The update of likes on Instagram stories has been expected for a couple of months now, yet it was not certain when it would be launched. Yesterday, Adam Mosseri ended this uncertainty and shared a reel video in which he officially introduced the likes feature on stories.
Previously, the only way to respond to a story was to send the creator a direct message or an emoji reaction, both of which would clog up the creator’s inbox. Not anymore. Instagram is attempting to make creators’ inboxes more manageable by adding likes, which would give users new opportunities to connect with stories. Rather than searching through their mailbox to check which viewers “liked” a story, creators can just look at the data on the story’s viewer sheet.
How to Like an Instagram Story
Once you have access to this new feature, the following procedure to like a story should go like this:
- Open the most recent version of the Instagram app.
- View someone’s story.
- On a story, a heart should appear between the “Send Message” area and the plane icon to re-share the story.
- To ‘like’ the story you’re viewing, tap the heart icon.
How to See Who Liked Your Story
If someone likes your Instagram story, it will appear on the viewer sheet, which you can access by going back to your own story and viewing it again.
- Open the Instagram app in its most recent version.
- In the top left corner, tap on your story icon.
- Swipe up to see who has viewed your story.
- You’ll see a heart next to a viewer’s name if they’ve “liked” your story.
Are Likes on Stories Public or Private?
If you like a story, only the creator of the story will see it. That is, it’s not public to anyone else. And, if you receive like on the story you created, people who publicly view it won’t see the like count.
What do you think about this new feature on Instagram? Are you happy with it, or doesn’t it make a difference for you? Share your thoughts down below!