March Digital News

Instagram is introducing a range of new features to improve the user experience and adapt to the latest format changes. It is now possible to edit the preview of photos that have already been published: by accessing the three-dot menu and selecting “Edit Preview”, white or black borders can be added to better adapt content to the new proportions.

On the other hand, the launch of the Edits function, initially scheduled for 13 March, is postponed until 31 March to allow for further technical optimisations.

Updates also for Reels, which gain a more intuitive interface: it is now possible to follow a creator directly from the content, use the Play/Pause and Mute/Unmute buttons, and refine video editing. In addition, thanks to artificial intelligence, recommendations will be increasingly tailored.

Lastly, comes the new ‘Add a caption’ option for stories, which allows you to add a caption during editing, making content more accessible and clear for everyone.

TikTok has introduced new measures to protect children between 13 and 15 years old, giving parents more control over their children’s activities. The main new features include:

• Wind Down: an automatic system that interrupts ‘For You’ content at 10pm, replacing it with relaxing music to promote calm and rest.
• Time-based blocking: parents will be able to restrict use of the platform at certain times of the day.
• Control of the social network: it will be possible to monitor who follows their child, who has blocked them and what content is deemed inappropriate or of no interest.

Meta AI officially lands all over Europe, including Italy. The intelligent digital assistant will be integrated into Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp chats, offering direct support within conversations. It will be recognisable by a blue circular icon and activated by a simple tap on a dedicated button. The rollout will be gradual and take place over the next few weeks.

This month, WhatsApp has focused on improving the video call experience, introducing two new features designed to make conversations more dynamic and engaging: emoji reactions and a “raise your hand” mode, useful for better managing interventions in groups.
Another important update concerns privacy: it is now possible to answer a video call without automatically activating the front camera, giving users more control.

Finally, it was announced that WhatsApp will no longer be supported on certain devices considered obsolete. In particular, the app will stop working on iPhones with iOS versions prior to 15.1, such as iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Apple is working on a complete redesign of its operating system interface, which will debut with iOS 19 and iPadOS 19. Although details have not yet been revealed, there is some talk of a sharp departure from the ‘flat’ style that has characterised the brand’s design for more than 10 years. The new approach should favour a more minimalist aesthetic, with more options for customisation and integration between devices in the Apple ecosystem.

Spotify is preparing to make the music-sharing experience even more engaging with a new integration with WhatsApp. Soon, users will be able to share songs directly in the messaging app’s status updates. Each song will be accompanied by an automatic preview with title, artist, album cover and a button allowing instant listening on Spotify, all with one tap. One more step to take music everywhere.

Google opens Gemini’s Deep Research function, previously reserved for subscribers, to everyone, making it free and accessible. This mode allows more in-depth and precise analyses, ideal for complex searches. Activated with a single click, it exploits reliable sources and is more time-consuming, but offers higher quality results. Gemini is also enhanced with new customisation options based on user activity, with more integrations coming soon and greater control over privacy.

Threads gets an update and introduces topics in your profile, a new feature that allows you to show your interests directly in your bio. These tags help you connect with like-minded people and discover relevant content, moreover, clicking on a topic immediately takes you to related conversations, increasing visibility and interaction on the platform.

New options have been introduced to control who can reply to or quote your posts. Users can now restrict replies to followers only, offering more privacy and control.