Swipe up was the gesture for opening a link in an Instagram Story: a creator added a link, and viewers swiped upwards on the screen to visit it. Instagram replaced it with the link sticker, telling users that swipe-up links would go away from 30 August 2021, and the sticker works with a tap instead.
So if you see "swipe up" in a caption today, the creator most likely means "follow the link in my Story". The phrase outlived the feature.
How the change played out in 2021
- June 2021: Instagram began testing the link sticker, according to 9to5Mac, citing The Verge.
- 23 August 2021: 9to5Mac reported that Instagram was telling users swipe-up links would go away.
- 30 August 2021: the date Instagram gave for swipe-up links to end, with creators pointed to the link sticker instead.
Tap, not swipe: what the sticker changed
The obvious change is the gesture: you tap a link sticker rather than swiping up. The less obvious one is more useful. Viewers can reply to a Story that carries a link sticker, which wasn't possible with swipe-up, according to the 2021 report quoting The Verge. So a Story with a link no longer has to be a one-way post: people can answer it.
Who had links, as of the 2021 announcement
As of the 2021 announcement, link stickers were limited to accounts with more than 10,000 followers or a verified badge, the same group that had swipe-up. Instagram's rules may have changed since, and I won't state who can use the sticker today.
The quickest way to find out is to open the sticker tray while you're making a Story and see whether the link sticker is there. If you've not used the tray before, here's how to add stickers to an Instagram Story.
My verdict on swipe up
Treat "swipe up" as history with a nickname left behind. The gesture's gone and the link sticker took its place, so if a creator still says it, look for a sticker to tap. If you're planning Stories with links, don't rely on what was true in 2021: check your own app. And if you're decoding other Instagram gestures, here's what people mean by swipe left on Instagram.
Swipe up, briefly answered
Does swipe up still work on Instagram?
Instagram said swipe-up links would end on 30 August 2021 and be replaced by the link sticker.
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What replaced swipe up?
The link sticker: you add it from the sticker tray and viewers tap it.
Who could use it at the start?
Accounts with more than 10,000 followers or a verified badge, as with swipe-up. I haven't confirmed whether that limit has changed since, so check the sticker tray in your own app.
Can people reply to a Story with a link sticker?
Yes, unlike swipe-up Stories, per the 2021 report quoting The Verge.
