10 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.

Instagram

Chris Welch
Chris Welch
Sorry, Instagram (still) isn’t working on an iPad app.

During his weekly AMA today, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri again reiterated that his team is not presently developing an iPad version of the app.

“Not working on it right now,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing to do at some point. But we have only so many people working at Instagram, so we’ve got to pick the most important things to do to improve Instagram at any given moment. And right now, it’s not quite making the cut.”

That’s my best guess as to what he said over some loud airplane cabin noise, at least. (Might I recommend buying some wired EarPods for these situations, Adam?)

Seeing as how much work there is to do on Threads, I can’t imagine the iPad app will become a reality anytime soon.

A screenshot of Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri.
The facial expression really tells you how often Mosseri gets this question.
Artifact will let you generate images with AI for your postsArtifact will let you generate images with AI for your posts
Facebook’s new AI-generated stickers are lewd, rude, and occasionally nudeFacebook’s new AI-generated stickers are lewd, rude, and occasionally nude
Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Would you pay $14/mth for ad-free Facebook or Instagram?

Or nearly $17/mth to use both. That’s what Meta is reportedly pitching EU regulators who want Zuck and Co to stop using personal data to target ads at European citizens without their consent. The bloc’s users could have three options by the end of this month: pay up, use for free but agree to personalized ads, or quit, with the latter looking very tempting.

WSJ News Exclusive | Meta Floats Charging $14 a Month for Ad-Free Instagram or Facebook

[The Wall Street Journal]

Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
Jay Powell influencer arc?

Well, this video is weirdly hypnotic. I think I watched it four times in a row? Anyway, uh, the Fed’s on Instagram and Threads.

Jacob Kastrenakes
Jacob Kastrenakes
Instagram’s current leader asks a question of its co-founder.

Adam Mosseri asked about Artifact supporting publishers in a post on Threads — so my colleague Alex Heath asked him in an audience question.

“We’ve tried to come at this from a publisher friendly perspective,” Mike Krieger said. Artifact thrives if the publisher ecosystem “is healthy and thriving,” so that approach is a long-term play.

“It’s about recognizing what needs to exist several years from now for you to have a viable product,” Krieger said

Facebook and Instagram will soon get a slew of AI-powered creator toolsFacebook and Instagram will soon get a slew of AI-powered creator tools
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Meta says Threads account deletion is coming this year.

Soon after Meta’s Instagram-based Twitter competitor launched, some of the millions of people who activated Threads noticed a small issue. Once you create an account on Threads, the only way to delete it is to delete your Instagram account, too.

However, Meta chief privacy officer Michel Protti said during the TechCrunch Disrupt event that Meta will launch individual deletion for Threads accounts by December. Another situation it’s working on handling is fediverse support for situations like “what happens when a Threads post goes to another server and is then deleted by the author.”

Meta says separate account deletion for Threads will roll out by December

[TechCrunch]

Threads is struggling to retain users — but it could still catch up to XThreads is struggling to retain users — but it could still catch up to X
Meta’s AI chatbot plan includes a ‘sassy robot’ for younger usersMeta’s AI chatbot plan includes a ‘sassy robot’ for younger users
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Threads on the web now has a notification dot.

Sometime Wednesday morning, Threads on the web started showing a little red dot over the notifications tab. The notification dot had been a big omission to the web experience, so I’m glad Meta added it in.

A screenshot showing the Threads navigation bar on the web.
Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge
Meta is expanding its paid verification badge to business accountsMeta is expanding its paid verification badge to business accounts
X continues to throttle links to competitorsX continues to throttle links to competitors
Threads now lets you quote posts on the webThreads now lets you quote posts on the web
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Threads on the web might be getting quote posts soon.

Adam Mosseri says he tested the feature out on Wednesday for a quote post. Quote posts are one of the biggest omissions from the Threads web experience, so I’m really hoping it launches soon.

Now we just need Threads to not default to the “For You” feed every time I open it up.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Instagram might be getting generative AI... panoramas?

The feature was apparently spotted in Monday’s Instagram update on iOS. Instagram has been experimenting with a handful of generative AI-related features, including labels for AI-generated content, so it’s not too surprising that AI-created panoramas might be part of Instagram’s feature lineup.

We’ve asked Instagram if it can share more details about this.

Meta sets GPT-4 as the bar for its next AI model, says a new reportMeta sets GPT-4 as the bar for its next AI model, says a new report
This one setting could be making your Instagram posts look worse — maybeThis one setting could be making your Instagram posts look worse — maybe
Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
Be careful on Instagram if your name is Taylor and you aren’t Taylor Swift.

