Have a question? Ask it on Instagram with open-ended questions in a Story

By Lulu Chang Published March 30, 2021

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Polling public opinion is getting easier than ever on Instagram. The photo-sharing app is constantly introducing new features and its latest is the ability to ask questions in Instagram Stories. While users already have the option of adding yes/no polls and multiple choice questions to their ephemeral content, as well as emoji sliders (where you literally slide an emoji on a scale to express your emotion), this is actually the first time that Instagram is letting folks pose open-ended questions to their followers.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Unlike the previous options, the question feature allows users to ask questions that could have extremely lengthy answers. Rather than asking your followers whether or not your outfit is flattering, you can delve deeper, perhaps inquiring as to the meaning of life (though you probably shouldn’t expect particularly illuminating answers … we are, after all, on Instagram). Your followers can also respond in as many characters as they like (because this isn’t Twitter).

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As Android Police notes, the feature is not yet available to everyone quite yet, as only a handful of people seem to be experiencing the open-ended question option. That said, it does seem to be rolling out internationally — users in both Indonesia and Spain have spotted the open-ended question.

It’s not entirely clear as to exactly how responses are received. Do they land in your inbox? Will all answers be combined and then sent to you as part of the Story? Currently, if you post a Story, fellow users respond via direct messages (which are, of course, located in your inbox). But as Instagram continues to make its Stories more interactive, it could be the case that responses will be made somewhat collaborative, and turned into a Story of their own.

Instagram has not officially confirmed that it is testing the feature, but based on the reports we have seen thus far, it seems quite clear that the Facebook-owned platform is already well on its way to seeing what else it can do to improve its interface. Of course, we will keep you posted as we learn more about open-ended questions in Stories, and may just have a few questions of our own to ask.

Former Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

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