Instagram appears to be quietly testing locked reels that viewers would have to unlock with a code and a provided hint. The feature is a simple way to increase engagement with the creator’s content, but it could also offer creators and celebrities a way to share exclusive reels with their most dedicated fans, who are more likely to know the answer to hints.
For example, a creator may lock a reel with the hint, “my birthday” or “my dog’s name” in order to share exclusive content with loyal followers.
The Meta-owned social network was spotted testing the feature on its Design account, where it shared a locked reel that prompts viewers to “Enter secret code.” The hint for the code is “1st # in the caption.” In this case, the code is “threads” — a reference to the first hashtag mentioned in the caption. Once you unlock the reel, you’ll see a banner that says “coming soon,” which appears to be the Design account’s announcement that it’s launching a profile on Threads.
Instagram did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment to learn more about this feature, but the test was spotted being tested on a public account.
The new feature could also be used by creators and brands to launch promotions or marketing campaigns in a fun way. For instance, they could use locked reels for product reveals or to create buzz around launches.
As for regular users, the new feature could be a fun way to share content with specific friends.
Of course, some people may not want to engage with locked reels and spend time trying to find secret codes, especially since Instagram is already flooded with tons of different types of content and features.
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It’s worth noting that the new test feature is somewhat similar to Instagram’s “Reveal” feature that lets you post a hidden Story for your followers to uncover by sending you a DM. That feature launched last year as a way to create more intimate connections on the app and boost engagement.
As with any other test feature, it’s unknown when or if Instagram plans to roll out locked reels widely.
