Instagram is joining the Halloween fun with a fresh set of seasonal features, designed to get users into the spooky spirit with playful effects, animations, and custom templates across Stories, DMs, and Reels. These Halloween “Easter eggs” will be available until 3 November, inviting users to add some extra thrill to their interactions.
Halloween Surprises Across DMs and Notes
Instagram’s Halloween updates begin with secret, themed keywords in DMs and Notes, where phrases like “Happy Halloween” and “Trick-or-treat” and even certain Halloween-themed emojis like 🎃, 👻, 🕸️ will trigger animations, such as bats swooping across the screen.
Add Yours Templates for Halloween Fun
In Stories, Instagram has introduced five Halloween-themed “Add Yours” templates, which allow users to prompt friends and followers to share festive photos and answer themed questions. These templates can be found in the “Happy Halloween” section of the newly launched Add Yours Templates Discovery Surface in Stories, making it easy for users to join Halloween trends.
AI-Powered Costumes and Festive Fonts
Instagram has also integrated Meta AI into Stories with a feature called “Imagine Yourself as 🧛,” allowing users to see themselves as Halloween icons like vampires. Users can generate AI costumes, share their creations, and even invite friends to join in the fun.
For the final touch, Instagram has added a Halloween-inspired font named “Halloween” and a “Haunted” text effect, both of which can be used across Stories, Feed, and Reels to add a chilling aesthetic. Additionally, there’s a Halloween chat theme to give DMs and broadcast channels an eerie edge.
These Halloween updates are designed for users to play with and share, with options for brands to amplify their Halloween messaging too. Whether it’s a spooky font or an AI-generated costume, Instagram’s latest additions are set to bring out the Halloween spirit across the app.