Janice R. Andrews
Instagram is adding a new feature that lets users comment on Stories. This is a big change from the old model, where users could only connect with Stories through direct messages. With this update, mutual followers can now publicly connect with Stories, making the experience more dynamic and engaging.
With this change, comments on Stories will no longer show up in the direct messages of the original poster. Instead, they will only show up on the Story itself. Users can choose to let comments show up or not for each Story. When comments are turned on, anyone who follows the account can see them, but only mutual followers can leave them. After 24 hours, both these comments and the Stories will be gone.
Instagram will put small profile pictures of users at the bottom of the Story icon so they are easier to find. This shows that someone is engaged with the post before you tap it to see it. Users can still reply through direct texts if they’d rather talk to each other in private. After responding to a comment, you can also send a direct message by swiping left on the text.
This update is part of Instagram’s continued work to make Stories more engaging. Stories now have customizable templates, backgrounds made by AI, and a number of stickers that can be interacted with.
