What to know

  • Instagram has launched 'Blend', a shared Reels feed for friends or groups within DMs.
  • The feature creates a personalized feed based on each member’s activity and shared content.
  • Blend is invite-only and updates daily with new Reels tailored to participants’ interests.
  • Instagram tested Blend for over a year before rolling it out widely in April 2025.

Instagram has introduced a new feature called 'Blend', designed to help you and your friends connect over shared interests by curating a personalized feed of Reels within your direct messages. With Blend, you can create a shared space with either one friend or a group, where Instagram’s algorithm recommends Reels based on what each participant has browsed and what has been shared in the chat. This feed is private and only visible to the members of the Blend.

To start a Blend, open a one-on-one or group DM chat and tap the Blend icon at the top of the window. You can then invite others from the chat to join. Once at least one person accepts the invitation, the Blend is created. The feed will refresh daily, ensuring that you and your friends always have new content to explore together.

Each Reel in the Blend is labeled to show which member it was recommended for, making it easy to see whose interests influenced the suggestion.

Adam Mosseri on Instagram: “We’re introducing Blend as a new way to connect with your friends in DMs. Blend is a shared feed of Reels that combines recommendations you and your friends may like. To start a blend with a friend or group of friends, go to a DM and click the Blend icon. Everyone in the DM group has to opt-in to participate. Excited about this one.”
25K likes, 1,344 comments - mosseri on April 17, 2025: “We’re introducing Blend as a new way to connect with your friends in DMs. Blend is a shared feed of Reels that combines recommendations you and your friends may like. To start a blend with a friend or group of friends, go to a DM and click the Blend icon. Everyone in the DM group has to opt-in to participate. Excited about this one.”.
Instagram

Blend is designed to encourage conversation and discovery. When someone reacts to a Reel in the Blend, Instagram notifies the group, prompting further interaction within the DM chat. You can respond to Reels with messages or emoji reactions directly in the Blend interface. The feature is invite-only, so only those you add can see and participate in your shared feed.

Instagram developed and tested Blend for over a year, first appearing in early 2024 and now available to more users as of April 2025.

The company says Blend aims to bring Instagram back to its roots of sharing moments and interests with friends, providing a unique experience not currently available on rival platforms like TikTok. Each chat can have its own unique Blend, and you can revisit it anytime by tapping the Blend icon in your DMs.

With Blend, Instagram hopes to make discovering and sharing short-form video content a more collaborative and personal experience, strengthening connections between users through shared recommendations and daily updates.

>> How to use Blend: On iOS | On Android