In the beginning, it was an egg: In January 2019, the image of a simple egg became the most popular photo on Instagram, surpassing the previous record set by the photograph of Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian’s sister and reality television star, in which she announced the birth of her baby. At that time, the egg had reached 19 million likes, and over time, that number continued to grow, ultimately exceeding 60.5 million likes today.

Now it is Leo Messi who holds the record for the most-liked photo in Instagram history. After four years of dominance by the famous egg, Leo Messi shattered all previous records in just two days with this photograph in which he is seen raising the FIFA World Cup trophy.

 

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

At that moment, the publication had more than 57 million likes on Instagram and nearly two million comments, with the numbers steadily increasing. Currently, it has accumulated over 74.7 million likes and more than two million comments.

This is the top 10 most-liked posts in the history of Instagram:

1. 1. Lionel Messi celebrating the 2022 FIFA World Cup victory: 74.7 million+ likes
   2. The world record egg: 60.5 million+
   3. Messi sleeping with the World Cup trophy: 53.7 million+
   4. Messi and Cristiano, by Louis Vuitton (Cristiano Ronaldo’s post): 41.5 million+
   5. Messi, another photo with the World Cup trophy: 41.1 million+
   6. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announcing their engagement: 37.6 million+
   7. Last image of XXXTentacion: 34.2 million+
   8. Messi, another photo celebrating with the World Cup trophy: 33.6 million+
   9. Cristiano’s signing with Al Nassr FC (joint post with Cristiano and Al Nassr FC): 33.3 million+
   10. Cristiano, after Portugal’s elimination from the World Cup: 33.1 million+

2. The World Record Egg

The most famous egg in the world originally reached 19 million likes, and over time, that number continued to rise, now surpassing 60.6 million likes. However, it could not maintain its position.

 

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A post shared by Just An Egg (@world_record_egg)

3. Messi Sleeping with the World Cup

Many fans had hoped that their favorite footballer would win the greatest trophy in football competitions. This post has received more than 53.7 million likes.

 

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

4. Messi and Cristiano, by Louis Vuitton

This sponsored collaboration made headlines around the world, as it features the two most famous football players. The popularity of this image is further fueled by the so-called “rivalry” between the two. Leo Messi has won 8 Ballon d’Or awards, while Cristiano Ronaldo has 5, representing significant recognition in the industry. This Instagram post has received more than 41.5 million likes.

 

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A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

5. Messi, with the World Cup Trophy, Again

This photograph hardly requires any explanation; it has 41.1 million likes.

 

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

6. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Announcing Their Engagement

On August 26, singer Taylor Swift and American football player Travis Kelce amazed the internet by announcing their engagement through a romantic joint Instagram post, which has already gathered over 37.6 million likes and has earned them a direct entry into the sixth position on this list.

 

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A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

7. Last Image of XXXTentacion

The final post published by the controversial American rapper XXXTentacion before his murder has become a space where millions of his fans express their grief and admiration. Even today, this post continues to receive likes and comments.

 

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A post shared by MAKE OUT HILL (@xxxtentacion)

8. A Photo Dump of Messi Celebrating Victory in Argentina

This photo shows Messi and his teammates celebrating the World Cup in their home country, Argentina. The celebration took place in Buenos Aires and thousands of people attended to join in the festivities.

 

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

9. Cristiano Signs with Al Nassr FC

This joint post by Cristiano and Al Nassr FC received more than 33.3 million likes since its publication. He has already won the King Salman Club Cup 2023 with this team. This summer it was confirmed that he will continue with the club until at least 2027.

 

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A post shared by نادي النصر السعودي (@alnassr)

10. Cristiano after Portugal’s Elimination from the FIFA World Cup

This post, uploaded by Cristiano on his personal account, has surpassed 33.1 million likes. In the caption, the footballer expresses his sadness at not having won the World Cup with his national team, as it was a dream for him. Now, that dream has ended.

 

See this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

Will there be another post on Instagram in the coming months (or years) that will surpass any of the posts with the most likes on Instagram to date?

Photo: Depositphotos

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A little over a year ago, the introduction of AI Overviews (AIO, for short) by Google was not simply an enhancement of how search results were presented; it represented a significant upheaval for the digital marketing industry and, in particular, for search engine optimization (SEO). Google’s promise was to offer concise and direct answers generated by artificial intelligence, displayed at the very top of the SERP, while continuing to channel traffic to websites.

