By Kavita Mistry 
Instagram rolled out yet another feature nobody has asked for. The content and creative head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has announced a new Blend feature on Instagram that lets users share personalised feeds with friends directly in the DMS. The feature is already live on the Instagram app for Android and iOS.
If you often share Reels with your close friends and have a similar taste in content, then the new Blend feature creates a shared Reels feed you can enjoy. You can directly react to the Reels, which will automatically be shared with your reactions or comments in the chat.
In this guide, let’s look at the Instagram Blend feature in detail, what you should know about it, what it’s for, and how to use it on your Instagram.
What is Instagram Blend?
Instagram Blend allows you and your friends, either in individual or group chats, to create a shared Reels feed inside your direct messages.
While the new blend mode has pros, like discovering Reels based on combined interests and sharing reactions directly in the chats, one of the biggest downsides is that it may reveal your content preferences that your friends don’t want to see, especially in groups.
There is no way to control what is shared with your friends. So all your interests will be shared with your friends, especially your group friends. Also, if you have multiple users in the blend mode, it can quickly become irrelevant since your friends’ tastes in content might vary depending on yours.
And also, Instagram Blend is private, only visible inside your DM group, and each Blend feature is unique to the people in that specific chat.
How to Use the Instagram Blend Feature
The Instagram Blend feature is currently only available for Android and iOS, and there is no information about the desktop. The feature is currently already live on the Instagram app.
You can update Instagram from the Google Play Store or the App Store to get this feature. Also, the Instagram Blend feature is not available for all chats. For instance, I cannot create a Blend for the existing messages and individual group chats, and there is no feature for the business pages.
- Open the Instagram app on your Android and iPhone and go to the chat. It can be one-on-one or individual group chats.
- Now you will see a new Blend button on the top header, click on it, and click on Join.
- Instagram will ask you to invite people to the chat to join the Blend.
- The other person must accept the invite to view and enter the Blend mode. If you are in the group, at least one person should accept the invite to get the shared Reels feed.
- Now you can watch together, personalised based on your interests. The feed refreshes, and the same content is being shared with your friends.
- You can directly react to the Reel and comment using the bottom engagement, comment, and emoji reaction. Once you have reacted, the Reel will be automatically shared in the group with the reaction.
- You can also exit Blend mode.
- To exit, click on the settings icon in Blend mode and then click on Leave Blend Mode.
How to Join and View Instagram Blend Reels
- Click on the Go to Blend mode once the link is shared.
- Click on Join, and you will be in Blend mode.
- You can react to the Reels, add comments, like, and then share the Reels with others.
If you want to leave the Blend mode, click on the settings icon in the top right corner of the screen and click on Leave Blend mode.
To compete with TikTok and address more engagement in the Reels in the DMS, where more users are sharing Reels privately through the DMS rather than posting publicly. Instagram wants to grab this opportunity to improve the app’s engagement.
With more information on the shared interests, Instagram can now suggest to you more personalised feeds that drive more engagement to the app and also reduce the friction of sharing the Reels with your friends because it automatically shares into the group, instead of you manually sharing it into the groups or to individuals. I hope you find this guide helpful. Ensure you know the privacy concerns before using the Blend mode.
FAQs on Using the Blend Mode on Instagram
1. Can I turn off Blend or control what’s shown?
No, currently you cannot control what Reels are shown in the feed. Instagram automatically picks the Reels based on the users in the Blend history. Till now, there is no option to filter or block specific types of content.
2. Can I control who sees my reactions in Blend?
No, currently, all members in the Blend can see your reactions, and also if you react to the Reel, the Reel can be viewed by everyone in the group, even if they are not part of the Blend.
3. Can I create multiple Blends with the same person or group?
Currently, each chat can only have one active Blend at a time. Clicking on the Blend icon takes you directly to Blend mode.
4. Can I remove someone from a Blend after they have joined?
No, as of now, you cannot remove someone from the Blend directly. You can remove them from the chat or the group to remove the Blend. Users can also exit the Blend mode from their side.
5. Why don’t I see the Blend option in all chats?
When I tested, the Blend option was unavailable for older chats and business pages.
6. What happens if I leave a Blend? Will others be notified?
Currently, Instagram doesn’t notify you of your leave from the Blend, but users can always see the active members of the Blend feature.