Instagram for iOS is testing the ability for anyone to share links in stories through new linking stickers. As the Verge reports, this would be a notable expansion of support for links in stories on Instagram, as the feature is currently limited to users who are verified or have over 10,000 followers.
Currently, those users on Instagram with 10,000 or a verified badge have the ability to add links to their stories with a “swipe-up” design. What Instagram is now testing, however, is not a swipe up but rather a linking sticker.
“These stickers will operate the same way a swipe-up link does, except with a tap instead of a swipe,” the report explains. This also means that people will be able to respond to stories that include a sticker, something that is not possible on stories with a swipe-up link.
The test right now is limited, and only certain users will have access to the link sticker feature. Instagram will be monitoring to see the types of links people post, with a focus on preventing misinformation and spam:
For now, the test is small, and Vishal Shah, Instagram’s head of product, tells the Verge it’s mostly to learn how people might take advantage of links. They’ll be watching for the types of links people post while keeping a particular eye on misinformation and spam. Plus, stickers, he says, fit more into the current way people use the platform, so he says this test “brings links into the same kind of overall system, which from a simplicity of system perspective, also makes a lot of sense.”
Even though the test is currently small, Instagram does eventually hope to roll out link stickers to everyone if it’s able to make it work properly. There are no plans to bring links to other parts of Instagram, however, such as comments or captions.
Do you have access to the new link stickers feature in Instagram? If so, what do you think of it? Let us know down in the comments!
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