However, this naturally raised a pressing concern for brands and content creators: if users could obtain the answer directly from Google, why would they click on an organic result? Why would they choose to visit my content, regardless of how prominently it appeared in the results?

For years, the primary SEO objective for any content creator had been to achieve the top organic ranking. Yet, AIOs not only displaced these results, but they also fundamentally changed user intent, transforming the search process from a navigational portal to a tool for generating answers. How would this affect websites that rely on Google traffic as part of their business model?

Now, with 15 months of concrete data compiled by Seer Interactive, the answer is clear: the initial concern was justified, but the impact has proven to be even more complex than anticipated.

CTR in free fall

Seer’s analysis, which covers data gathered from June 2024 to September 2025 and reviews millions of impressions across various search queries, confirms the damage inflicted on CTR.

Organic results CTR

On the organic front, the trend indicates a steep decline for queries where an AIO is present. Starting from a CTR of 1.76% in June 2024, the click-through rate dropped by almost two-thirds, stabilizing at 0.61% by September 2025, after hitting a low of 0.57% in July. This 61% reduction demonstrates that AIOs are indeed fulfilling their purpose of resolving user needs without requiring them to visit a website.

Paid results CTR

However, the most alarming scenario emerges in the CTR for paid results. Ads for these queries with AIOs began with a CTR of 19.70% in June 2024 but suffered an even more dramatic decline, with an overall decrease of 68%. The most concerning moment occurred during July 2025, when paid CTR fell to just 3.26%. Although a slight recovery followed the summer, this volatility highlights the instability of the current environment. For advertisers, these figures serve as a serious wake-up call.

Does being quoted matter?

According to the study’s data, for queries where an AIO was present and the brand was not cited, organic CTR plummeted by 65.2% year-over-year. This drove the average CTR down to 0.52%. Furthermore, paid content also suffered: the paid CTR dropped by 78.4%.

The study also makes it clear that being cited by Google’s AI Overview has become a strategic necessity. Brands that were cited experienced a significantly smaller drop in CTR and superior performance: citation is associated with a 35% higher organic CTR and a 91% higher paid CTR compared to not being cited at all. In any case, the study explicitly warns that it cannot establish causality between these factors, since it may simply be the case that brands with higher authority are cited more frequently.

• Google’s AI Overviews are causing a 50% drop in organic CTR

CTR is falling, even without AI Overviews

Another of the study’s most noteworthy findings is that the CTR crisis is not limited to queries containing AIOs. Seer Interactive refuted its own initial hypothesis by demonstrating that queries without AIOs have not become a safe haven, but are also experiencing a decline. Organic CTR for these queries fell by 41% during the analyzed period, settling at 1.62% in September 2025.

This finding is essential because it suggests that the problem is broader than simply the appearance of Google’s AI. According to the study’s authors, users—particularly for informational queries—may be migrating away from Google or using the SERP differently. They are seeking fast, direct answers via large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT or Perplexity, or turning to social platforms. Google continues to be the starting point, but the willingness to click on traditional results has decreased dramatically across the web.

And now… What comes next?

The study also revealed an insight regarding the causality of AIOs: Google’s AI tends to appear in queries that have historically generated fewer clicks. In other words, AIOs are intensifying a pre-existing pattern of low CTR in informational searches, rather than arbitrarily eliminating high-performing results.

The final point from Seer Interactive is that marketing professionals must stop expecting a recovery in CTR. The digital landscape has changed, and it appears to have done so permanently. The solution is not to try to evade AIOs, but to change the KPI. The metric can no longer be simply traffic acquisition, but rather “visibility share” and “citation rate” within AIOs. Therefore, SEO strategy must, by necessity, become a strategy of authority and AI-driven visibility, where optimization focuses on becoming the trusted source that Google must cite—redefining what it means to “win” in the age of artificial intelligence.

Image: Gemini

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For several years now, Canva has been one of the benchmark tools for any digital professional working within the field of content creation. In our case, we use it for (almost) everything: from editing the images that enhance our articles to creating advertising banners or posters for our events. It is a paid tool, yet its simplicity and universality make it one of the most practical solutions available on the market.

And now, Canva intends to take this “universality” to a whole new level.

Quite simply, it wishes to compete head-on with the giants of graphic design.

