Instagram to soon allow users to share links in stories

Until now, the company has kept the number of people allowed to post links on Instagram stories limited, but that could change soon. The company is starting a new trial that could give more people the option to add links to their Instagram stories. However, it is going to be a little different. Links will not work with the "swipe up" option but will appear as a link tag in the story. Therefore, you will need to tap on this link to follow the link instead of "swipe up". People can also reply to these stories that come with the link tag; this is currently not allowed for stories with the "swipe up".

Vishal Shah, head of product for Instagram, told The Verge that for now, the test is small and that the company wants to know how people "could take advantage of the links." Instagram is going to be attentive to the type of links that people post and at the same time control misinformation and spam. Shah said the stickers "fit more into the current way people use the platform," so this test "brings links to the same kind of general system, which from a system simplicity perspective, also makes a lot of sense. ". Shah added that link stickers are the "end goal" of Instagram for everyone, even those who already have link privileges.

"That is the sort of future system we would like to get to. And that's what we hope to roll out if we're able to make this work," Shah said. These sticker links will be limited to stories at this time, and there are no plans to take them to the feed or anywhere else in the app.

This new test aims at Instagram users who have "found a voice and reach on the platform" but have not reached the level that Instagram needs to allow "swipe up" privileges. Currently, to get the "swipe up" option, you must have a verified profile or have at least 10,000 followers. This could be the end of the terrible "link in the bio", and we couldn't be more grateful. For now, the test is small, and how Instagram works isn't going to change anytime soon, but a feature like this will allow people to start browsing the web from the Instagram app more often than now.