Instagram’s Notes Feature Expands to Posts, Reels

Acting as temporary virtual Post-it notes, Notes are designed to help strengthen mutual connections, not reach new audiences.

Lauren McLemore lauren.mclemore@nationaljeweler.com

Last month, Instagram expanded its Notes feature to posts and Reels. It was originally limited to users’ inboxes. (Photo from Instagram official Threads account)

New York—Last month, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri shared a post on the social media platform announcing its new Notes feature has expanded to posts and Reels.

Essentially, Notes act as short, virtual Post-it notes that last three days before disappearing for good.

They can be added to your own content or applied to posts and Reels from other creators.

   
  
 


 
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A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

To add a Note to a post or Reel, users can tap the “paper plane” icon, hit “Add note,” type out their message, and then choose to share it with one of two audiences—followers who follow you back or Close Friends, a feature that allows users to curate a specific group of followers with whom to privately share content.

Notes will be visible to only the indicated audience, and they can be deleted at any time.

Those who can see the note can reply to it, and that reply will appear as a new chat in the note-maker’s inbox.

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Notes originally launched at the end of 2022 when it rolled out as a feature within the Instagram inbox, allowing users to find their profile photo at the top of the inbox and leave a short message.

These Notes function similarly to how they do on posts and Reels, except when added in the inbox, they last 24 hours instead of three days.

The Notes feature can be used like a conversation starter, Meta said in its initial announcement, used for things like sharing what you’re up to or asking for recommendations.

Mosseri wrote in a later Instagram post that they’re “sort of like [an] AIM status.”

“Notes are not for reaching followers whom you don’t follow back, sorry creators,” he wrote. “This one is all about starting conversations with people you care about.”

To reach and connect with loyal followers through this new feature, businesses would need to first follow those accounts back.

One way to reach new audiences while also nurturing mutual-follow relationships could be to publicly post a new Reel, and then, once it’s up, add a Note with a special message or announcement to be seen only by that designated community.

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Notes is an evolving feature, and many users report that they don’t have access to it at all.

There is also other feedback about downsides to the feature.

Some users dislike that the feature causes them to see posts they don’t care about (or wouldn’t normally choose to see) appearing in their feed, simply because a mutual friend has left a Note on the content.

Some also say they’ve turned off suggested posts (content the app inserts into your feed from accounts you don’t already follow, but that Instagram thinks you may enjoy) for this reason.

Notes can also be turned off in settings.

The feature appears to show Notes in the Instagram app only, not on web browsers.