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Why codes o45, o12, o23, o43 and o76 are all over Instagram

The latest viral trend that’s sweeping the internet is a secret code language that allows Instagram users to slyly send their friends a message without explicitly mentioning any names, using letter combinations like o45, o12, o23, o43, o76.

The new code system was devised on social media, but don’t worry if you’re confused as to why you’ve been seeing numbers and letters all over your Instagram – we’ve got you. It’s all about secretly revealing your crush online!

Close up of young woman checking social media network on smartphone on the go in the city. Mobile phone with heart emoji speech bubble message on the screen. People engaging in networking with technology. Social media addiction concept
Close up of young woman checking social media network on smartphone on the go in the city. Mobile phone with heart emoji speech bubble message on the screen. People engaging in networking with technology. Social media addiction concept. Credit: d3sign (Getty Images)

New Instagram notes number trend goes viral

Just in case last week’s John Pork meme wasn’t odd enough, social media’s latest trend is confusing enough to warrant its own explanation article to help out everybody who is, understandably, confused.

So how does it work? Well, the exact origins of the new language are unclear but essentially, there is a number assigned to each letter of the alphabet, that you can add to your Instagram profile along with the letter ‘o’.

You can then add your preferred combination to your profile using the Instagram notes feature, where it will remain for 24 hours and will be visible to people that you follow. But why would you want a number representing a letter of the alphabet next to your Instagram?

Meaning of o45, o43, o76 and other codes

There is a simple explanation. The point of the Instagram notes trend is that you use the initial of somebody that you have a crush on – either so that you can slyly tell them, or subtly announce it to the world.

The meaning of code o45, for example, is that it represents the letter J. So if you wanted to discreetly show affection to somebody named Jack, or Jill, you would add the code o45 to your name using Instagram notes.

They don’t necessarily need to present crushes either. In theory, you could add an o45 style code to your Instagram notes to represent a close friend, or perhaps even a celebrity.

The meanings of the codes also don’t appear to follow any kind of obvious structure. So while J is o45, the Instagram meaning of o12 is D, o23 is S, o43 is E and o76 is B. It’s all a bit random!

Instagram codes explained in full

Here are the Instagram letter andnumber codes and their meaning, aka the initial they correspond with, in full:

  • A  o22
  • B  o76
  • C  o99
  • D  o12
  • E  o43
  • F  o98
  • G  o24
  • H  o34
  • I  o66
  • J  o45
  • K  o54
  • L  o84
  • M  o33
  • N  o12
  • O  o89
  • P  o29
  • Q  o38
  • R  o56
  • S  o23
  • T  o65
  • U  o41
  • V  o74
  • W  o77
  • X  o39
  • Y  o26
  • Z  o10