Social Buzz: New Buttons, Fresh Trends, and Q3’s Must-Know Updates

Q3 2025 shook up social media with smarter tools, tighter analytics, and viral trends that put authenticity and strategy at the forefront. From Instagram’s AI-driven features to TikTok’s new discovery and hashtag rules, creators need to stay sharp to ride the wave. 

Platform Updates

Instagram Levels Up with Smart Features

IG wasn’t holding back this quarter. Here’s what’s new:

• AI Summaries – Users can now skim AI-generated post summaries, making content more digestible for quick scrollers. For creators, this means your key message still gets through, even if they don’t watch the whole Reel or read the full caption.
  

• Carousel Frame Analytics  – Finally! Metrics for individual carousel slides are here. This helps brands see which visuals or frames drive the most engagement, refining storytelling and ad performance.
  

• Reposts Tab – All reposted Reels and posts now live in one dedicated tab, letting brands neatly showcase collabs, UGC, and community shoutouts.
  

• More Reels Metrics  – Instagram expanded its in-app analytics, down to specific engagement moments. Great for spotting the exact second viewers interact with your content.
  

• Quicksnaps  – A one-view, unpolished sharing format designed for authentic, fleeting moments with close friends or fans. Think “raw Stories,” perfect for building trust.

• Reel-to-Reel Linking  – You can now link one Reel to another, ideal for multi-part content or episodic storytelling. This keeps audiences binge-watching your series without friction.

TikTok Experiments with Discovery and Discipline

TikTok’s been refining how content gets found and tagged:

• “Find Similar” Button  – Pause on a video and hit the new option to explore similar content, Pinterest-style. This opens up discovery opportunities for creators whose content aligns with trending aesthetics or product niches.

• Hashtag Limits  – TikTok now caps posts at five hashtags. This shift forces creators to be intentional and strategic, favouring relevance over spammy tagging. For businesses, this means cleaner targeting and better algorithm alignment.
  

Social Trends

5120x1080 Horizontal Reel Trend

Cinematic, immersive, and out-of-the-ordinary. The 5120x1080 horizontal reel trend has dominated Instagram feeds this quarter. Perfect for travel, lifestyle, and aesthetic storytelling.

Click on the image or check out the trend here, in this post, or this.

“Really Glad to Meet You” Trend

PinkPantheress’s vibey track powered a wave of many skits by different audiences, reaching out their hand for a handshake while lip-syncing to the song. Relatable + simple = viral gold.

Click on the image or check out the trend here or in this post.

Gap x Katseye + Doja Cat’s “Mooo” 

The mashup dance trend of an iconic track from the 2000s that blended fashion collabs with playful choreography is a perfect storm for TikTok virality.

Click on the image or check out the trend here or in this post.

The Takeaway

Q3 2025 proved that social media is moving toward smarter tools, tighter data, and raw authenticity. From AI helping posts land faster to TikTok’s push for more strategic hashtags, the message is clear: platforms want creators to be intentional, authentic, and binge-worthy.

Stay sharp, experiment with the updates, and ride the trends while they’re hot.

Sources: The Week, Social Media Today, Hello Partner, Ad Week, Noah Glenn Carter, Digilogy, Tech Crunch