Igor Bonifacic / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Instagram is doing away with Swipe-Up links starting August 30.
- They will be replaced by new Link Stickers.
Instagram is doing away with its age-old Swipe-Up links in stories. Content creators and brands widely use the popular feature to direct users to their websites or online stores. Sadly, Swipe-Up links will go out of existence starting August 30.
According to TechCrunch, Instagram users who previously had access to Swipe-Up links will now be able to use new Link Stickers.
Instagram’s announcement about Link Stickers was first spotted by app researcher Jane Manchun Wong. The company says it has been testing the new feature since June. Only a handful of users had access to it till now, but a wider rollout will begin at the end of this month. Businesses and creators who are verified on the platform and have an adequate number of followers will be able to add Link Stickers to their Insta stories.
There are a couple of advantages of Link Stickers as opposed to Swipe-Up links. Creators will be able to choose from a variety of styles, resize the stickers, and place them anywhere in stories.
Viewers will also be able to react and reply to stories that have Link Stickers. This was previously not possible on posts with Swipe-Up links.
Instagram is also contemplating expanding Link Stickers to more accounts in the future.