Apparently a bunch of Taylors are being badly moderated by Instagram:

“This afternoon, hundreds of people named Taylor (myself included) had their Instagram accounts disabled for a violation of community guidelines- simply because our profiles had our names listed,” one affected Taylor, Taylor Camp, told Bloomberg via email. Even some accounts that added the phrase “Taylor’s version” to their Instagram handle — a reference to her re-recorded tracks — had their accounts restricted.

Instagram confirmed it had disabled some accounts “in error.”

Instagram's Customer Service is Better for Taylor Swift

[Bloomberg]

Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
The return of the chat room.

Sorry, the “group chat.”

In an era where a lot of frequent social-media users are sick of being “perceived” and having hundreds, or even thousands, of eyes on them, many are retreating to the days of tighter connections and communities.

What’s old is new again, I guess. See you all on IRC!

It's not just you — no one is posting on social media anymore

[Insider]

Instagram may be making Reels longer to compete with TikTokInstagram may be making Reels longer to compete with TikTok
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Meta really wants you to know that it’s going to do fediverse stuff on Threads.

I saw this post from Dare Obasanjo highlighting Meta’s on-Threads message about its commitment to the fediverse. You can see the message yourself by going to somebody’s profile and clicking the “threads.net” bubble.

Meta has already taken a small fediverse step, and I’m looking forward to seeing the eventual support for platforms like Mastodon. It can be the new thing we all beg for now that web Threads is live.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Meta knows some features are missing from Threads on the web.

“This is an early v1,” Tom Bender, a PM on the Threads team, said in a post. “We’re painfully aware of the feature gaps and it’s going to improve quickly.”

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Threads on the web seems to be rolling out widely.

A bunch of my colleagues at The Verge have just gotten access, so check threads.net to see if you can post from the web, too. I should warn you that the web app isn’t quite as robust as the mobile app — there’s no notification dot when you have notifications! — but it works well enough.

Threads on the web is here

Jay Peters
Threads on the web is hereThreads on the web is here
Jay Peters
Instagram is adding a chronological feed for Reels and Stories in EuropeInstagram is adding a chronological feed for Reels and Stories in Europe
Meta may launch a Threads web version early this weekMeta may launch a Threads web version early this week
The fandomization of news

Younger generations expect news to come straight from creators. But when creators are wrong, the news ecosystem quickly breaks down.

Kate Lindsay
Threads gets retweets — sorry, reposts — in the reverse-chronological feedThreads gets retweets — sorry, reposts — in the reverse-chronological feed
Olivia Rodrigo just released a new song — and a new Instagram featureOlivia Rodrigo just released a new song — and a new Instagram feature
Threads is getting some useful new featuresThreads is getting some useful new features
Meta accused of ignoring reports on dangerous contentMeta accused of ignoring reports on dangerous content
Zuck says Threads will add search and web ‘in the next few weeks’Zuck says Threads will add search and web ‘in the next few weeks’
Instagram is making it harder for people to spam you with DM requestsInstagram is making it harder for people to spam you with DM requests
Instagram is working on labels for AI-generated contentInstagram is working on labels for AI-generated content
Facebook and Instagram start blocking news in CanadaFacebook and Instagram start blocking news in Canada
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
This year’s Meta Connect will be a two-day event, in-person at Meta HQ.

We’ve known the date for Meta’s next developer event since the company revealed the details of its Quest 3 headset, and now there’s more information available.

The two full days of programming will include a Keynote hosted by Mark Zuckerberg, the Developer State of the Union, and breakout sessions covering a range of topics related to AI and virtual, mixed, and augmented reality. Those who attend in person will also have access to demo experiences, networking events, and more.

Meta could make highly targeted ads opt-in, but only in EuropeMeta could make highly targeted ads opt-in, but only in Europe
Meta’s AI ‘personas’ might launch next monthMeta’s AI ‘personas’ might launch next month
Mark Zuckerberg thinks Threads could be Meta’s next social network with 1 billion usersMark Zuckerberg thinks Threads could be Meta’s next social network with 1 billion users

Most Popular

Most Popular
  1. Our long national sunscreen nightmare is almost over
  2. SwitchBot’s Standing Circulator Fan is worth fighting for
  3. Kaleidescape’s movie player blows streaming, and your wallet, away
  4. Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem
  5. Nothing cancels this year’s CMF phone due to RAM prices