Got friends who like to share just a few too many Instagram pictures of their vacations? Want to tidy up your social media feeds without hurting anyone's feelings? You could soon be able to mute specific users in your timeline without unfollowing them, based on limited tests Instagram seems to be running right now.
Instagram user @wongmjane spotted the new feature in her app, reports The Verge. It would presumably work in a similar way to the mute option on Twitter – you don't have to see posts from particular people, but you can stay connected to them.
It's not the only Instagram test to have surfaced, either: the developers behind the app also seem to be toying with the idea of throwing in a calendar view for your Instagram Stories, making it easier to look back at previous posts that are no longer available for your contacts to see.
Testing, testing
There's more. Another feature @wongmjane has come across shows a Slow-Mo button for Stories, alongside the usual options like Boomerang, Focus and Rewind. Stories are now one of the most popular parts of the Instagram app, so it makes sense that the developers would want to add even more options.
And speaking of Stories, Instagram also appears to be testing the option to post reactions to Stories, so you can tell your friends just how hilarious or depressing their most recent uploads are. The feature is already available in Facebook Stories.
Instagram has made the standard "no comment" response to these tests, but it's standard practice for apps to run small-scale experiments like this – we don't know when these features will appear for everyone, or even if they ever well, but it's interesting to see some of the ideas the Instagram team is looking at.
