With the talk of TikTok banning in the US growing stronger, Instagram is always busy enhancing itself through new features. Yesterday we heard about Instagram developing its own iPad-exclusive app, today we have another report suggesting that the platform belonging to Meta is also experimenting with locked reels using a 'secret code'.

According to a TechCrunch report, Instagram shared a locked reel on its Design account, to view which users were asked to "Enter secret code". The clue of the code was "1st # in the caption". In this example, the first hashtag was #threads, which also became the code to unlock that reel. As soon as the user entered the code, a “coming soon” banner appeared above the reel, perhaps hinting at an upcoming launch on Threads.

This feature is not just being introduced for entertainment, but it also aims to increase user engagement. Along with this, it can also become an exciting launch tool for brands and companies where they can share product reveals, teaser content, or offers to a select audience through the code.

For ordinary users, this feature can become a fun way to share private content that only a select few can see, although there is also a possibility that some users may not want to go through the hassle of locked reels or entering secret codes, especially when Instagram is already full of features.