Instagram Notes launches in Europe, comes to everyone in the US

Instagram Notes – a short status message that floats above your profile and disappears after 24 hours – has now launched in Europe and Japan, and is rolling out to all users in the US. The feature was previously available to a limited number of US users …

Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the rollout on Twitter.

Notes Launch Worldwide. Notes are now available in Europe and Japan.

He said that the feature was coming to the UK, all European Union countries, and Japan. These launches were delayed by tougher privacy regulations in those countries.

Explaining why not all US users previously had access to it, Mosseri said that the company often makes features available to a limited number of users to gain feedback. It has proven very popular, he said, especially with teens.

Status messages are limited to 60 characters, and are similar to the “mood” messages available on some chat services.

Here’s what Meta has to say about it:

We’re beginning to roll out Instagram Notes, a new way to share your thoughts and see what your friends are up to. Notes are short posts of up to 60 characters using just text and emojis. To leave a note, go to the top of your inbox, select the followers you follow back or people on your Close Friends list, and your note will appear at the top of their inbox for 24 hours. Replies to notes will arrive as DMs in your inbox.

During testing, we learned that people liked having a lightweight, easy way to share what’s on their mind and start conversations. From asking for recommendations to sharing what they’re up to, Notes give people a casual and spontaneous way to express themselves and connect with each other.

If you’re not yet seeing the feature, it should appear in the app within the next few days.