Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has unveiled a new feature for his network: private story likes. Mosseri explained in a video on Twitter that Instagram users will be able to directly like Stories in the future without having to send a direct message every time.
Instagram Stories have enjoyed great popularity since their introduction. This is also shown by statistics, because according to the analysis platform Statista, the number of Story users has risen continuously in recent years. Until now, however, users have only been able to like stories via direct message.
But this is now to be put to an end. As Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced on Twitter, Instagram users will be able to like Stories directly in the future without having to send a direct message each time. This should make the inboxes of content creators less cluttered.
Instagram: Story likes now also possible without a direct message
Until now, Instagram users have only been able to like Stories in a roundabout way. Via the message field, there is the option to select and send emojis via Quick Reactions. The problem: The selection of emojis is limited and the creators received a direct message every time users linked their Stories in this way.
According to Adam Mosseri, the new Story Like function should now help to streamline creators’ inboxes. This should be especially interesting for larger accounts. This is because the so-called private story likes do not appear in the message inbox as before, but in the stories themselves.
How do the Private Stories Likes work?
According to Adam Mosseri, Instagram is now rolling out the new feature gradually. However, unlike Instagram Reels or Feed posts, the number of Stories Likes will remain private. That means only the Stories creators can see them. Within the Stories, the Likes will be found next to the Views in the future.
Small heart symbols would mark the viewers who have also liked the videos. According to reports, however, the likes will not be counted directly. With the new function, Instagram primarily wants to increase the possibilities for interaction and ultimately kills two birds with one stone: an uncomplicated Like function for Stories and streamlined inboxes.
