Both the iPad Pro and the iPad Air have had fairly recent updates, and there are quite a few similarities between them that might leave you wondering which one is the best to meet your needs. In our latest video, we go over the similarities and differences, and the use cases that might make you choose one over another.
The M3 iPad Air is priced starting at $599, while the M4 iPad Pro is $999, so there's a notable difference in terms of cost. There are 11-inch and 13-inch size options for both models, and performance is not too far off between them.
With the iPad Pro, you essentially get an improved display, a faster chip, Face ID support, better audio, ProRes video recording, and the option to use the higher-end keyboard case. There are few things you can do on an iPad that stress the M3 chip, and most people won't notice the difference in performance from M3 to M4 for day to day tasks.
Where you might see a small difference is apps that are system intensive, like Final Cut Pro or Photoshop, but both handle those tasks just fine. It's actually the display that's the biggest differentiating factor. The iPad Pro has an OLED display that's much brighter, supports HDR, offers ProMotion, and has deeper blacks and more vivid colors. If you're doing something where color is a factor, or if display quality is important, that's where you would want to consider the iPad Pro.
Make sure to watch our full video where we go into much more depth about the differences, and show off the two tablets side-by-side.
This week's best Apple deals include discounts on AirPods Max, iPad, and Apple Watch SE. We're also tracking a big sitewide sale at OWC, including savings on docks and hubs for your Mac, plus external drives and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon discounted the AirPods Max (USB-C) to $499.99 in every color this week. This is the first time in a few weeks that we've tracked a deal on every color of the AirPods Max.
OWC
What's the deal? Save on Mac docks, hubs, and more
OWC's "Spring Savings Celebration" kicked off this week, offering big discounts on docks, hubs, memory cards, external drives, and more. Many of these deals won't be applied until you add the items to your cart, at which time an automatic coupon will be applied to your order.
You can get $79 off the Apple Watch SE this week on Amazon, starting at just $169.97 for the 40mm GPS model. Overall, these are both the best prices we've seen so far in 2025.
Amazon has a few new discounts on Apple's 11th generation iPad this week, including $49 off the 512GB Wi-Fi model of the tablet. Prices start at $327.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Detailed new renders from leaker Jon Prosser claim to provide the best look yet at the complete redesign rumored to arrive in iOS 19, showing more rounded elements, lighting effects, translucency, and an all-new pill-shaped tab bar with an elongated search bar. This visonOS-style redesign is also now rumored to come to the Apple Watch, and a sketchy report claims that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will tout exclusive AI features for Genmoji, Siri integration with activity information and sleep tracking, health monitoring, and more.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our in-depth discussion about the announcement of WWDC 2025, key iOS 18.4 features, and more.
The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
Apple plans to release its delayed Apple Intelligence Siri features in the fall, according to a new report by The New York Times.
In early March, Apple said that it was going to take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized Siri experience, and that these features would be rolled out "in the coming year." Subsequently, Reuters reported that the Apple Intelligence Siri features have been delayed until 2026.
However, NYT reports today that its sources within Apple are still confident of a fall release. From the report:
Apple hasn't canceled its revamped Siri. The company plans to release a virtual assistant in the fall capable of doing things like editing and sending a photo to a friend on request, three people with knowledge of its plans said.
The Siri features in question were demonstrated at WWDC when introducing iOS 18, and they were expected to come out in an update to iOS 18. The functionality includes personal context, onscreen awareness, and improved app integration. Here's a quick summary:
Personal Context
Siri will be able to track emails, messages, files, photos, and more – learning from your interactions to help you stay organized and complete tasks.
Show me the files Sam sent me last week.
Find the email where Sam mentioned ice hockey.
Find the books Sam recommended to me.
Where's the recipe Sam sent me?
What's my passport number?
Onscreen Awareness
Siri will understand what's on your screen and act on it. For example, if someone texts you an address, you can ask Siri to add it to their contact card. Or, if you're viewing a photo, you can ask Siri to send it.
Deeper App Integration
Siri will handle more complex tasks across apps – things it currently can't do. Apple shared a few examples of what to expect:
Move files between apps.
