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Instagram update lets users like Stories without sending a DM

Instagram on Monday announced a new feature called “Private Story Likes” that will change how users interact with other people’s Stories. Starting today, users who receive the update will be able to like someone’s Stories without sending a DM.

The news was announced by Instagram head Adam Mosseri on Twitter. While currently any interactions through Instagram Stories are sent by direct messages to the user’s inbox, the new likes system will work independently.

As demonstrated in a video shared by Mosseri, the new interface will show a heart icon when you’re viewing Stories in the Instagram app. Once you tap it, the other person will get a regular notification, not a private message. Instagram’s head says the system is built to be “private” and will not provide counting of likes.

This, of course, is expected to differentiate Stories from regular Instagram posts, which will continue to have public counts of likes. As for the feature, it will make it easier and more fun for users to show support and appreciation for content shared on Instagram Stories.

The idea here is make sure that people can express more support for each other, but also to clean up DMs a little bit.

Instagram also announced other new features for the social network recently, including 3D avatars and the global rollout of the “Security Checkup” menu, as well as three new feed-sorting options.

What do you think of these changes? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.

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