That Yellow Ring on Selena Gomez’s Instagram Story? Here’s What It Actually Is
If you’ve been scrolling Instagram and spotted something unfamiliar on Selena Gomez’s profile, you weren’t imagining things. A yellow ring labeled “Secret Friend” appeared around one of her Instagram Stories — and it caught attention for a straightforward reason: nobody had seen it before.
Instagram’s existing Close Friends feature uses a green ring to signal a Story shared with a limited audience. This yellow ring did something different. It was visible to all of Gomez’s followers, not a select group, and it carried a label the platform hadn’t previously displayed.
It’s a Promotional Tool, Not a New Setting
Before you go digging through your Instagram settings: the “Secret Friend” feature appears to be a promotional tool tied to a specific project, not a new feature rolling out to all users.
In the Story, Gomez said, “Hey guys, welcome to my Secret Friends. If you want more secrets, go here,” while pointing to a tag linking to the Friends Keep Secrets podcast page. That podcast is hosted by Gomez’s husband Benny Blanco and features Lil Dicky and Kristin Batalucco. The pilot episode was released the previous week.
The connection between the yellow ring, the “Secret Friend” label, and the podcast name (Friends Keep Secrets) makes the promotional link hard to miss. Instagram appears to have created a custom Story format specifically for this campaign, giving Gomez a visual element no other user currently has access to.
The Podcast Behind the Yellow Ring
The Friends Keep Secrets podcast leans into a loose, unscripted format. The YouTube description for the episode gives a sense of the tone: “We’ve been writing this description for 15 minutes and haven’t made any real progress. It’s not even we, it’s just Dave here. All I can tell you guys, is that I’ve never had more fun doing anything in my life than when we’re filming these. Are we fun to hang out with? Who knows. All we can do is be our complete selves, live in the moment, and see what happens. Thank you for your time. We appreciate you!!!!”
The episodes match that energy. During filming, Blanco appeared barefoot at one point, with the bottoms of his feet visible. At another moment, he addressed passing gas on air, saying, “What’s the rule for gas [or] pissing?” Co-host Lil Dicky responded that he can “do whatever you want.” Blanco then said, “Wait, see if you guys can pick this up?” before adding, “That was just a little one.”
The exchange generated viral discussion online. Gomez did not publicly comment on that conversation but posted on Instagram one day after the podcast’s release, “I fall more and more in love with you every day my love.”
How To Find It
Gomez’s Instagram profile is the only known place the feature has appeared. Following her account would put her Stories, including any future “Secret Friend” posts, in your feed. The Friends Keep Secrets podcast is available through the link Gomez tagged in her Story, with the pilot episode already live. The show features Benny Blanco, Lil Dicky, and Kristin.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
