Instagram Redefines 'Friends' in New Profile Test

Instagram is experimenting with a fundamental shift in how users perceive their social graphs. The platform is testing a change that replaces the standard "following" count on user profiles with a new "friends" count.

This isn't just a cosmetic tweak; it represents a significant redefinition of what a "friend" means on the social network. According to the platform's new definition, a friend is someone who follows you back. The change is part of a small, global test aimed at making personal connections more visible and meaningful within the app.

The core of the test involves changing a user's profile display from a "following" count to a "friends" count. This new number reflects a purely reciprocal relationship. If you follow thousands of accounts but only a few hundred follow you back, your public profile will now display that smaller, mutual number.

This shift creates a more telling public ratio for users who closely monitor their follower-to-following balance. It moves away from the traditional metric of total follows and introduces a new, more intimate measure of connection.

• Reciprocal follows only
• Publicly visible on profiles
• Replaces the "following" count

This profile test is not an isolated experiment. It is part of a larger, ongoing effort by Instagram to re-center the user experience around genuine connections. As the platform's feed has become increasingly populated with content from influencers, brands, and AI-generated material, the company has been actively introducing features to highlight personal interactions.

Recent additions include the "Blend" feature, which allows friends to share a mutual feed of Reels, and a "Friends" feed within the Reels tab that shows content your connections are engaging with. The company has also expanded its "Close Friends" features and introduced a social mapping experience similar to Snapchat's map.

Meta has confirmed the experiment is a "small global test" designed to gauge user response to a more friend-centric interface. The company's goal is to understand how users react to seeing more content from their actual friends in the app.

"Friends are central to the Instagram experience, so we're exploring ways to make these connections more visible and meaningful. We're running a small test to highlight Friends throughout Instagram."

This philosophy is echoed by Instagram's top executive, Adam Mosseri, who stated in an August post that he wants the platform to be a place where users can "actually engage with and connect with the people that you care about."

The test extends beyond profile statistics. Meta is also experimenting with labeling certain content in the main feed as "friends" instead of the traditional "posts" or "following" labels. This visual cue is designed to help users quickly distinguish content from their mutual connections from the broader stream of algorithmic recommendations.

This approach directly addresses the growing sentiment that Instagram has drifted from its origins as a platform for sharing with friends. By explicitly tagging friend content and redefining the public profile metrics, Instagram is attempting to guide user behavior back toward personal sharing and interaction.

The "friends" count test signals a potential long-term shift in Instagram's identity. If successful, the feature could roll out more broadly, permanently changing how millions of users quantify their social presence on the platform.

For users, this means a new lens through which to view their online relationships—one that prioritizes mutual engagement over sheer follower numbers. As the test continues, the tech world will be watching closely to see if this redefinition of "friendship" will reshape social media dynamics.