January Digital News

The news, already in circulation since December, is now official: Instagram has changed the feed format from the classic 1:1 to the new 4:5 (i.e. 1080x1350px with a safe zone of 1080x1015px). This update, which is still in the roll-out phase, has sparked much discussion; months or even years of strategy by so many users and brands have been wiped out in an instant.

The main reason for this change lies in the fact that most photos and videos uploaded to the platform are now in portrait format. The new feed allows for better enhancement of content previews, making them better suited to the visual habits of modern users.

Other new features? The length of reels has been extended to 3 minutes, giving users more creative freedom. In addition, beauty filters have been eliminated and the new “Edits” editing software has been announced, which promises to simplify and enhance content customization. Finally, it is rumored that in the coming months it will be possible to rearrange posts in the feed according to preferred order, a change that many users are already eagerly anticipating.

A turbulent month for the platform: on January 19, it was announced that America’s most beloved social network would close its doors in the United States. Instead, much ado about nothing! TikTok’s ban in the US lasted little more than half a day. After the temporary blackout, an official TikTok note explained that, thanks to Trump’s intervention, the matter was quickly resolved.

WhatsApp ushers in the new year with features and design improvements. Among the most anticipated new features are camera effects, which allow you to enrich photos and videos with 30 backgrounds, filters and effects already popular in video calls. Also arriving are selfie stickers, which allow users to create custom stickers from a photo taken directly from the camera. In addition, you can now share sticker packs with friends and use quick reactions to messages with a simple double tap.

Meta is reinventing itself, announcing a farewell to political fact-checking on its platforms. In its place will be introduced a model inspired by X’s Community Notes, which allows users to report inaccurate or unclear content. A decision that has sparked debates and concerns: will it be a successful move to protect the integrity of information or will it risk amplifying misinformation and the proliferation of fake news?

Two important new features arrive on Threads. The first concerns the scheduling of posts, so it is now possible to choose in advance the day and time of publication via a calendar.
The new markup tool allows you to edit the posts (by adding arrows, freehand drawings, or highlighting parts of text) of other users before re-sharing them. This feature was created to make Threads more dynamic and creative, stimulating active user participation. However, given the potential “goliardic” interpretations of the community, it will be possible to disable the markup option for one’s own posts, preventing them from being edited and re-shared.

Pinterest has revealed the trends that will define 2025 in its “Pinterest Predicts” report. Highlights include the return of Rococo style, the color cherry red as the star color, and a growing passion for medieval aesthetics. These trends reflect a mix of elegance, opulence and creativity that will influence fashion, design and lifestyle.

The platform has introduced a vertical feed dedicated to videos, accessible through a new tab in the app, currently available to U.S. users. This update makes it easier and more immediate to discover video content, offering an immersive experience: simply tap on a video and scroll up to explore new content. A step forward for X in boosting engagement and competing with popular video formats.