Right now, around 70 percent of the people who visit Pinterest are female, but more and more male visitors are appearing — the social media site reports that the number of men using the portal regularly doubled in the last year. Now Pinterest is aiming to attract even more male users with the launch of a new set of smart search tools.
As part of the Guided Search feature Pinterest introduced last April, it’s now filtering results based on your gender. That means if you’re looking for watches, bikes, shoes or fitness gear then you’re going to see a much more relevant set of results based on whether you’re a man or a woman. In theory, that should give guys an easier time filtering out all of the content with a more feminine angle.
You’ll still be able to override the feature if you want to see everything on offer or you’re searching for a gift for your partner. A company spokesperson told TechCrunch that the goal is to surface more relevant results and make the site as useful as possible to the fast-growing male demographic, those people searching for clothes, technology, travel, gadgets and outdoor gear.
“For example, say you’re looking for a new watch,” explains Pinterest. “Before when you searched Pinterest for ‘watches,’ your results would include mostly women’s timepieces. But now, men will see Pins and guides inspired by what other guys have Pinned, and everybody’s results should feel a lot closer to what they’re looking for.”
Pinterest is promising more new search features in the near future as it looks to capitalize on the influx of male users, particularly outside the U.S. — the site does offer something distinctively different from other types of social networks, but like any other platform it has to work out a way to reduce the noise and give users the most relevant content.
Instagram is testing a new format for long-form videos called Features. It allows select creators to upload horizontal videos running up to 90 minutes long. Instagram has already tested the new format with creators in Brazil, and now, it's expanding to tens of thousands of creators across the US.
How will Instagram's new Features format work?
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
I have lost count of how many times I have gone to bed thinking I will finally sleep on time, only to somehow end up scrolling Instagram or X again. A few minutes turn into an hour, then another, and before I notice, it is 2 or 3 a.m. The next morning, I am usually annoyed with myself because I could have just slept and felt considerably better for the day ahead.
It is also a surprisingly hard habit to beat. Knowing you should put the phone down does not always help once it is already in your hand. Brick Night is a new gadget built around that exact problem. Instead of relying on you to remember to turn on an app blocker, it automatically restricts selected apps and websites when your phone enters your chosen sleep space during the hours you set.