And for free.

What is Affinity by Canva?

Affinity is a professional design tool that combines three key areas of visual creation within a single environment: photo editing, vector design, and editorial layout. Until now, these components have been distributed across three different apps (Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher), but the latest version, presented alongside the most recent suite of Canva updates, unifies all these functions into a single tool.

Its objective is clear: to enable designers, illustrators, photographers, and creators to develop complex projects without switching between programs, without sacrificing control, precision, or performance—whether illustrating, retouching, developing visual identities, or laying out books.

In 2024, Affinity was acquired by Canva, and of course, the new owner has decided that the time has come to fully realize its potential.

As the company explains in its official press release, “When Affinity joined the Canva family last year, we pledged to preserve its power while expanding its possibilities. Today, that vision becomes a reality with the new Affinity: a professional-grade creative application that brings together vector, photo, and design tools in a high-performance platform. Comprehensive. Ultra-fast. And completely free.”

Affinity is already available for Mac and Windows, and will soon be available for iPad as well. To download it, you simply need to create a free account on Canva.

Who is Affinity intended for?

In recent years Affinity has become a tool favored by professionals: graphic designers looking for versatility and precision, illustrators who value advanced vector control, creative studios interested in seamless workflows, and photographers working with advanced editing.

However, the new version greatly expands its target audience thanks to two key factors:

• It is free for everyone, removing the financial barrier that many creatives encounter when seeking access to professional tools.
• It integrates with Canva, opening the door for teams, marketers, and content creators who have so far mainly operated within more simplified environments.

Main new features of Affinity

This move by Canva marks a turning point for Affinity. The most relevant innovations include:

1. A unified app

Affinity now brings together vector, photo, and editorial design tools in a single application. This enables users to avoid constantly switching software, maintain creative flow, and, of course, work more efficiently. As the company explains, the aim is to facilitate work quality and guarantee tool stability; for this reason, every change processes in real time, even “when working with thousands of layers or zoom levels up to 10,000,000%.”

2. Complete workspace customization

Every designer works differently, and Affinity recognizes this. That is why it has introduced various features:

• Blend vector, photo, and layout tools simultaneously
• Rearrange panels
• Remove unnecessary tools
• Save different configurations
• Share “studios” with other users

This enables users to adapt the interface to each type of project or professional requirement, from illustrators to layout designers.

3. Integration with Canva + AI Studio

Canva Premium users also gain access to artificial intelligence tools within Affinity, thanks to Canva AI Studio. Among these are some of Canva’s most popular features, such as:

• Generative Fill
• Expand & Edit
• Remove Background

Their inclusion promises to accelerate repetitive tasks without sacrificing control over details.

4. Enhanced performance

The company explains that Affinity leverages a high-performance engine, designed to guarantee smooth operation even with large files, as well as instant panning and zoom effects and GPU acceleration. This may prove especially valuable in complex illustration projects, advanced photo retouching, or dense editorial design.

5. Compatibility with multiple formats

Affinity can now open and edit files from widely used formats such as PSD, AI, PDF, SVG, or TIFF.

6. Free forever

And of course, there is also what is probably the most striking innovation: Affinity is now completely free. There are no cut-down versions, no subscriptions, and no fine print.

Who does Affinity compete with?

Now then, having reviewed this, let us evaluate it from a business perspective—Affinity’s own business strategy.

It seems clear that Affinity’s free status is a strategic shift following its integration into Canva. Rather than being software required to generate revenue independently, it now serves as a gateway to attract professional designers into the Canva ecosystem. Its free availability removes a historic barrier to advanced tools (cost) and positions Canva as a genuine alternative to Adobe, while tremendously expanding its user base. The strategy resembles that of other technology platforms: offering a powerful product free of charge to drive adoption and foster integration with complementary services.

From this standpoint, profitability does not stem directly from Affinity, but rather from the added value it generates around it: Canva Premium subscriptions, use of AI tools, collaboration services, a resource marketplace, or solutions for teams and enterprises. In other words, Affinity serves as a catalyst that increases Canva’s presence in the professional market, strengthens its brand, and creates monetization opportunities at other points within the ecosystem.

