement (in Threads): Cleaning the audio without leaving the app.

Edits is emerging as CapCut's direct competition within the Meta ecosystem.

‍

‍

AI in DMs: automatic service for brands

Instagram is testing an artificial intelligence assistant in direct messages from business accounts.

This bot offers automated responses, contextual suggestions and support to facilitate management with customers or followers.

‍

Visual customization in Instagram Notes

Notes within DMs can now be customized with colors and emojis, by pressing and holding them down. Although simple, this detail reinforces personalization, especially for young users.

3-minute reels

Increase the maximum duration from 90 seconds to 3 minutes.

‍

‍

Profile grid images in 4:5 format

Now you can post vertical photos without being cropped on your profile grid, respecting the 4:5 ratio.

Edit your Instagram grid

You can rearrange the visual order of your feed without deleting or archiving posts.

New comment filters

For accounts with +100K followers:

➡️ Top comments

➡️ Most recent first

➡️ By number of followers

‍

FOR ADVERTISING: CAMPAIGNS AND VISIBILITY

Advantage+ Sales Campaigns (ASC+)

Instagram has implemented automated AI-powered campaigns that adjust in real time:

➡️ Segmentation
➡️ Ad placement
➡️ Bids
➡️ Budget

‍

Indexed publications on Google

Public posts from professional accounts can now appear on Google, allowing you to attract traffic from outside Instagram.

This increases the SEO value of your content and opens a new door for discovery.

Follower map

You can see in real time where the followers who also follow you are (if both activate the feature).

‍

FOR THE ALGORITHM AND THE SCOPE

‍

The 3 most important signs now are:

➡️ Retention (how long your content is viewed)
➡️ Likes
➡️ Shared

The key is to generate content that keeps the user watching to the end and that motivates action.

Topic Tags in Reels and posts

Now you can assign suggested topics to your content, helping the algorithm to better understand what it's about and show it to more like-minded audiences.

A kind of internal SEO to improve organic reach.

Likes per image in carousels

Instagram is testing a feature that allows you to see how many likes each image receives inside a carousel.

‍

‍

Trial Reels: publish only for non-followers

This tool is now available for public accounts with +1000 followers. It allows you to test a Reel only with a new audience.

And yes: Instagram confirmed that they improve organic reach

Reels reveal the likes of your contacts

Now you can see the Reels that your friends have “liked”, boosting social discovery.

‍

DIRECT MESSAGES AND CONNECTION WITH THE AUDIENCE

‍

New functions in DMs

➡️ Automatic message translation
➡️ Transcription of voice messages
➡️ Audio clips of up to 5 minutes
➡️ Message scheduling (for pro accounts)

WhatsApp sticker in stories

You can now redirect users to a WhatsApp chat directly from your stories.

Testimonials in collaborative ads

Creators can now add a fixed comment of up to 125 characters in collaboration announcements.

‍

Conclusion:

Instagram is in its most versatile era yet. With tools for professional editing, automation with artificial intelligence, improvements in advertising and new ways to connect with the audience, the platform is made to make creators and brands more strategic than ever.

Adapting to these changes isn't optional. It's a competitive advantage.

If you move with agility, you can gain more visibility, engagement and real results.

‍