Three Buzzy Experimental Features That Could Upend Today’s Social Media Platforms

By Gabriel Muñoz

Social media is in flux. From Twitter rebranding itself to “X” after Elon Musk’s (unfortunate) takeover to TikTok’s (potential) federal ban that continues to loom over its head, social media is always making headlines, for better or worse. With those headlines come some exciting new features that each platform begins experimenting with to gauge interest and see how well they perform with its user base. It seems like these new features have come at a breakneck speed, too, since TikTok changed the game. Now, every other platform (including Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn and X) constantly tests new features to stay relevant and ahead of competitors.

We’ve scoured the internet to find the buzziest new features in beta that could fundamentally change how each platform works today–check them out below!

X Experiments with Upvotes and Downvotes to Replace Likes

Since its inception, X has always had a way to “like” a post, but it has come in different iterations. Before 2015, likes on X were called “favorites” and were represented by a star icon. However, in November 2015, X officially pivoted to “likes,” changing the star icon to a heart. Now, X might pivot again.

According to Social Media Today, X began experimenting with a new like button in the form of a thumbs-up and down icon. Musk has previously promised to overhaul X’s user interface to further distance itself from the original Twitter, including removing the like, repost and reply buttons altogether on each post, but ultimately this was offered as an “option” to users. Similar to Reddit, X’s new “like” buttons would give users the ability to signal their agreement (or disagreement) with a post, which might in turn inform X’s algorithm, further personalizing the experience for each user. This test began in early May 2025, so only time will tell if it sticks and reaches more users’ screens.

TikTok Begins Testing “Footnotes,” Its Own Take on X’s Community Notes

In April 2025, TikTok announced that it had begun testing a “new feature to enhance content” across the platform. According to TikTok, the new feature, named “Footnotes,” was set to “give our community more context about content on TikTok. Footnotes will draw on collective knowledge of the TikTok community by allowing people to add relevant information to content on our platform.”

A community notes feature on social media was first introduced by Twitter (before it became X) in December 2022, and according to Tech Crunch, was created as “a system that would add a layer of fact-checking and context to tweets that don’t necessarily violate Twitter’s rules.” The feature is still used today on the platform. Earlier this year, Meta made headlines after the company announced that it would cut ties with its fact-checking program and instead pivot to a Community Notes-like feature. Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said “the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election as underlying the decision, calling it a ‘cultural tipping point towards, once again, prioritizing speech.’”

TikTok launched Footnotes in the U.S. for short-form videos only. It’s yet to be seen how accurate the feature will be in flagging misinformation  (or if it will eventually be implemented globally), but many don’t have high hopes. According to a report shared by AP News, “the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate analyzed the Community Notes feature [on X] and found that accurate notes correcting false and misleading claims about the U.S. elections were not displayed on 209 out of a sample of 283 posts deemed misleading — or 74%.”

Unlockable Posts Launch on Instagram to Increase Engagement

To keep users engaged and tied to Instagram, Meta began experimenting with a completely new feature not yet seen on any other major social media platform: lockable posts. First flagged by Social Media Today in April 2025, the feature forces users to enter a secret code before they’re able to view the post. The first wide public use case for the feature was made by singer The Weeknd, who shared an Instagram Reel of a clip from his new movie, only viewable once users enter the “secret” code “ICANTSING.” It’s unknown how popular or widely adopted this feature will be once activated for more creators, but going off The Weeknd’s post, it has already shown substantial promise: his comments on the aforementioned Reel reached over 9,000, which is more than three times what his posts usually receive.
As we previously mentioned, social media is always changing, so you might need some help to ensure you’re on top of the latest trends and features! If you’re interested in improving or implementing a new social media strategy altogether, we’re here to help. Contact us now!