Pals: You may soon adopt pets and feed them in your IG Stories

Meet Instagram Pals, the experimental feature that everyone talks about right now! Discovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, this sticker introduces a digital pet to your Instagram Stories. But here’s the twist: this pet grows and changes based on how people interact with your Stories. It’s like having your own virtual buddy, responding to the likes, comments, and interactions from your followers. Get ready to meet Luna, Hugo, Ziggy, and Rupert!

Say hello to Instagram Pals

Instagram is always looking for new ways to keep its platform fun and engaging. One of the newest features being tested is the “Pals” sticker, which was recently discovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi. This sticker lets you have a digital pet in your Instagram Stories, and the pet grows based on how much people interact with your Story.

Instagram Pals is an experimental feature currently in testing on the Instagram platform (Image credit)

Wait, how will the Instagram Pals sticker work? Well, you can add the Pals sticker to your Instagram Story just like you would any other sticker. But this one is special because it’s interactive.

Once the Instagram Pals sticker is in your Story, the real fun begins. As people interact with your Story—liking, commenting, or possibly even playing with the pet directly—the character grows and changes. The idea is to create a more engaging experience for both the Story creator and their audience. They already have names! Here is an early look at Luna, Hugo, Ziggy, and Rupert:

Discovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram Pals introduces a digital pet sticker for Instagram Stories (Image credit)

It seems that viewers can also play with the digital pet within your Story. This might mean feeding it, playing games, or doing other actions that help it grow.

The Instagram Pals sticker might seem like a simple way to get more likes and comments, but it’s actually based on ideas from popular games and digital pets, which keep people interested. Here’s why it could be a hit:

• Success of virtual pets: People have loved virtual pets for years, from Tamagotchis to “Pokemon Go.” These games make users feel responsible for taking care of something, which keeps them coming back.
• Gamifying social media: Other social media apps have used game-like features to get more engagement. For example, Snapchat’s streaks have been very popular, encouraging users to interact daily. TikTok is also trying out similar ideas.
• Targeting young users: Instagram wants to keep young users engaged, and features like Pals could be very appealing to them. Young people enjoy interactive and fun experiences, which makes this a smart move.

Instagram hasn’t officially announced the Pals sticker yet, but it looks like it could be a fun and engaging new feature. By adding a digital pet that grows with your Story interactions, Instagram is mixing social media with the fun of virtual pets.

To be honest, Instagram Pals could make Stories even more exciting for users. Stay tuned to see how your virtual pet can grow and change!