Clearly, this presents a considerable challenge. Keep in mind that Affinity now competes against giants such as Adobe Creative Cloud, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, which until now have dominated photo editing, vector design, and editorial layout. It also faces competition from CorelDRAW, another long-standing graphics suite, as well as specialized solutions such as Figma for UI/UX design. Within the free software arena, its only significant rival is GIMP, although GIMP covers only photo editing and does not offer advanced vector or layout capabilities.

The result is a hybrid tool that combines the power of a professional studio with the accessibility of an open platform. An ambitious undertaking that promises to democratize advanced design.

We shall see what the outcome of this endeavor will be.

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Instagram has introduced a new (and perhaps controversial) feature within its Professional Dashboard: “Competitive Insights”, a tool that enables professional accounts—whether business or creator profiles—to compare their activity with that of other similar accounts. This option is currently in the implementation phase and appears within the dashboard, although it has not yet been made available to all users (for instance, it is not yet operational for Marketing4ecommerce).

The Threads user Sarah Roizman, published a thread on the social network explaining where the feature appears and how the data is displayed:

 

Ver en Threads

 

With this new feature, users may select up to 10 public accounts to compare themselves against in metrics such as follower growth and publishing frequency across different formats: Reels, feed posts, and advertisements. The data is presented in a table format, with comparative figures displayed side by side.

What this new tool offers (and what doesn’t)

The comparison is straightforward; there are no graphs or accumulated data, and the available metrics are limited. One may see how often each account publishes, how its follower base evolves, and some information regarding individual posts, even if an account hides its “likes.” However, indicators such as clicks, engagement rates, conversions, or segmentation by content type are not included.

The design is intended to provide a quick and visual overview. There is no possibility to group accounts or conduct trend analyses. Each comparison is individual, with no functionality to identify broad patterns or analyze the development of entire sectors.

Although the figures shown are public, the feature has prompted debate regarding data exposure and privacy, especially because it displays interactions from individual posts without explicit consent. Instagram has not specified which exact data it processes or how it aggregates them. In fact, no official announcement regarding this new feature has been issued yet.

• How does Edits work: the new video editing app from Instagram that aims to compete with CapCut

This tool positions itself as a basic form of benchmarking within the platform itself, an area previously covered only by external tools. For now, its usefulness will depend on the manner in which each account chooses to utilize it, whether as a guide for content strategies or as support in reporting results.

Photo: Threads account of Sarah Roizman and Canva.

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Meta oversees several of the most widely used social networks in the world, and its power and reach, far from stagnating, continue to grow. This is reflected in the most recent user data shared by the company, which reveal that Meta’s family of platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and WhatsApp) now has an average of 3.54 billion daily active people (DAP).

This figure is specified in its third quarter 2025 earnings report.

Meta increased its daily active users by 8% year-over-year

If we compare Meta’s 3.54 billion daily active users in the third quarter of 2025 with the figure for the same period in 2024 (3.29 billion), we can observe that there has been an 8% year-over-year increase.

Additionally, the graph shared by the technology giant indicates a trend of continuous quarterly growth for the past two years (the period represented in the image). In the third quarter of 2025, the number of daily active users increased by 1.72% compared to the previous quarter. This represents the third largest quarterly growth rate, with the first and second being in the first quarter of 2025 (+2.39%) and the fourth quarter of 2024 (+1.82%), respectively.

Meta has not published a breakdown of daily active users by social network, which makes it impossible to determine how activity is distributed specifically across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp individually. However, it can be inferred that Threads is playing a significant role in this growth.

In August of this year, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced that Threads had surpassed the threshold of 400 million monthly active users (100 million more than in December 2024). The significant growth figures for Threads are logical, as it is the youngest member of the family (it is only two years and three months old); most likely, these numbers are helping to offset the natural “stagnation” seen in more established platforms such as Instagram or Facebook, which have much less room for further growth.

Photo: Canva

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This year, Google has decided that its 2025 Halloween Doodle will represent a dual celebration. On one hand, this creative redesign of the company’s logo commemorates the October 31st holiday, and on the other, it marks the 45th anniversary of the iconic video game Pac Man.

Help Pac Man complete all 8 levels

As could not be otherwise, this year’s Halloween Doodle features a mini-game in which you must help Pac Man complete eight mazes in various haunted houses. Although this entertaining mission will only be accessible from Google’s homepage today and tomorrow, you will always be able to play it through this link.

