Image Credit: Instagram

Instagram now lets users like Stories, without sending a DM. Instagram Story likes are private and only shown to the author.

At the start of the year, Instagram announced they would focus particularly on video and messaging. Previously, reacting to Instagram Stories would send a message to the creator. Now, Instagram are adding a heart icon in the bottom right corner when viewing Stories, between the Send Message box and paper airplane icon.

Simply tap the new heart icon to like an Instagram Story. There is no public like count, but the original creator can see who liked their Story in the view sheet, with a heart icon showing next to the user’s handle. This move should encourage positive interactions on Instagram Stories, while cleaning up DMs. This feature is now rolling out to all users.

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