Instagram’s Link Stickers will now be available to all users on the social media platform, according to an announcement by the company. The feature, which allows people to include hyperlinks in their Instagram Stories in the form of stickers, was earlier limited to verified accounts and handles with a high number of followers.
The social media platform had started testing its Link Stickers feature in June this year. Taking note of several users demanding access to the the feature, Instagram said it is now making the sticker available to everyone, regardless of their number of followers.
The company said the feature was extremely useful for creators, businesses and other people in the community, who could use Link Stickers to share information and resources. However, Instagram added that accounts which violate community guidelines and repeatedly share misinformation and hate speech will lose access to the feature.
With regards to the Link Stickers feature, Instagram had said in June there were no plans to bring the feature to the main Instagram feed or to other parts of the app. The company is still maintaining this stance, according to The Verge.
The sticker has replaced the ‘swipe up’ feature on Instagram, which was earlier used to direct followers to external webpages from the platform. However, the company discontinued the feature, which was only available to accounts with over 10,000 followers, in August this year.
Steps to add Link Stickers in Instagram stories:
– Upload or capture content for your Instagram story
– Select the sticker tool on the navigation bar at the top of the screen
– Tap the ‘Link’ sticker to add the link you want and tap the ‘Done’ option
– Place the sticker on your Instagram story and tap on it to see colour variations of the sticker.
– Post the story with the desired link to enable your followers to view the information you have shared
Instagram is also working on customising the stickers, so that “it’s clear what someone will see” when they tap on the link.