Instagram is experimenting with expanded presentation of its inbox Notes beyond mutual follows, which would see all of an account’s followers able to view these in-stream comment additions.
App researcher Hammod Oh shared an April 7 post on Threads that highlighted the update, showing a new pop-up informing users that they can now share their Notes with anyone who follows their profile.
Notes, which Instagram launched in 2022, provides another way to spark discussion in the app. It adds simple comments that followers can see and react to, and helps elicit responses and maintain connection.
The option has proven popular with younger users. Teen users, at one stage at least, were posting 10x more notes than non-teens in the app.
That popularity led Instagram to experiment with new ways to incorporate Notes beyond the inbox. The app added the option to both Reels and feed posts, though it eventually removed both due to lack of interest.
Now Notes is only available in the top bar of the IG inbox, wtih this expanded access set to provide more ways to spark discussion and engagement with followers.
Though it may also make Notes similar Broadcast Channels for creators, in providing another way to blast information to audiences.
And given the existence of Broadcast Channels, it does seem a little unnecessary, because creators already have a means to broadcast messages to fans, or at least, to those who have signed up to broadcast chats.
Notes are less intrusive, in that they’re tiny speech bubbles overlaid on a user’s profile image in the inbox. But even so, the switch to enable broader reach for Notes could lead to a lot more Notes being shared by creators seeking to promote their latest projects.
Or maybe that’s pessimistic, and it will really just end up being a lightweight means to prompt discussion and help to build community.
It remains to be seen, as the update is rolled out to more users.
