Instagram just added a brand new type of DM “Text”.

INSTAGRAM Notes added a clever new way to share your thoughts with friends.

The feature launched in the US in December but is now rolling out in the UK and Europe.

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With it you can create mini status updates for friends.

They are called Instagram Notes and are limited to a maximum of 60 characters.

You’ll see them hovering over the heads of the people you follow when you go into your direct messages (DMs).

A note can consist of a mix of text and emoji – but must be kept short.

You can leave your own note and share it with either your followers or your close friends list.

This note will then appear at the top of their inbox for 24 hours.

And when someone replies to your note, it arrives as a DM in your own inbox.

You can also delete your note at any time.

“During testing, we found that people like having an easy and simple way to share their thoughts and start conversations,” explained Meta, the owner of Instagram.

“From asking for recommendations to sharing what they’re up to, Notes gives people a casual and spontaneous way to express themselves and connect.”

Notes are already available in the US, so you should have instant access when you get there.

And UK users should be able to access it very soon as rollout begins.

Try updating your Instagram app from Apple App Store for iPhone or Google Play Store for Android.

You probably won’t see many notes until your friends update too.

If you can’t see the feature right away, don’t panic.

Sometimes it can take a while for rollouts to appear on your phone.

Once you’ve updated, you’ll be able to see and create notes.

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