• You may also be interested in: This is Google’s Halloween Doodle for 2024

In order to enjoy some time with this new version of the arcade classic, you only need to access Google from any device and click on the Doodle. Please note that depending on the device you use to play, the controls will be somewhat different: from a computer, you may use the keyboard arrows; from a mobile phone, you must guide Pac Man by moving your finger across the screen.

For this special occasion, four of the eight mazes included in the game are unique haunted house designs developed in collaboration with Bandai Namco Entertainment, the parent company of Pac Man.

“Your mission is to guide PAC-MAN through these festive levels, helping him devour every dot and avoid the iconic, colorful ghosts: Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde. Pay close attention to the interior of each haunted house, as its layout directly reflects the personality of the ghost who inhabits it. Collect power pellets to turn the tables and pursue the ghosts yourself,” explains Google.

As an additional note, let us inform you that, although Google has taken this occasion to honor Pac Man, his 45th birthday was actually celebrated on May 22 of this year. Yes, Pac Man is a Gemini, and it does, indeed, suit him rather well.

Photo: Google

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TikTok has announced a set of new AI-powered tools that are intended to simplify the effort required to generate high-quality content and enhance the income potential of its community. Let us examine what these tools consist of.

New AI editing methods on TikTok

To make the creation process more efficient, TikTok has introduced Smart Split, an AI-powered editing tool now available globally on TikTok Studio Web. Smart Split is designed to take long-form content, such as a vlog or a podcast episode exceeding one minute, and automatically transform it into multiple short videos that are ready for the platform.

This intelligent tool is responsible for cutting, reframing, transcribing, and subtitling the content; however, creators retain full control to select video segments, choose specific durations, and adjust the subtitle formats and vertical reframing.

In addition, AI Outline is being launched as a key tool for overcoming creative block and improving planning. AI Outline assists creators by generating title suggestions, hooks, and hashtags based on a prompt or on popular topics identified in creators’ search statistics. By producing a detailed, fully customizable six-part outline, the tool provides a structure so the creator may refine the script idea and adapt it to their own style prior to recording.

Enhanced Monetization

Furthermore, in the area of monetization, TikTok has announced a significant change to its revenue-sharing arrangement for its subscriptions product. Now, creators who utilize this option to build stronger communities and offer exclusive content will see a greater return: they will receive 70% of TikTok’s revenue share.

Additionally, those who meet specific performance requirements—such as having 10,000 followers, 100,000 views in the last month, and having published at least three exclusive videos—will have the opportunity to unlock an additional monthly reward of 20%. This incentive structure enables the most dedicated creators to earn up to 90% of subscription benefit payments, significantly strengthening their income potential on the platform.

Image: Gemini

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Instagram has announced additional features within its application. This time, new tools powered by artificial intelligence appear to edit photos and videos with Meta AI through simple prompts.

Did you have toast with butter for breakfast, but it does not appear aesthetic enough to gain more followers? That is not a problem, as you can transform it in a matter of seconds into a matcha coffee accompanied by avocado toast with ham and eggs benedict. In your reel, do your early morning eye bags appear too obvious? No worries, with a simple instruction, the AI will make you look like a Hollywood star.

In this article, we shall explain how this new form of editing works, which is already available in Instagram Stories.

This Is What You Can Do with Instagram’s New Features

Instagram has now integrated the “Restyle” (“Redesign”) function, which allows you to modify photos and videos using generative AI. Some of the things you can do include:

• Remove: eliminates unwanted elements from the background.
• Add: enables you to insert new items, such as a crown, a puppy, balloons, or whatever may come to mind.
• Change: ideal for altering aspects of an image, such as the hair color or the entire background.

Additionally, predefined effects are included for those who do not wish to write a prompt from scratch: you can apply styles like “biker jacket,” “watercolor,” or even transform your video into a snowy landscape or a volcanic eruption. All of this is possible without the need to use external applications or have advanced editing skills.

How to Use the New Feature

To begin utilizing this new editing capability, you simply need to follow these steps:

For photos:

• Press the “+” symbol on your profile and select an image.
• Tap the redesign icon at the top.
• Choose between Add, Remove, or Change.
• Type what you would like the AI to do (for example: “add a crown above the child’s head”).
• Or utilize one of the effects displayed above the text bar.
• Once you are satisfied with the result, tap “Done” and share your story.

