Published on April 29th, 2025
Ever wished your Instagram Notes could better reflect your personality?
Instagram may be gearing up to roll out a new feature that allows users to customize their Notes with emojis and background colors.
While still in the early stages of development, this potential update could add a splash of creativity to your DMs and help your Notes stand out in a crowded feed.
In this blog post, we’ll break down what this experimental feature includes, what it could mean for user engagement, and why Instagram might be doubling down on Notes to capture the attention of younger users.
We’ll also explore how this aligns with broader trends in social media personalization.
What’s New: Emoji and Color Customization for Instagram Notes
According to app researcher @varma.adwaith, Instagram is internally testing a feature that allows users to customize their Notes by selecting an emoji and a background color.
A shared screenshot reveals an interface where users can pick from various customization options before publishing their Notes.
Instagram explained the feature like this:
“Now you can customize your note by adding color and an emoji. Anyone can choose to use your note style as their own, and your name won’t appear next to it.”
This statement indicates that not only can users personalize their Notes, but others can adopt that style without any attribution, potentially fostering more interaction and aesthetic trends within the platform.
Read More: Instagram Tests Lockable Posts to Enhance Engagement
Why Is Instagram Focusing on Notes?
Instagram Notes—a feature that lets users share short messages visible only to their followers via the DM section—has steadily gained traction, especially among younger audiences.
As more engagement shifts from public posts to private DMs, Instagram appears to be investing in making Notes more expressive and engaging.
This isn’t Instagram’s first flirtation with enhancing Notes. In the past, the platform has introduced:
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Emoji-powered Notes during special events like March Madness.
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Themed colored Notes for specific celebrations or holidays.
Although these earlier features were limited-time or campaign-specific, the newly proposed customization option appears to be more universal and user-driven.
Read More: How to sync Instagram stories with WhatsApp
Current Status: Still an Internal Prototype
It’s important to note that Instagram has confirmed this is currently just an internal prototype. There are no immediate plans to release it to the public or even roll it out in testing phases.
That said, this kind of experimentation aligns with Instagram’s larger strategy to:
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Boost engagement among Gen Z users.
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Encourage personalization within the app.
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Keep users active in the Direct Messages area, which has seen a notable rise in usage over traditional feed interactions.
While the feature may never see a full public launch, its development signals that Instagram is actively exploring new ways to deepen user engagement.
What This Could Mean for Users and Creators
If the feature is eventually released, it could offer several benefits:
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Increased Personal Expression: A personalized Note could act like a mood ring, reflecting your current vibe with colors and emojis.
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Viral Aesthetics: Custom styles might spark trends, allowing certain color-and-emoji combinations to go viral.
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Higher Engagement in DMs: With more visually appealing Notes, users might be more inclined to engage, respond, or react to updates shared by their friends.
For content creators, influencers, or brands, it opens up subtle ways to stay top-of-mind with followers—without the need for a formal post or story.
Read More: How To Grow Your Instagram Profile In 2025
Conclusion: A Promising Step Toward Creative Messaging—If It Launches
Instagram’s potential move to allow emoji and color customization for Notes may seem like a small tweak, but it reflects a larger strategy to foster engagement through personalization.
While the feature is still in internal testing and may never launch publicly, its concept aligns with user behavior trends and Instagram’s ongoing efforts to innovate in the messaging space.
As social media platforms compete to retain younger audiences and encourage more interaction, features like this—however minor—could make a meaningful impact.
We’ll continue to monitor this development and keep you updated on any changes.
Stay tuned, and don’t forget to follow us for more updates on Instagram features, social media trends, and digital engagement strategies.
