Instagram has just announced a new function that will be available in Stories starting today – the sticker chat. The new feature will allow friends and followers to start conversations from within Stories by tapping on a new icon above a story.

With the new sticker option, Instagram users can request to join a group DM conversation that talks about a certain post. The owner of the post can approve requests received from friends and followers, so there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to chat after sending a request.

In order to start a conversation about a post, the original poster must first place a chat sticker on the story, so that friends and followers can use to request access to the chat. The new feature is meant to make it easier for Instagram users to start conversations with a group of friends directly from their stories.

And since Instagram has decided to kill off the Direct standalone app, it makes sense for the social network to offer users an alternative, which, apparently, is much easier to use. According to TechCrunch, the new chat sticker is rolling out today to both Android and iOS devices, so expect to see in the Instagram app very soon.