Instagram Adds the Ability for Users to Mention a Specific Photo or Video in Carousel Posts When Leaving Comments

Brent Colmer (@boywhoblogs)

Instagram has added the ability for users to mention specific content in carousel posts when commenting. To do this, users can use the "@" symbol followed by the number corresponding to the placement of the photo or video in the carousel, and then type out their comments.

The comment will display a carousel icon along with the number of the referenced photo or video.

Brent Colmer (@boywhoblogs)

This feature, identified by Canadian creator and marketing/brand strategist Brent Colmer, appears to be available only to a select group of users.

Why It Matters: Instagram recently confirmed it is testing the ability for users to upload 15 photos or videos in a carousel, an increase from 10.

Given this expansion, the new commenting update is quite fitting. With the ability to create longer carousels, creators and brands have more space to share this type of content, whether it be highlighting products, before and after, mini video blogs, educational content, how-tos, product catalogs, and simple photo dumps. That also means there’s more for users to consume and react to.

By allowing users to specify a particular photo or video in a carousel, Instagram enables them to make clear what their comment is referencing, which can also lead to more meaningful comments due to the additional context. These can also be valuable to creators and brands as they can provide more feedback on what is resonating with their viewers.

For example, I often use carousels to share my hiking adventures. Once this feature is rolled out more widely, if I were to receive comments on specific photos in that carousel, it could indicate what types of shots are more interesting to viewers. This is something I could use going forward when selecting photos for future carousels.