Edit a photo and send it.
Get directions home and share the ETA with Sam.
Send the draft email to Sam.
Already, Siri has gained Type to Siri, a refreshed interface, ChatGPT integration, and improved natural language understanding.
Apple demonstrated many of the above missing Siri features in WWDC previews, and went on to advertise them on its website. It also promoted them in a since-pulled TV ad for iPhone 16 starring actor Bella Ramsey, as well as elsewhere. Apple has been sued at least three times over the delayed Siri features in California.
Apple's current struggles with Apple Intelligence and Siri began in early 2023 when AI head John Giannandrea sought approval from CEO Tim Cook to purchase more AI chips for development, according to a new report from The New York Times.
Cook initially approved doubling the team's chip budget, but CFO Luca Maestri reportedly reduced the increase to less than half that amount, and instead encouraged the team to make existing chips more efficient.
The lack of adequate GPU resources meant Apple's AI team had to negotiate for computing power from providers like Google and Amazon.
At the time, Apple's data centers had about 50,000 GPUs that were more than five years old – far fewer than the hundreds of thousands of chips being purchased by competitors like Microsoft, Google, and Meta.
The NYT report goes on to cover the leadership conflicts within the company, describing a power struggle between Robby Walker, who oversaw Siri, and Sebastien Marineau-Mes, a senior executive with the software team. The two reportedly battled over who would spearhead Siri's new capabilities, with both ultimately receiving pieces of the project.
Apple Intelligence faced significant delays after internal testing revealed Siri was inaccurate on nearly a third of requests. Apple subsequently admitted that it would take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized Siri experience, and that these features will be rolled out "in the coming year."
However, according to the report, Apple still plans to release its enhanced Siri experience this fall. The functionality includes personal context, onscreen awareness, and improved app integration. Some Apple executives reportedly aren't concerned about the delay, and believe competitors haven't perfected AI either, giving Apple time to get it right.
Following the delay, software chief Craig Federighi reorganized executives, removing responsibility for the new Siri from Giannandrea and reassigning it to Mike Rockwell, who leads the Vision Pro division. The details of Apple's Siri team changes and the delayed Siri revamp were previously reported by Bloomberg and The Information.
For more details on Apple's internal issues, including political infighting, budget constraints, and talent drain, see The New York Times' full report.
Bluesky is rolling out a new update introducing features that might ease the transition for social media users coming over from X (Twitter).
First up, version 1.100 adds emoji reactions to Bluesky's direct messaging system. Users can now respond to messages with quick emoji reactions by holding down on a message and selecting from common options like hearts, thumbs up, and laughing faces. For those wanting more expression, the three-dot menu provides access to a full emoji keyboard.
The app's search page has also been completely revamped and renamed "Explore." This new discovery hub prominently displays trending topics labeled with tags like "Hot" or "New," along with timestamps showing when topics started gaining traction.
Beyond trends, the Explore page now recommends accounts to follow across various interest categories such as Art, Sports, Music, and Politics. Users can also personalize their experience by selecting specific interests that inform what appears on their Explore page.
Meanwhile, for newcomers, Bluesky has added curated "Starter Packs," or pre-made lists of accounts focused on specific topics that users can follow with a single tap.
The features are designed to make the transition easier for users migrating from other platforms while improving content discovery within Bluesky.
Bluesky has over 34 million active users, according to the company. That's still a lot less than Meta's Threads in total users, but the platform continues to gain popularity as an alternative to X. The update is available now on the App Store [Direct Link] for iPhone users running iOS 15.1 or later.
Razer today announced the official launch of Razer PC Remote Play, which is designed to allow Razer PC users to stream their games directly to mobile devices like the iPhone and the iPad.
According to Razer, the platform provides ultra-smooth, high-fidelity gameplay on smartphones and tablets, with support for all iOS-compatible gaming controllers for a PC gaming experience on the go. On the iPad, there's also support for keyboards, mice, and trackpads.
