tech

The Instagram Gold Rush

Instagram manually turns notes gold to celebrate Olympics, despite past promises of algorithmic neutrality.

Published August 9, 2024 at 11:10am by Emily DeLetter

Instagram adds an Olympic Easter egg to its newest features: any mention of Olympic-related words will turn Notes gold. The Meta-owned platform made the announcement as the Games draw to a close. "Notes" is a new feature, allowing users to react to Reels or feed posts. When users type the words "gold," "Olympics," "Olympic," and other related terms, the notes will turn gold. The full list of words includes:

Gold
Olympics
Olympic
Olympiad
Olympian
Medal
Podium
GOAT
Champion
Champs
Victory
🥇 🏅 🐐
Closing ceremony
Torch
World Record
Summer Games
2024 games
2028 games

Users can now also share Notes on posts from friends or brands and see reactions in real time. The update also includes the ability to add up to 20 pieces of content to feed carousel posts.

How to use Instagram Notes:

Tap the airplane/share icon
Tap the "Note" icon on the bottom left
Select "close friends" or "followers you follow back"
Post the note