What you need to know
- Instagram announces several new features users can expect to see on the platform.
- Currently, all users globally have access to "Cutouts," which lets users turn their photos into usable stickers and videos into animated stickers.
- Instagram is preparing to introduce "Notes Prompts" that encourage more interaction while exploring Notes on profiles.
Here's a bit of fun to end your week: Instagram is introducing a few new features that are preparing to arrive for all users for DMs and more.
As detailed in a press release, the platform states the three features users can expect are designed to breathe more personality into Stories, Reels, and Notes. The first of the features is "Cutouts," which lets users turn photos into their own unique stickers.
Instagram states users use these custom stickers in Reels and Stories and any stickers created from a video will be animated.
Additionally, the social media platform allows users to grab "eligible photos you see on Instagram" and turn them into usable stickers.
The next update is arriving for Instagram's Notes, which will bring "prompts" to the quirky "set your mood" feature in DMs. The company states it has started exploring a way for users to "add prompts" to Notes that will encourage more interaction between users, friends, and followers. Those who see the prompt attached to your Note will be able to respond to it.
Prompts will appear within a user's DM page and display the number of responses it's received so far. Upon tapping, a short menu will appear from the bottom of the UI showing every user's response to the prompt. Your profile icon will be placed in the top left corner of this small menu, which, when tapped, will throw you into the standard Notes UI for you to write your mood.
Similar to how Notes works currently, it looks like users will be able to fine-tune the prompt's sharing settings. Users will likely find the option to share their "Notes Prompt" with followers they follow back or with close friends only.
That's not all for Notes; as Instagram teases, it's working on a way to bring the short blurbs to profiles. The feature is "coming soon" and will let users display their Notes on their profile for 24 hours. A person's blurb will appear right above their profile photo like a thought bubble.
Instagram states that Cutouts are currently available globally to all users. However, those interested in the new Notes feature must wait as it is still "coming soon."
