Social media platform updates · October 15, 2026 edition

What changed on Facebook, Meta Ads, YouTube and Threads this week

The platforms push out changes every week, and most of them don't matter to a business account. A few do. Every Thursday we read through all of it so you don't have to, and tell you what to do about the ones that count.

Three updates that change how you should post

Facebook

Facebook now lets people tell the algorithm what they want to see, in plain words

Facebook's "Your algorithm" option now lets people add or remove topics from their Feed and Reels, and type what they want more or less of after tapping Interested or Not interested. Recommendations update right away.

Do this: Keep your Page on one clear topic. The new system matches posts to the topics people ask for, so a Page that posts about everything is harder to recommend. Ask your best customers to add your topic to their Feed.
Source: Social Media Today
Meta Ads

Meta is removing manual ad placement controls and says to use these instead

For engagement, leads, app and sales campaigns you can no longer exclude placements like Facebook search or in-stream Reels. Awareness and traffic campaigns still have the controls for now. Meta's AI decides where your ads run.

Do this: Open Ads Manager and check your results by placement. If one placement wastes money, add an account-level exclusion for that objective, and upload a separate image or video for each placement so your ad fits wherever it lands.
Source: Social Media Today
YouTube

YouTube's AI search "Ask YouTube" is now on for every US user, including mobile

People can now type a full question into YouTube on phone, desktop and TV and get an answer built from videos, with follow-up questions. It was a test since 2023 and is now a standard part of search in the US.

Do this: Write your titles and descriptions as answers to the questions customers ask you. Say the problem, the location and the service in plain words. The AI pulls from what you wrote, so vague titles will not get picked.
Source: Social Media Today

Every social media update this week, by platform

inLinkedIn

LinkedIn now screens every widely shared post for "AI slop"

LinkedIn says its detection system now covers all posts shown beyond your own network and catches generic AI text with 94% precision, by its own count. Flagged posts get hidden from feeds.

For you: If you use AI to draft LinkedIn posts, add a real example, a number or an opinion from your own work before you publish. Generic posts will quietly stop reaching people.
Source: Social Media Today
Threads

Threads launches "Gems" to reward original posts and replies

Threads now picks out posts and direct replies that start real conversations and marks them with a Gem icon in the feed. Only your own original posts count. Posts crossposted from Instagram are not eligible. US only for now.

For you: If you auto-share Instagram posts to Threads, write at least a few native Threads posts a week and reply to people directly. Those are the only ones that can earn a Gem.
Source: Social Media Today
Threads

Threads lets parents see which accounts their teens have blocked

A new parental supervision option on Threads. It follows the supervision tools Meta added in September.

For you: Nothing to do. Worth knowing if you sell to families: parents are watching Threads more closely now.
Source: Social Media Today
YouTube

YouTube adds an "AI" label to music it thinks was generated by AI

Tracks YouTube's detection flags as AI-made now show an AI label in YouTube Music, with the main YouTube app to follow. No timing given for that.

For you: If you use AI-generated music in your videos, expect it to be labeled at some point. Licensed library music is the safer choice for business videos.
Source: Social Media Today
X

X bundles Premium and AI tools into five new subscription tiers

X is rolling out combined plans that include all current X Premium features plus different levels of AI access, from a free tier up to a $200 a month Ultra plan. US first, other regions later. Existing subscribers can keep their plan.

For you: If you pay for X Premium, compare your current plan with the new tiers before switching. You do not have to move.
Source: Social Media Today
X

X's Grok Bots can now search and analyze posts for brand mentions and trends

Grok Bots can answer questions about what people are saying on X, monitor mentions of your brand and surface relevant conversations. Bots are part of paid Grok and Cursor plans.

For you: Only useful if you already pay for Grok. If you do, try asking it for mentions of your business name and your competitors' names each week.
Source: Social Media Today
TikTok

TikTok Shop gives UK sellers shoppable photo carousels and live deal tools

UK merchants can turn a few product photos into a swipeable shoppable post with no video, run group deals and price cuts during livestreams, and let TikTok auto-create ads for products not yet advertised. UK only.

For you: Nothing yet in the US. If it lands here, photo carousels would be the easiest way to list a product on TikTok without filming anything.
Source: Social Media Today
Facebook

Meta drops a separate review step for apps that connect to business accounts

Tech providers no longer need a separate "access verification" review before their apps can work with another business's Facebook or Instagram data. Meta now relies on business verification and app review instead.

For you: Nothing to do. New scheduling and analytics tools should be able to connect to your accounts faster. Keep checking what you have authorized under your account's business integrations.
Source: Social Media Today
Reddit

Reddit sets out its rules and tools for the US midterm elections

Reddit is bringing back its "Up the Vote" hub, restating its rules on election misinformation, and keeping its rule that candidates must hold an AMA before running election ads.

For you: Nothing for most businesses. If you advertise on Reddit, expect stricter review of anything that touches politics this fall.
Source: Social Media Today

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