The first month of 2026 set the scene for some game-changing shifts in how brands and creators engage with their audiences. February continues this momentum, with updates that bring new opportunities for targeted advertising, AI-driven tools, platform adjustments, and evolving user behaviours.
Missed last month’s social media updates roundup? Catch up on the January 2026 social media updates here.
Let’s look at the key February 2026 social media updates that brands, creators, and marketers need to pay attention to.
Ads on ChatGPT
OpenAI has announced testing ads in the U.S, with sponsored links appearing at the bottom of conversations for free-tier and “ChatGPT Go” users.
This ad placement hits users exactly when they’re asking for a solution or making decisions.
For brands, it’s an ideal position during the “consideration” phase, tapping into a high-intent audience at the moment they’re actively seeking answers or recommendations.
These social media updates signal a new way in conversational advertising.
TikTok’s Smart+ Campaign Updates
TikTok’s Smart+ platform continues to evolve with some significant updates aimed at improving campaign efficiency:
- Auto-select: Scans existing ads and creator content, recommending the best-performing creatives.
- Ad Preview: A new feature in Ads Manager allows users to preview creative combinations before going live.
- Efficiency Tools: These are upgraded to include bulk editing, draft mode, and automated rules.
For marketers, Smart+ is becoming an essential tool to automate and optimise TikTok ad campaigns, driving more precise, data-backed creative decisions. This social media updates provide brands with the tools to streamline their creative processes and optimise ad performance.
Expanding Threads Ads
Meta has announced the global expansion of Threads ads, opening the door to all advertisers after an initial test phase. Threads now boast 150 million daily active users, offering brands an exciting new opportunity to tap into a highly engaged audience.
With the increased ad potential, Threads could become a valuable addition to your social media strategy, particularly for brands looking to engage younger, trend-conscious audiences.
TikTok’s 2026 Trend Report: Everything You Need to Know
TikTok’s latest 2026 Trend Report reveals key insights that will shape the platform’s culture and how brands engage with users this year. Rather than focusing on rigid categories, TikTok highlights three major shifts that are driving content creation, discovery, and buying decisions:
Reali-TEA: TikTok users are moving away from polished fantasy and embracing real, authentic moments.
Curiosity Detours: Discovery on TikTok is no longer just about entertainment, users actively search, research, and explore.
Emotional ROI: Consumers are prioritising value based on emotional connection, not just price.
These social media updates highlight that in 2026, authenticity, connection, and emotional relevance will drive success on TikTok. You can find out more here.
Instagram Tests “Friends” Count
Instagram is testing a change from “Following” to “Friends,” counting only mutual connections.
This shift aligns with Instagram’s strategy to focus more on real connections, and for brands, it means that engagement will be even more important than simple follower numbers.
TikTok Launches Regional Event Calendars
TikTok is releasing regional event calendars, tailored to seasonal moments, key dates, and local festivities. These calendars help marketers plan content that aligns with cultural and regional events.
This tool is one of the social media updates that brands can use to stay on top of localised trends and create contextually relevant content. It’s a valuable resource for marketers who want to tap into region-specific activations in 2026.
Reddit’s New AI-Powered Max Campaigns
Reddit has launched Max Campaigns, an AI-powered ad format that predicts the value of every ad impression.
Max campaigns optimise real-time settings to improve campaign performance with less manual input. These social media updates give brands a chance to automate their campaigns and gain deeper insights into their audience’s behaviour.
Reddit said: “Max campaigns optimise campaign settings in real-time to drive better performance with less work. What’s more, where some automated campaigns on other platforms limit performance visibility, Max campaigns do the opposite: unlocking new creative and audience insights only possible with AI and Reddit Community Intelligence.”
TikTok’s GamePlan for Sports
TikTok is introducing GamePlan, a new tool that will help sports organisations and businesses optimise in-stream content.
This social media update allows sports-related brands to add anchor links to official accounts, schedules, and ticket platforms, offering a new way to engage fans and capitalise on live sports moments.
Meta’s AI Content Challenges
Instagram’s Adam Mosseri addressed the challenges of AI-generated content, particularly around creator authenticity and the ability of AI to replicate human-made posts.
As AI continues to improve, Instagram plans to focus more on personal, less polished content. For brands, this shift in priorities highlights the importance of staying authentic and prioritising meaningful engagement over perfection. Take a look at his post.
TikTok’s Custom Identity Option
TikTok is removing the ability to run ads without linking them to a verified account, meaning all advertisers will need to have a verified presence on the platform.
This social media update ensures better brand consistency and credibility for advertisers, as only verified accounts will be able to run campaigns moving forward.
YouTube CEO’s Focus for 2026
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan shared his vision for the platform in 2026, with an emphasis on AI tools for creativity and content discovery.
As per Mohan, “As we enter 2026, the lines between creativity and technology are blurring, sparking a new era of innovation. This inflection point requires ambitious bets.”
For creators and brands, this social media update means more opportunities to experiment with AI-driven content while still maintaining the importance of human-made creativity.
Meta Purchases Manus AI Chatbot
Meta has acquired Manus, an AI chatbot company, to improve its AI tools and conversational marketing capabilities.
For brands, this social media update signals that Meta is focused on building more advanced AI chatbots, which could enhance customer engagement in the coming years.
YouTube Search Filter Updates
YouTube has made some changes to its search filter options in order to make the tool more intuitive and clearer for users:
- Adding a Shorts filter to the Type menu
- The “Sort by” was renamed “Prioritise”
- The “View Count” option has been renamed “Popularity”
These social media updates make it easier for brands to optimise their content for better visibility on the platform, helping increase discoverability.
In summary, the February 2026 social media updates are all about automation, authenticity, and better ways for brands to connect with their audiences. TikTok’s new trends, along with other platform changes, offer exciting opportunities for brands to stay ahead in 2026.
Stay informed, stay agile, these social media updates are shaping how brands engage and connect with their audiences in new and meaningful ways.
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About the author
Niamh Conneely | Junior Account Manager
With experience across beauty, lifestyle, and tech, working with both B2B and B2C brands, Niamh is passionate about all things social and loves turning strategy into engaging campaigns.
