Instagram has introduced a new feature called Private Story Like, which allows users to like Instagram Stories of a specific person without sending a direct message to them.
Previously, any reply you sent to someone about a story - whether it was an emoji or an entire message - would appear as a reply in their inbox; With this new feature, you can show some appreciation for a story without clogging a user's direct messages
"As you go through Stories, between sending a message and that little kite, there will be a heart icon," Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said in a video. "And if you click on it, a like will be sent to the author of that story, and that like will appear in the viewer sheet, not in your DM thread with them."