by Instagram now lets its users send private likes for Stories, instead of through direct messages, reducing inbox clutter…
Instagram is in the process of making it easier to interact with Stories. Going forward, users can send private likes to Story posters for shared images and video. Previously, the only way to respond to a Story was to send a direct message to the creator or hit an emoji reaction. Either prior method meant replies would also show up in the creator’s messages inbox, cluttering it unnecessarily.
Instagram Introduces Private Story Likes
The new Instagram private Story reaction option is currently rolling out site-wide. Once people have access, a new heart icon will appear between the “Send Message” pill and the airplane icon. When a creator receives a Story like, it will show up in the viewer sheet. However, others who publicly view the Story won’t see a like count. This follows other small changes on the platform. For instance, last fall, Instagram added the option to delete images and videos from a carousel.
❤️ Private Story Likes ❤️
Starting to roll out today, you can now send some love by liking people’s stories without sending a DM.
Likes on stories are private and do not have counts. Rather, they appear as hearts next to people’s handles in your Stories view sheet. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/l56Rmzgnnw
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) February 14, 2022
