Instagram has launched a new feature that allows users to publicly comment on their friends’ Stories. This feature will enable users to leave comments that remain visible until the Story expires.
According to a post from the Instagram creators account on Threads, the new “Story Comments” feature aims to make it easier for users to connect and engage with friends through comments directly on Instagram Stories. This update is expected to increase interaction, as Stories are posted more frequently than regular Feed posts, a trend previously highlighted by Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri.
Users can add a comment on a friend’s Story using the “add a comment” field, but this is restricted to mutual friends—those who follow each other. Users can also adjust their settings to allow all followers to comment or disable comments entirely for certain Stories.
Public comments will be visible to anyone who can see the Story and will appear on the Story frame itself. This feature complements the existing options for Story replies and emoji reactions, which remain private and are sent via direct messages.