Instagram Stories has been around for over a month now and we’ve had an ample amount of time to play around with the new feature…which was pretty much inspired by Snapchat (we know you were thinking it, too)

The point of Stories is to “share your highlights and everything in between” your Instagram posts. From sharing an adorable video of your dog to the rules of screenshots, here’s what you need to know about Instagram Stories.

24 Hours Is All You Get
This rule works in more than one way. Anything you post is up for 24 hours, unless you choose to terminate it beforehand. You can also upload any photo, video, or Boomerang from your camera roll that has been taken in the last 24 hours. Just swipe down and choose your content.

There Is No Screenshot Notification
This is both a blessing and a curse. Screenshot your crush’s latest Story without him finding out, but be prepared to have this happen to you. You will have no idea if someone has captured your story — this is a nice reminder to think twice about what you post, as it could end up on anyone’s phone.

Drawing Is a Lot of Fun
Like Snapchat, you can draw on your pictures and videos, but there are more tools to get the effect you want. You can change the size of your marker, the transparency (making your writing look electric), and the color with ease.

You Can’t Adjust the Timing
On Instagram Stories, you cannot choose how many seconds an image will appear for. You have about three seconds to get your point across — we suggest keeping your Stories simple. But you can also hold your thumb on a Story to keep the timer from running…so yes, you can stare at your crush’s selfie for a bit longer.

You Can Hide Your Story From Certain People
Manage who gets access to your Stories by adjusting the privacy. You can hide it from non-followers, followers that you don’t follow back, or certain people (like an ex or your little brother). They won’t receive any sort of notification of the block; your Story just won’t pop up on their feed.

xx, The FabFitFun Team