Instagram's latest voice message features allow you to sound like a pirate, a grandma, or a World Cup enthusiast.

      Instagram is enhancing its AI-driven voice effects for direct messages, increasing the total from eight effects that were introduced earlier this year in March to fifteen.

      The platform is broadening access to these voice effects for users, adding new filters as part of Meta’s promotional efforts for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The update is currently available on both Android and iOS, although Instagram has indicated that its availability is restricted to specific countries.

      The feature originally launched in India in March with eight voice effects: Chipmunk, Demon, Alien, Robot, Underwater, Stadium, Wobble, and Fishbowl. The expanded rollout now includes seven additional effects: Goal!, Pirate, Autotune, Whisper, Grandpa, Grandma, and Princess. The Goal! effect is a new feature designed to coincide with the FIFA World Cup and is said to trigger a surprise animation when sent.

      **How it works**

      To utilize this feature, users should tap the voice message button in a direct message thread and then click on the new effect button located between the delete and send buttons at the bottom. First-time users will encounter a pop-up message stating: “Now you can transform how you sound in voice messages. Choose the perfect voice to make your conversations more memorable.”

      The pop-up also contains a disclaimer regarding Meta AI terms, indicating that interactions will be utilized to enhance AI at Meta. When a voice message with an effect is dispatched, recipients can see the effect that was employed and tap it to apply the same one in their response.

      **World Cup features across Meta’s apps**

      This expansion of voice effects is part of a wider array of FIFA World Cup features that Meta has revealed across its platforms. On Facebook, the company is introducing a Football Mode, tournament-themed stickers, and a Live Updates feature for Messenger group chats that showcases real-time highlights of matches.

      Instagram is also launching an improved search experience that highlights curated tournament content, which includes Reels, Stories, and posts from official broadcasters and national teams.

      Pranob is an experienced tech journalist with more than eight years of expertise in consumer technology reporting.

      Recently, an outage affected Facebook and Messenger, leading to logout concerns among users.

      Downdetector reported a spike in issues as users experienced being logged out and were unable to regain access. The outage prompted users to turn to X, Reddit, and other platforms to determine if the issue was widespread or specific to their accounts. The first noticeable increase in complaints about Facebook appeared around 9:52 a.m. ET.

      A new Australian study presents further evidence against social media's impact on mental health, especially among teenagers. It reveals that adolescents spending at least two hours daily on social media were more likely to show depressive symptoms and poorer wellbeing after a year compared to those using it for under one hour.

      While this study does not definitively establish that social media causes these mental health issues, the longitudinal approach is significant, as it tracks young people's experiences over time rather than relying solely on short-term data.

      Reddit is introducing a feature that allows users to reply with video comments within threads. This new capability is being rolled out to all users today, enabling individuals to record or upload videos directly in the comment section of supported communities.

      Initially, some may question the necessity of video comments when GIFs are already available. However, video replies could prove to be far more beneficial in communities where users seek genuine help, feedback, or demonstrations.