Instagram Launches ‘Private Story Likes’ Feature

Instagram is launching a new way to interact with Stories. The photo and video sharing platform has introduced a new Private Story Likes feature, which allows users to like other people’s Instagram Stories without sending a direct message (DM).

Previously, users could only re-share the stories or leave a comment on them. In addition, responses shared on an Instagram Story were displayed in users’ DM inboxes. Users can now mark their likes for Stories without cluttering their DM inbox with the latest update.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced the rollout of Private Story Likes functionality on Tuesday via a video on Twitter. With the latest update, you can interact with a Story by tapping the heart icon, just like you would with a regular feed post. Tapping the like button located between the Send Message option and the paper airplane icon does not send the user a DM notification. Private Story Likes, unlike regular Instagram posts, do not display a count. According to Mosseri, they will appear in the viewer sheet rather than in your DM thread with them.

The latest Private Story Likes feature was unveiled as part of Instagram’s ongoing efforts to improve the platform’s messaging experience.

Mosseri announced in December of last year that Instagram will focus on messaging and will double down on controls to improve transparency, while also listing the company’s general goals for 2022.

Instagram introduced a slew of new features earlier this month to make it easier for users to delete posts, comments, and other activities from the platform. Users can bulk delete or archive all of their content, including posts, Stories, IGTV, and Reels, as well as interactions such as comments, likes, story sticker reactions, and so on. In the Your Activity section, users can also filter their content and interactions by date and search for past comments, likes, and story replies from a specific date range.