Apple picking, sipping on pumpkin spiced lattes, and the familiar sight of Spirit Halloween stores popping up everywhere signal one thing: Fall has officially arrived, and of course, that also means Halloween is just around the corner. Whether you’re planning a cozy night in filled with spine-chilling horror movies and indulging in the delightful tradition of baking Pillsbury’s infamous ghost-stamped sugar cookies, or gearing up for a night out in a creative costume, there are countless ways to embrace the spirit of the spooky season. And to add to the excitement, Instagram is getting in on the festive fun, offering users a chance to share their Halloween celebrations in style.
This year, Instagram is making it easier than ever to get into the Halloween spirit with a bunch of new Halloween-themed Easter eggs. From new designs for Instagram Stories that capture the essence of the season to playful features for direct messaging, the social media platform is here to enhance your Halloween experience.
According to a representative from Instagram, these features will be available in the app from Oct. 24 until Nov. 3. Here’s everything you need to know about them —including what they are and how to use them.
DM and Notes Secret Phrases
Who remembers during the summer when Instagram Notes would turn gold, silver, or bronze if any of those words were typed? (I sure do.) It was a fun little Instagram feature to get everyone excited about the Summer Olympics. Now, as part of Instagram’s Halloween 2024 features, the platform is bringing back its Secret Phrases feature that gave the internet the Summer Olympics fun. Instead of gold, silver, and bronze, the spooky keywords may be things like “Happy Halloween,” “Trick-or-Treat,” and certain emojis (think: pumpkin, ghost, or spider web). Once typed, these phrases will trigger spooky fun effects and animations.
Custom “Add Yours” Templates
Five new custom “Add Yours” templates will help bring a little spookiness to your Story posts. These limited-edition Halloween templates can be found in the “Happy Halloween” section of the “Add Yours” templates in Stories.
Halloween-Themed AI Image Generation
Don’t have a costume this year? Don’t worry! Instagram has got your back with the new Meta AI Imagine feature. With this new feature, you can pretend to be any spooky creature you want this Halloween. You’ll be able to share your AI-generated image right onto your Story. Plus, if you’re indecisive like me, this new feature is great to also help figure out your costume in time for Halloweekend.
New Fonts, Effects, & Chat Themes — Oh My!
What better way to spice up your Instagram feed with some new fonts? A font called “Halloween” and text effect “Haunted” will be available to use in all Instagram posts (Stories, Feeds, and Reels), which will add that extra little oomph to your Halloween Instagrams. Halloween-themed chat themes will also be available for DMs and broadcast channels to help you and your friends get more into the spooky season mood.