All the social media news you need to know this week!

New apps, Gen Z stare, and so much more

Author

Mackenzie Taylor
July 15, 2025

Weekly social roundup

A little bit quiet ‘round here

It’s been a bit of a quieter week around social media this week. Yes, some interesting things happened (cough, Grok, cough), but when it came to new features, apps, and more, it’s been a bit on the slower front.

But that’s okay! Because I still rounded up the best things for you, like I always do (sometimes you have to pat yourself on the back!), and it’s time to get into it.

SEO is coming for Instagram

Your public Instagram posts will now be searchable on Google 👀

A 'disruption in discovery': What Google and Instagram's new search partnership means for brands

On Friday, the internet giant began indexing Instagram content. With the new feature, Google is keeping apace with younger internet users who are increasingly turning to social media platforms as their search engines.

www.glossy.co/beauty/the-disruption-in-discovery-what-google-and-instagrams-new-search-partnership-means-for-brands

As of last week, if you have a public Instagram account, all of your content will now be searchable on Google thanks to Google and Instagram’s new partnership deal. 

I mentioned this over on TikTok last week (if you’re not following yet, come join!), and a lot of the questions and comments were, “But weren’t they searchable before?”

And while, yes, you might have seen the occasional Instagram account pop up when you searched for a person, their actual posts and captions weren’t pulling up in search. 

Now, you will be seeing more and more Instagram accounts in your Google search results when you’re searching. With this partnership, you’ll be able to search any type of inquiry (“best places to eat in Paris,” “top websites to find a job,” etc), and Instagram Reels, carousels, and posts will start populating in the search. 

This is huge for brands and businesses who want to reach a new audience. Because, instead of doing a silly little caption or a bunch of emojis, you can now think through your captions with keywords that you know people might be searching for to discover your content. 

For example, if you’re a barbecue restaurant in St. Louis, you can highlight that fact more in your captions, so your Instagram content will be placed higher in Google Search. 

To me, this screams Google wanting to keep up with TikTok, as TikTok has become the ultimate search engine. It realizes that it needs to roll with the times, or it’ll be left in the dust. 

Have your say!

What do you think of this new move by Google and Instagram?

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Top social media highlights from the week 🗞️

Meta

TikTok

X

YouTube

Uno Reverse!!

TikTok says it isn’t building a US app 🙅‍♀️

TikTok Refutes Reports That It’s Developing a Separate US Version of the App

TikTok has said that the reports are "factually inaccurate."

www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-refutes-claim-its-developing-us-only-version/752746

Okay, record scratch! Say what?!

Last week, I went on and on about how TikTok is building a US app, as reported by Reuters last week. However, TikTok said in a statement last week that the story is “based on anonymous uninformed sources, is factually inaccurate.”

So … womp womp. 

Perhaps there will be a deal soon made with the US to keep TikTok safe there, or perhaps there will be another 90-day extension. 

Sigh. 

WTF is a Gen Z stare?

A Very Meme-orable Week

What is the Gen Z stare? TikTok zoomers and millennials are bickering over facial expressions

The Gen Z stare, explained.

mashable.com/article/what-is-gen-z-stare-tiktok-fight-millennials-zoomers-trend

If you’ve been on TikTok this week, you might have noticed the influx of videos talking about the “Gen Z stare.” It is very much giving “millennial pause” and, I gotta say, the Gen Z crowd is not taking it kindly. 

While it seems up for debate on what the actual Gen Z stare is or what it means, it is being talked about nonstop across the platform, for whatever reason, I can’t stop watching all the videos of people fighting over what it is!

Have you seen these videos around? Do you know what a Gen Z stare is? Is it real? Is it fake? Is it soon going to be another term in our vernacular where we won’t even remember how we got here?

A curated list of fun things to read

My favorite read of the week

Are TikTok’s viral 5-to-9 videos creating burnout?

Gen Z is logging off from their corporate jobs, just to log back onto TikTok to watch productivity videos from influencers.

www.fastcompany.com/91350112/are-tiktoks-viral-5-9-videos-creating-burnout

Could the 5-9 TikTok videos actually be causing burnout? Because it definitely seems that way. 

While Gen Z talks about how much they want work-life balance, these videos could end up doing the opposite of that, where people are getting off work and scrolling their feed to see others being more productive with their time than they are. 

And all of these videos end up causing people to compare their lives to others and think they are falling behind. 

Spoiler alert: You’re not! Maybe just step away from the 5-9 content for a bit. I promise. It’ll be worth it.

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Creator of the Week

The Ash Files (@the.ashfiles)

@the.ashfiles

Ever wonder if the things you like are actually yours? Or just borrowed from someone else’s taste? ✨ — #individuality #influence #identity

If you have ever felt lost or unsure of where you’re at or where you’re going with your life, The Ash Files’ content will hit hard.

A 30-something who decided to start over her life in a new country (something I feel like we’ve all wanted to do at some point in our lives!), and she is documenting the entire thing through beautiful monologues and scenic moments in her everyday life.

If you’re ever feeling like you’re being left behind or questioning where you’re at, I highly recommend watching her videos as a bit of inspiration and guidance.

Time to start recording

Trending audio of the week 🕺

This sound is an easy, versatile trend that starts with “You look happier” and ends with a personal or funny twist. It’s a fill-in-the-blank moment that’s easy to recreate!

How it works:
Start with text saying “You look happier” over B-roll, then cut to “thanks, I _____.” Make it funny, serious, or completely random.

Example uses:

  • “Thanks, I quit my toxic job.”

  • “Thanks, I stopped replying.”

  • “Thanks, I started therapy.”

  • “Thanks, I played through the fight in my head and won.”

Great for:

  • Lifestyle, wellness, and humor creators

  • Brands with a playful voice

Want 20+ trends broken down for you every single week? Sign up for Social Sound Report, a weekly newsletter bringing you all the current trending audio and how to tailor it to your brand and niche!

Offline texting

Jack Dorsey launches a new messaging app 🤳

Jack Dorsey launches Bitchat, a secure messaging app that doesn’t use the internet

Dorsey promises a decentralized, e2e messenger built on security.

mashable.com/article/jack-dorsey-messaging-app-bitchat

Yes, the Jack Dorsey who started Twitter and co-founded Bluesky and Square, has recently announced he will be launching an app to rival WhatsApp. 

And you know what, it’s a long time coming. WhatsApp hasn’t had serious competition in a long time!

The new app Bitchat, won’t need internet or cell service at all to message. It uses end-to-end encrypted Bluetooth technology to connect one user to another. 

What does that mean? I have no idea. I am not a tech bro, but it seems to mean that you’ll be able to chat with people offline. And that seems pretty nifty imho.

The new app is now available on Android; however, it’s still a work in progress. 

We’ll see what happens next…

Annnnd, that’s it for this week.

Thanks for reading. I love you all, and can’t thank you enough for the support.

@talksocialtome_

Never not confused when it comes to Meta Business Suite #socialmediamanagermeme #socialmediameme #socialmediavsreallife #socialmediatips #... See more

We’ve recently launched a new TikTok account, so if you want updates over there as well, give us a follow! It means the world. 🫶

See you next week!

Mackenzie

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