PC users can browse through, configure, and launch PC games from an iPhone or an iPad, as well as customize controls, record and share gameplay, and more. Razer PC Remote Play is able to automatically optimize games to match the maximum resolution and refresh rate of a mobile device without having a fixed aspect ratio.
On an iPhone or an iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18, users will need to install Razer Nexus and Razer PC Remote Play, and on a PC running Windows 11 or later, Remote Play needs to be enabled in Razer Cortex. More information is available on Razer's website.
OpenAI today updated ChatGPT with an improved memory feature that allows the chatbot to remember more about your conversations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says that ChatGPT can "reference all your past conversations," allowing for a more personalized experience.
ChatGPT will remember context from previous conversations, such as preferences and interests, using that information to tailor the responses that it provides. You can add something directly to ChatGPT's memory by telling it to "remember" a fact.
The option to reference saved memories is opt-in, and can be toggled off in the ChatGPT settings under Personalization. There is an option to manage all of the memories that ChatGPT has stored, including deleting them all or deleting just one or two. ChatGPT will save memories indefinitely, but they can be removed at any time.
The updated memory features are rolling out to all Plus and Pro tier users, but the functionality is not available in the EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
Apple is continuing to add support for carrier-based satellite services, with au customers in Japan and One NZ customers in New Zealand now able to use the satellite connectivity offered by those carriers on compatible iPhone models.
Both au and One NZ have partnered with SpaceX to provide their customers with Starlink Direct satellite service, joining T-Mobile in the U.S. in offering Starlink connectivity as an alternative to the satellite messaging features built into Apple's iPhone 14 and later models. Japan and New Zealand both have large swathes of land where traditional cellular coverage is unavailable due to terrain limitations.
For au customers, Starlink Direct covers all of Japan, providing connectivity in remote areas where cellular towers are not available. au does not charge for the service, which allows users to send and receive text messages, get emergency earthquake alerts, and share their location with friends and family.
In New Zealand, One NZ customers can use Starlink Direct to send and receive texts anywhere in the country, with the functionality included in eligible mobile plans.
Starlink Direct is available when cellular signal is not, as long as there is a clear line of sight to the sky. While an open space not obstructed by buildings helps with connectivity, users do not need to hold their smartphone up to the sky to connect, which is a requirement for Apple's built-in satellite service offered through its partnership with Globalstar.
Carrier-based satellite services are supported on the iPhone 14 models and later, and customers who have access to carrier satellite options can use those in addition to the satellite connectivity that is included in Apple's modern iPhones.
In the U.S., a complaint filed in a California federal court this week alleges that Apple violated false advertising and unfair competition laws by marketing Apple Intelligence upgrades for Siri that are still not available. The two named plaintiffs said they never would have purchased or been willing to pay as much for an iPhone 16 had they known that Apple's marketing surrounding the features was false and misleading.
Apple first previewed the personalized Siri features during its WWDC 2024 keynote last June, as part of a wide range of Apple Intelligence features that it said would be rolling out over the course of the following year. That gave Apple until WWDC 2025 this June to roll out the Siri features, but last month the company announced that it needed more time and anticipated rolling out the features at some point "in the coming year" from then.
The features were initially expected to launch in iOS 18.4 last week, but they are now expected to arrive at some point during the iOS 19 cycle. Many well-connected Apple reporters and observers believe the features will not be available until 2026.
Whenever they launch, the Siri upgrades will include understanding of a user's personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, during its WWDC 2024 keynote, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.
The class action lawsuits in the U.S. and Canada are both seeking damages from Apple, in an amount to be proven at trial, so class members who purchased an iPhone 16 in order to use the personalized Siri features could eventually receive a payout from Apple, if the judges presiding over each case find that the company broke the law.
Apple's lawyers have yet to respond to any of the lawsuits.
Apple apparently weighed up multiple options for the backend of Apple Intelligence. One initial idea was to build both small and large language models, dubbed "Mini Mouse" and "Mighty Mouse," to run locally on iPhones and in the cloud, respectively. Siri's leadership then decided to go in a different direction and build a single large language model to handle all requests via the cloud, before a series of further technical pivots. The indecision and repeated changes in direction reportedly frustrated engineers and prompted some members of staff to leave Apple.
