A green ring encircling an Instagram profile picture indicates that the user is on the platform and has active stories available for viewing. This visual cue is positioned prominently around the profile image within the Stories tray at the top of the screen and also appears around profile pictures displayed in direct messages.
This visual indicator offers immediate awareness of new content from followed accounts. Prior to this feature, users had to actively check profiles to ascertain if new Stories had been posted. It streamlines engagement, promoting more frequent and direct interaction with updates from individuals and brands. The introduction of this functionality reflects the platform’s dedication to promoting timely content consumption.