If you use Instagram, it’s likely that you regularly see ‘Happy Birthday’ Stories from your friends.
Now, Instagram has quietly launched a new feature in Stories, that makes it much easier to create personalised Happy Birthday posts.
The feature, called Shoutouts, includes several options for personalised Stories, including Happy Birthday, Thanks, Happy Anniversary and a blank template.
Once you’ve chosen which template you’d like to use, you’re asked to type your friend’s Instagram handle into a box.
Instagram will then show you all your previous Stories mentioning that friend, which you can add to your new personalised Story!
It remains unclear whether the new feature is simply a test, or whether Instagram plans to launch it as a permanent feature.
Mirror Online has contacted Instagram for comment.
How to use Instagram Shoutouts
- Open your Instagram app, and tap the camera icon in the top left corner to create a new Story
- In the bottom carousel, swipe to ‘Create’
- Swipe to the heart icon - this is Shoutouts
- Decide which template you’d like to choose from - you can swap templates by tapping the dice icon at the top of the screen
- Once you’re happy with the template, tap on the box with the @ symbol in it, and type your friend’s Instagram handle
- Instagram will then display all of your previous Instagram Stories that mention that friend - you can tap through these by tapping the thumbnails at the bottom of the screen
- You can personalise the Story using the tools at the top right of the screen, just as you would with basic Instagram Stories
- Once you’re happy with your masterpiece, tap next in the bottom right corner, and share you Instagram Story
