Instagram is feeling the love with a surprise set of Valentine's Day easter eggs

• Instagram just rolled out some Valentine's Day easter eggs
• The launch includes an iOS exclusive Story sticker
• Plus you can theme DMs to the holiday, and give someone a nickname

You could say love is in the air as Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, February 14. Similar to some special easter eggs rolled out ahead of ringing in 2025, Instagram is getting in the spirit and spreading some love.

Between special effects for sharing ‘Notes,’ custom Story stickers, and outright themes for DMs, you can get in on some Valentine’s Day action whether or not you’re in a relationship. Though similar to the great debate of blue vs green bubbles, some of these limited-time features are exclusive to this with iOS.

Kicking things off is a special treat for Instagram’s ‘Notes’ feature, which basically acts as a status for your account. It’s a place to share a thought, a call to action, or a message of love for your followers if you’re in the Valentine’s spirit. Certain words or phrases like ‘pookie,’ ‘ily,’ or simply ‘vday’ will enable a special visual effect. Think of a cupid's arrow going through your note, a change in the color of the bubble, or hearts filling up your screen.

These are pretty fun, and Instagram’s dubbed these “Secret Phrases in Notes.” If you’re a fan of DMs (direct messages) or group chats, you can set the mood with three new themes: candy hearts, love, or sweethearts. If you feel like taking a potential move to the next level, you could slide into someone’s DMs with a theme. Results may vary, though.

Beyond themes, you can give another account on Instagram a custom nickname – think ‘bestie’ – and there are few new reaction types beyond just double tapping to love a message someone sent.

Arguably, what’s more exciting is the new features for Stories. For one, there are new font types and effects themed for Valentine’s Day. The best one, though, is exclusive to iOS. A limited edition, Valentine’s Day-themed vinyl record sticker for sharing music reads “My V-Day Jams.” If you scratch it, though, hearts will appear, and that’s just simply cute.

Much like other holiday-themed additions, Instagram’s latest feature drop for Valentine’s Day is rolling out globally and will be available through February 15, 2025. However, the new tapback reactions in DMs and the ability to give someone a nickname are here to stay, at least for now.

Let us know what you think of these in the comments below.

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