In addition to Apple's deeply ingrained stance on privacy, conflicting personalities within Apple contributed to the problems. More than half a dozen former employees who worked in Apple's AI and machine-learning group told The Information that poor leadership is to blame for its problems with execution, citing an overly relaxed culture, as well as a lack of ambition and appetite for taking risks when designing future versions of Siri.
Apple's AI/ML group has been dubbed "AIMLess" internally, while employees are said to refer to Siri as a "hot potato" that is continually passed between different teams with no significant improvements. There were also conflicts about higher pay, faster promotions, longer vacations, and shorter days for colleagues in the AI group.
Apple AI chief John Giannandrea was apparently confident he could fix Siri with the right training data and better web-scraping for answers to general knowledge questions. Senior leaders didn't respond with a sense of urgency to the debut of ChatGPT in 2022; Giannandrea told employees that he didn't believe chatbots like ChatGPT added much value for users.
In 2023, Apple managers told engineers that they were forbidden from including models from other companies in final Apple products and could only use them to benchmark against their own models, but Apple's own models "didn't perform nearly as well as OpenAI's technology."
Meanwhile, Siri leader Robby Walker focused on "small wins" such as reducing wait times for Siri responses. One of Walker's pet projects was removing the "hey" from the "hey Siri" voice command used to invoke the assistant, which took over two years to achieve. He also shot down an effort from a team of engineers to use LLMs to give Siri more emotional sensitivity so it could detect and give appropriate responses to users in distress.
Apple started a project codenamed "Link" to develop voice commands to control apps and complete tasks for the Vision Pro, with plans to allow users to navigate the web and resize windows with voice alone, as well as support commands from multiple people in a shared virtual space to collaborate. Most of these features were dropped because of the Siri team's inability to achieve them.
The report claims that the demo of Apple Intelligence's most impressive features at WWDC 2024, such as where Siri accesses a user's emails to find real-time flight data and provides a reminder about lunch plans using messages and plots a route in maps, was effectively fictitious. The demo apparently came as a surprise to members of the Siri team, who had never seen working versions of the capabilities.
The only feature from the WWDC demonstration that was activated on test devices was Apple Intelligence's pulsing, colorful ribbon around the edge of the display. The decision to showcase an artificial demonstration was a major departure from Apple's past behavior, where it would only show features and products at its events that were already working on test devices and that its marketing team had approved to ensure they could be released on schedule.
Some Apple employees are said to be optimistic that Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell can turn Siri around. Federighi has apparently instructed Siri engineers to do "whatever it takes to build the best AI features," even if that means using open-source models from other companies in its software products as opposed to Apple's own models.
For more details on Apple's Siri debacle, see The Information's full report.
Amazon today has the USB-C AirPods Max on sale for $499.99 in every color, down from $549.00. While not an all-time low price, this is the first time in a few weeks that every color of the USB-C AirPods Max has been on sale on Amazon, and it's still a solid markdown for anyone who's been waiting for a sale.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Colors available on sale include Blue, Midnight, Orange, Starlight, and Purple. All colors are available to be delivered by mid April, with most providing a delivery estimate around April 15 for free shipping options. Prime members in certain cities should be able to see same-day delivery options.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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WhatsApp has announced a laundry list of new features aimed at enhancing the user experience across chats, calls, and channels, with some of the features available now or currently rolling out.
Among the most notable additions is a new "Online" indicator for group chats, which shows how many people are currently active in a conversation without revealing specific names. The feature makes it easier to see whether members are available or if you're messaging into a quiet group.
For users overwhelmed by group notifications, WhatsApp has introduced customizable alert settings. The new "Notify for" option allows users to choose between receiving all notifications or only "Highlights" – which includes @mentions, replies, and messages from saved contacts.
The encrypted chat platform has also expanded its Events functionality, which was previously limited to groups. Users can now create events in one-on-one conversations, add RSVP options including "maybe," invite plus-ones, and pin events directly in chats.
