Kate Mills 
Dec 30, 2023
Instagram Stories, introduced in 2016, revolutionised the way users share content on the platform. Allowing photos and videos to disappear after 24 hours, this interactive feature garnered immense popularity, boasting a user count of 500 million by 2019.
The Meta-owned social media giant is now on the brink of introducing a groundbreaking addition to Stories.
Noted developer Alessandro Paluzzi revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Instagram is in the works to enable users to share other profiles on their Stories.
Profile sharing in stories
The proposed feature is anticipated to operate similarly to the existing “Add to Story” option.
Users will have the ability to showcase another user's profile on their Instagram Story, accompanied by a "View Profile" button, encouraging viewers to explore and follow the featured account or page.
Read more: WhatsApp initiates testing for cross-device status updates
Once implemented, this feature is poised to aid in profile sharing, fostering increased visibility and follower counts for content creators and influencers.
Much like the ephemeral nature of photos and videos in Stories, these profile invites are expected to vanish after 24 hours, bypassing appearance on the profile grid or feed.
Recent Instagram enhancements
Instagram has been on a roll with feature updates. Recent additions include song lyrics display functionality for Reels, offering users more options to personalise their content with favourite tunes.
Additionally, new Reels editing tools, such as individual clip cropping and rotating, have expanded creative possibilities.
Meta's ongoing developments
Beyond these feature updates, the Meta-owned app has extended the Close Friends feature, allowing users to share exclusive posts and reels visible only to those on their designated list.
Furthermore, Instagram users in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland now have the option to subscribe to a paid, ad-free experience, showcasing Meta's commitment to continuous innovation and user satisfaction.