For videos:

• Select a video from your gallery as if you were going to upload it to your stories.
• Enter the redesign mode.
• Choose a predefined effect.
• Click “Done” when the generation process is complete.

And if you wish to invite your friends to do the same, simply add the “Add Yours” sticker. They will be able to apply the same style to their own photos and join the trend.

If you see a redesigned image with an Add Yours sticker, you can click on it, select an image from your gallery, and then publish it. Leave the sticker activated so that more friends may join the trend.

Some Examples of Use

Here are a few ideas to help you take advantage of these new features:

• Travel photos: remove tourists from the background or change backgrounds, combining people with landscapes.
• Birthdays or celebrations: add balloons, confetti, or a crown to the birthday celebrant with a simple prompt. You may even add people who were unable to attend.
• “Sweetened” selfies: digitally change your outfit to create different styles, modify backgrounds, change items with which you interact, add friends, and more.
• Videos with effects: turn an ordinary scene into an underwater universe, add snow or fire, or alter the background for a futuristic one.

And if you are seeking even more professional results, the key lies in writing detailed prompts. For example:
“Add a black leather jacket, with studio lighting and a background in purple tones, in a cyberpunk style.”

For that purpose, Instagram recommends including aspects such as:

• Subject: “add a crown above the girl’s head.”
• Lighting and mood: “add dramatic lighting,” “with only paparazzi flash.”
• Composition: “in the lower left corner,” “in the background.”
• Style: “make it photorealistic,” “in film noir style.”
• Location: “in space,” “in Paris.”

Photo: Instagram

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Another week brings yet another Instagram change. Lately, it seems that if you become distracted for even a moment, Meta’s social network may suddenly undergo a new identity crisis, resulting in an updated design. Following changes to grid layout in the Feed, the new location for highlighted stories, and panoramic Reels in 5120×1080 format, we now have the redesign of its navigation menu.

The new swipeable Instagram navigation menu

A month ago, Instagram celebrated surpassing 3 billion users, and its CEO, Adam Mosseri, took this opportunity to announce forthcoming design changes intended to further improve the platform’s service. These modifications are focused primarily on giving greater prominence to Reels and DMs (direct messages), two sections whose usage has increased considerably, even surpassing the main Feed.

Specifically, Instagram’s new design involves the following changes: The navigation menu, previously located at the bottom of the screen, will shift from including the tabs “Home,” “Explore,” “Post,” “Reels,” and “Profile” to now featuring “Home,” “Reels”, “DMs,” “Explore,” and “Profile”. In this way, direct messages move from the top right corner to being part of this menu, and the option to post content is now relocated to the top left corner.

Furthermore, the option to switch tabs by swiping your finger across the screen, either from left to right or right to left depending on the direction you wish to take, has also been added.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

A change that hasn’t been optional for everyone and has generated mixed feelings

Now, Instagram users have already begun to notice these changes, though in different ways. Within the Marketing4eCommerce team alone, there are examples covering all scenarios. For instance, I received a notification from Instagram offering me the chance to “try the new navigation before anyone else,” my colleague Noelia also received a notification but of a different nature, Carolina had the changes automatically enabled without being asked, and Rafa still has not been offered the change.

Personally, I saw the notification and, after experiencing the initial reluctance these Instagram changes usually provoke in me, I decided to click on “More information”. After reading about the update, I chose not to accept it. I know that I have likely only delayed the inevitable, but by now I am already accustomed to Instagram’s current layout, and my experiences with previous updates have shown me that it does take time for your muscle memory to adapt to not heading for the top right corner to open DMs when these are now in the bottom menu.

Moreover, in my view, this is not a modification that would provide me with any benefit if I were to accept it, nor would it harm me if I did not; it is merely a change, and there is not always a reason to embrace every change.

With respect to Noelia Fraguela, Content Manager at Marketing4eCommerce, she explains that in her case, she received the notification shown in the second image directly. Unlike myself, she did not have that initial preview of how the new menu would appear. However, her curiosity led her to accept the change and, ultimately, she is not particularly affected by it.

“I opened Instagram, this message appeared, and because I am curious, I chose to switch interfaces. I was not shown a preview of what it would look like; it simply notified me that it would change and that navigation was supposedly going to be made easier. I accepted, and I did not feel the change was that significant. In my experience, it neither improved nor worsened things for me; they simply changed the location of the buttons. It is like rearranging the furniture in a room—at first, it is disruptive, but you quickly get used to it.”

