How-To

How to Turn On Notes in Instagram

By Adam Davidson

Updated November 22, 2023

Do you ever update your WhatsApp status? I don’t think I’ve changed mine since I first signed up for the messaging app. It’s not a big deal, as it’s not very visible unless people look for it. But wouldn’t it be good if people could see your status, and you could change it every day?

That’s basically how Instagram Notes work. You post a short message that your followers will be able to see, and that will disappear within 24 hours. Here’s how to turn on Notes in Instagram.

What are Instagram Notes?

If you’re old enough to remember the days of messaging apps such as MSN Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger, then Instagram Notes will feel very familiar to you. On those apps, you could set a status that would appear alongside your username so that other people could see your current mood, what you were currently thinking, or even just some song lyrics that perfectly reflected your angst.

Instagram Notes is a similar feature. It allows you to post a short message that appears above your profile picture in the app and lets other users know what you’re currently thinking. You can post your current mood, ask a question, post something funny, or go old school and post some lyrics that perfectly reflect your angst.

These captions only last for 24 hours so they’re ideal for reflecting your current mood or thoughts without having to worry about remembering to update them later. You can also limit who gets to see your Instagram Notes.

How to Turn on Notes in Instagram

Adding Notes in Instagram is easy to do, although it’s not immediately obvious how to do so until you know. The feature was initially unavailable in the U.K., EU, and Japan, but it has now been rolled out to these regions too, so you should be able to use notes no matter your location.

1. Open Instagram.
2. Tap the Messages icon in the top right of the screen.
   
3. At the top of your list of messages, you’ll see your profile icon.
4. Tap Note above your icon.
   
5. Tap Note again to enter your Note and enter a note of up to 60 characters.
   
6. In the top right of the screen, tap Share to post your Note.
7. Your Note is now shared. It will disappear after 24 hours.

How to Limit Who Can See Your Notes

By default, your note can be seen by any accounts you follow that are also following you back. However, it’s possible to limit who can view your note to specific people.

1. Open Instagram.
2. Tap the Messages icon.
   
3. Tap Note above your profile icon.
   
4. At the bottom of the screen, tap Shared with Followers That Follow You Back.
   
5. Select Close Friends.
   
6. Tap Close Friends to edit the people that your Note will be visible to.
   
7. Select the friends you want to be able to see your Note and then tap Done.
   
8. Tap Done again and enter your Note.
9. Tap Share and your Note will be shared with just those people that you selected.

Do More With Instagram

Learning how to turn on Notes in Instagram allows you to rock it old school and display your current mood to your followers, or even just post some enigmatic song lyrics. The good news is that after 24 hours, it’s gone, so you don’t have to worry about embarrassing statuses hanging around too long.

There are new features added to Instagram all the time and you may not be using some of the best. For example, did you know that you can enable Vanish Mode on Instagram, to make your messages automatically disappear?