Elsewhere, communication has been made more interactive with tappable reactions. When someone reacts to a message, users can simply tap on that reaction to add their own or to "+1" the existing emoji, similar to platforms like Slack.
Video calling has received several improvements, including a more reliable connection system designed to reduce freezing and dropped calls. WhatsApp says it has optimized its routing system to find the best connection path and improved bandwidth detection to upgrade video quality to HD faster when internet speed allows.
Meanwhile, iPhone users are set to gain some platform-specific features, including the ability to pinch-to-zoom during video calls, and document scanning directly from the attachment menu. As previously reported, users can also now set WhatsApp as their default call and messaging app on iPhone.
Lastly, for Channels, WhatsApp is rolling out tools for admins to record and share short video clips up to 60 seconds long, generate unique QR codes for easy channel sharing, and provide transcripts of voice messages for followers who can't listen to audio updates.
Most of these features are now available in the latest stable build of WhatsApp for both iPhone and Android, although some users may need to wait a few weeks as the rollout completes.
Moving iPhone production from China to the United States could increase manufacturing costs by up to 90%, analysts at Bank of America warned on Wednesday (via Bloomberg).
According to BofA analysts led by Wamsi Mohan, shifting iPhone assembly to America is technically possible, however it would dramatically increase production expenses and create logistical complications.
"iPhone cost can increase 25% purely on higher labor cost in the U.S.," the analysts wrote in a note to clients. They explained that even if Apple finds domestic workers for final assembly, a "significant portion" of iPhone components would still need to be manufactured in China and imported to the States.
Assuming Apple faces reciprocal tariffs on those imported components, the total manufacturing cost could rise by 90% or more, the analysts estimated.
The analysis follows statements from President Trump earlier this week calling Apple's manufacturing in China "unsustainable." According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump "absolutely" believes Apple could manufacture iPhones in the United States. During a recent media briefing, Leavitt said the President believes "we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have the resources to do it."
Trump's aggressive trade policies singled out China on Wednesday, pausing reciprocal tariffs on 185 countries for 90 days but increasing duties on Chinese imports to 125%. In response, China has imposed 84% retaliatory levies on American goods. It's becoming increasingly difficult to assess where the stand-off goes from here.
Uncertainty caused by the trade war has battered Apple's stock, which has fallen 14% since Trump's April 2 tariff announcement, erasing approximately $479 billion in market capitalization. Despite a recent 10% rebound, Apple shares remain down 23% year-to-date.
For Apple to make U.S. assembly economically viable, Mohan suggests the company would need tariff waivers on components and subassemblies manufactured outside the country. However, he doesn't believe this is likely to happen.
"Unless it becomes clear as to how permanent the new tariffs are, we do not expect Apple to take the step of moving manufacturing into the U.S.," Mohan stated. Instead, he anticipates Apple will "continue to diversify its supply chain, and also increase production of iPhones in other countries such as India."
Apple has not officially commented on how it plans to address the current tariff situation. Apple will need to pay the 125% tariff on all goods coming to the United States from China, but it can import devices from other countries like India, Taiwan, and Vietnam at the lower 10% rate.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Along with an iPhone "Fold," Apple is believed to be working on a larger foldable device that's somewhere around 19 inches, and one analyst suggests it could arrive as soon as late next year alongside Apple's rumored foldable iPhone.
In a new research note covering likely post-tariff scenarios for Apple, investment firm GF Securities' lead analyst Jeff Pu says that both 18.8-inch and 7.8-inch foldable devices have seen development progress and are forecast to enter mass production in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Pu said as much last month, when he claimed that Apple's first two foldable devices had recently entered the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase at Foxconn. Depending on exactly when mass production begins in the second half of 2026, the devices could launch either later next year, or at some point in 2027.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that Apple is working on a foldable iPad with a 20-inch display that will come out in 2028, while analyst Ross Young has said that he expects a foldable tablet-like device in 2026 or 2027, so it's safe to say there's uncertainty about a launch date. There also appear to be conflicting reports about what kind of device the larger foldable will be.