Someone who had no opportunity to choose was Carolina Muñiz, Content Creator at Marketing4eCommerce, who found that the new design had been applied following an app update. She was not convinced by Instagram’s decision. “Personally, it bothers me. When there are changes to the interface of a platform you have been using for years, the ‘muscle memory’ of the user is usually not taken into proper consideration. This happened with the Twitter redesign several years ago, and it will happen again elsewhere. Let me explain: Now when I want to make a post, I accidentally open the direct messages. And when I try to view Reels, I enter Explore instead. That makes the user experience much more… uncomfortable.

It is quite clear that Instagram clearly recognizes that direct messages are currently their most successful feature, and for this reason, the function has been given the “privileged” spot once occupied by posting posts. This is something that, as we see among younger generations, is now of secondary importance. Ask your 15-year-old cousin why they do not have a single photo on their profile, maybe you can solve this mystery for me as well.

And yes, I also preferred the square feed and the highlighted stories where they had always been. At least, so far, Mosseri has not changed that for me (thank goodness).”

And what about you, marketer? What do you think of this new Instagram design update?

Photo: Instagram

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Generation Z is rewriting the rules of digital trust, and this compels brands to change their approach. With projected spending of 12 billion dollars by 2030, no brand can afford to ignore this generation. A recent study, “Winning Gen Z: A Marketer’s Guide to Digital Trust”, conducted by Usercentrics, surveyed 10,000 consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands to uncover the key changes in the approach to privacy that marketers must consider to foster business growth and establish lasting trust with their youngest customers.

The Privacy Gap

Fifty-six percent of Generation Z is unaware of, or believes they do not have, data privacy rights; however, 14% are aware and exercise those rights more frequently than any other generation. In fact, the study reveals that this age group is raising the privacy standard for everyone. What does this mean for marketing? It means that brands must make privacy an accessible and appealing part of their identity.

In this context, brands should focus on being “trust builders,” using human language instead of legal jargon and interactive formats (such as short videos or micro-tutorials). In essence, it is about clearly explaining why data is being collected and what value the user receives by agreeing to it.

Convenience Above All… But On Their Terms

Forty-one percent of Generation Z states that online convenience outweighs privacy concerns, compared to 29% of boomers. For them, sharing data is a transactional agreement: they will do it if it improves their experience, but they demand transparency and security. Therefore, the study recommends that brands highlight visible signals (such as padlock icons or messages like “We will never sell your data”) and provide brief explanations regarding why data is being requested.

The Rise of Selective Consent

Forty-six percent of Generation Z report clicking “accept all” less often than three years ago. Indeed, every pop-up encountered while browsing has become a test of trust: a confusing or insistent request is perceived as a negative signal. The guiding principle is that online businesses should use short, clear banners… with easy-to-use preference controls.

Loyalty to Social Media

Generation Z trusts sources different from those of previous generations: 38% trust the data they provide to social media, compared to 37% who trust governmental institutions (the lowest figure among all generations). In contrast, 71% of boomers trust the government and only 4% trust social media. A key takeaway for brands is the importance of maintaining a fluid culture, investing in creators, and making their values visible in every interaction.

Redefining “Sensitive Data”: Shifting from Security to Identity

The definition of what is considered private is changing: previous generations focus on protecting data such as phone numbers, medical records, and login credentials. However, Generation Z’s concerns go beyond passwords or medical records: they fear being profiled or stereotyped based on location, age, gender, AI history, or shopping cart contents.

In this scenario, brands need to explain which data are collected, for what purpose, and, most importantly, what benefits users will receive. Providing users with simple controls so that personalization becomes an empowering experience is an effective step in that direction.

Open to Innovation, But On Their Terms

Twenty-one percent of Generation Z feel comfortable with their data being used to train AI—almost twice the percentage of boomers (11%)—but only if they perceive value and transparency. In other words, Generation Z will drive innovation only if they trust the process. Clearly communicating the purpose and limitations of data usage is essential.

As you can see, Generation Z’s usage habits and mindset can serve as a “stress test” for the future of digital trust. As Adelina Peltea, CMO of Usercentrics, notes, “the next decade of growth will be driven by increased trust. Generation Z sets the pace, and the rest of the market will follow.”

Image: Gemini

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