Instagram and Edits roll out Valentine’s Day-themed creative tools

Love is in the air, and on your favourite social media app! Instagram has decided that a heart emoji alone simply will not do this Valentine’s Day. From February 12 to 16, 2026, the app is rolling out a bundle of themed creative tools across Stories, Reels, Notes and DMs, while its companion app, Edits, is getting a few romance-ready upgrades of its own.

Think seasonal fonts, animated text effects, sticker frames and even secret phrases that unlock hidden visuals. Instagram is seriously leaning into the holiday without completely repainting the app in pink.

Instagram Stories, Reels and DMs get the love treatment

Across Stories and Reels, users can now apply Valentine’s-themed fonts and animated text styles to posts. Photo sticker frames have also had a seasonal refresh. If you are sharing a selfie or a couple shot in Stories, there are love-themed frames ready to wrap around it.

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Meanwhile, specific phrases typed into Story comments will trigger hidden visual themes and animations, adding a small layer of interactivity for anyone willing to experiment.

Mentions have not been left out. A themed mention sticker allows users to tag partners or friends with a bit more flair than the usual handle tap. Notes, too, have picked up Valentine’s prompts and hidden phrases that unlock themed styling and effects.

Direct messages get perhaps the most obvious change. You get a dedicated Valentine’s chat theme, available in both light and dark modes. And as mentioned before, these Instagram-specific features will be available from February 12 through February 16, 2026.

Edits leans into short-form romance

Over in Edits, Instagram’s standalone video creation app, the focus is squarely on short-form theatrics. New Valentine’s Day fonts and text presets are being added for reels, alongside seasonal sound effects including harp-style tones and heartbeat audio. They are clearly aimed at creators who want their transitions to feel a touch more cinematic, or at least more thematic.

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Perhaps the most dramatic addition is expanded playback speed control. Users can now ramp video speed up to 100×, opening the door to stylised motion effects that could turn a bouquet toss into a blink-and-you-miss-it visual punchline.

Unlike the temporary Instagram overlays, the fonts, sound effects and speed controls introduced in Edits are here to stay.

Which one of these new Valentine’s Day-themed features are you itching to try? Drop a comment to let us know.