Pu believes the foldable device that Apple is working on will be a MacBook-iPad hybrid with a touch-based screen and support for macOS. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also referred to Apple's larger foldable device as a MacBook, while Ross Young has also written about Apple's work on a notebook with an 18.8-inch display. The Wall Street Journal said in December that Apple is working on a 19-inch MacBook with a foldable screen.
However, Gurman has referred to Apple's large-screened foldable device as an iPad, as has research firm Omdia. Whether the large-screened foldable is ultimately an iPad or a Mac will come down to the operating system that Apple is planning to use. If the device runs macOS, it'll be in the Mac family, and if it runs iPadOS, it'll be in the iPad family. Gurman has claimed that some of the design updates that Apple is making in iOS 19 and macOS 16 to unify the operating systems will pave the way for foldable devices and touchscreen Macs, so a hybrid is also a possibility.
All in all, the details of Apple's larger foldable device remain murky. That's in contrast to rumors about Apple's smaller book-style foldable iPhone, which have recently been converging on a 2026 release.
This summer, Samsung plans to launch Ballie, an AI companion robot that it has been working on since 2020. Samsung showed off Ballie at CES in January 2020, demoing a robotic ball that could roll around, record video, respond to voice commands, and more.
Over the years, Ballie has gotten more capable, and now Samsung is partnering with Google to add AI features. Ballie is adopting Google Cloud's generative AI technology, and Samsung says that it will be able to engage in natural, conversational interactions, providing help at home by anticipating personal needs.
Ballie will be able to adjust lighting and control smart home products, greet people at the door, learn personalized schedules, set reminders, and more. In an animated video showing off Ballie, the robot is depicted finding an entertaining video for a child to watch, offering styling advice, telling a man to wear a coat because it's cold outside, and getting people off to work and school on time.
Using Google's Gemini AI, Ballie will be able to interpret audio and voice, visual data from its camera, and sensor data from the environment, plus it will be able to provide recommendations to improve user health and wellbeing.
Samsung has not announced pricing for Ballie, nor a specific launch date, but the company says it is coming in the summer. Customers can pre-register to order Ballie on the Samsung website.
Smart home company Aqara today announced plans to further integrate Matter into its product offerings. Aqara is bringing its Advanced Matter Bridging feature to all Aqara Matter controllers and bridges, rather than limiting the functionality to just the Hub M3. With the change, users can more easily connect Aqara devices to third-party Matter platforms.
Advanced Matter Bridging can be used to convert Scenes and Signals created in the Aqara app to virtual plugs and sensors that can be shared to other platforms, which means that advanced Aqara features that used to be limited to the Aqara ecosystem can be used in HomeKit. Advanced Matter Bridging is available across all existing and upcoming Matter Controllers from Aqara with the 4.3.4 firmware.
The Aqara platform is also gaining support for over 50 unique types of Matter-enabled devices, including third-party Matter devices from other manufacturers. Aqara Home integrates with robot vacuums, dimmable plugs, smoke alarms, sensors of all kinds, air purifiers, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners and heat pumps, solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, water heaters, and more. Matter devices that are not yet supported by a platform like Apple Home can be added to Apple Home through Aqara's platform.
Support for additional Matter device types is available in Aqara home version 5.1.9 and firmware version 4.3.5 for Matter Controllers, which is coming out later this month.
Instagram seems to be testing locked reels that require viewers to enter a keyword or a code to be able to see the hidden content. It's a feature that creators could use to increase engagement or to share content with their most loyal fans.
TechCrunch noticed that the Instagram Design account recently shared a locked reel with a hint provided to unlock the reel. Entering the code displays an animated banner with the "coming soon" wording, which seems to reference the Instagram Design team's announcement that it will soon have a Threads account.
As noted by TechCrunch, a creator could share a locked reel that requires a specific word to open, for example, providing a hint that only a follower would know such as a pet's name, which would be a way to share exclusive videos.
Instagram already has a feature that allows users to share a hidden story that can be unlocked with a DM, but the locked reel option does not require direct engagement. Instagram has not commented on the locked reel feature, and it is not clear if and when it will roll out to users.
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