Everyone’s favourite Facebook-owned picture-sharing app is getting another update (story of our lives, eh?), and this time it’ll mainly affect businesses, brands and influencers. Instagram’s swipe-up link feature, generally found in Stories, is disappearing.
The widely-used feature was reserved for accounts with more than 10,000 followers. It allowed profiles to insert links to websites, videos, and web pages directly in their Instagram Stories to direct viewers to those locations quickly. The feature will officially disappear on 30 August, according to new reports.
Read More: Instagram introduces new features to prevent abuse
Instagram’s ?major? update
App researcher Jane Manchun Wong (who generally also knows what’s up with WhatsApp) found mention of something called ‘link stickers’ — something that indicates the company is planning a different linking method entirely. It seems the above is true, because TechCrunch claims the functionality is coming. Soon.
“Instagram says it will begin to convert those who currently have access to the swipe-up link to the Link Sticker starting on August 30, 2021. This will include businesses and creators who are either verified or who have met the threshold for follower count,” TechCrunch reports.
IG said the swipe up links will go away starting from Aug 30 and that I should use the “link sticker”
… but I searched my Stories Sticker sheet and I’m not seeing the link sticker at all (not rolled out to me).
Does that mean I’ll lose the ability to add links to my Stories?
— Jane "Not A Twïtter Employee" Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) August 23, 2021
While this small change shouldn’t affect the wider public, it will affect how many brands plan their social media strategies.
Creators and social media managers will have the option to personalise links using the above-mentioned stickers, as there appear to be a few different styles to choose from. They will have the ability to resize ‘em, place ‘em in certain spots and make ‘em look cool in general.
Maybe the platform will allow more people access to them? Like small businesses with <10,000 followers? Now that would be newsworthy. Let’s hope for that.
