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It’s been more than a year, or since Sep. 29, 2020, to be precise, that Instagram added a feature allowing us to use emoji reactions when responding to DMs. Around the same time, another update came out, addressing those who wanted to know how to reply to a message on Instagram. Yet many aren’t aware of this update, let alone knowing how to react to messages on Instagram or how to reply on Instagram DM.
Instagram DM reactions or likes on Reels videos on Instagram are a convenient way of bonding with our followers and friends without having to speak or type a word. And knowing how to reply to an Instagram message allows you to single out one message in a sea of Instagram DMs in a group chat or a conversation with your friends. And although many reliable Instagram DM apps try to help us do what the official app doesn’t allow, none of them made Instagram reactions or replies possible.
Also, if you want to know more about app development, then Thoughts on Cloud is a great place to start your learning.
In this article, we’ll provide a thorough guide on using Instagram emoji reactions for direct messages and how to reply to messages on Instagram!
So, stay tuned to find out! And in case you’re searching for an effective IG DM app, why don’t you start with DMpro now?!
Table of Contents
Have you ever had a conversation where you didn’t know how to answer the last text message? Or, have you ever wondered how to reply to a specific message in the Instagram DM section because if you had just sent your answer after 100 messages on an Instagram group chat, it would sound out-of-place?! If you’ve suffered in these situations, then you know how much of a blessing it is to finally find out how to react to Instagram messages or how to reply.
In fact, these new changes took place to further expand Facebook’s cross-platform messaging system to Instagram, a platform Facebook acquired in 2012. In short, Facebook improved the messaging experience on Instagram by adding many of the Messenger features to it.
This means that you can message your friends on Facebook from Instagram. But it also means that you have access to more features. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can now mass DM on Instagram or turn off the read receipt on Instagram.
Before this update, Instagram users could only react to DMs by double-tapping on a message and only using the heart emoji. But now, we can all customize the emojis we use to react to messages on Instagram.
Emoji reactions are well-favored by most of us. Sometimes, an appropriate emoji can convey our message better than words. These small icons on our cell phone keyboards add a layer of fun and entertainment to our daily online conversations. The experience of using them on Instagram DM has been even more exciting since the option was released.
The whole point of adding these new options is that anyone can now access emoji reactions and the ‘Reply’ button on the official app. So, you don’t need to take any extraordinary measures to be able to use Instagram emoji reactions for direct messages or to reply.
Generally, to learn how to react to messages on Instagram, you can take these short four steps:
Finding out how to reply to a message on Instagram is as easy! You only need to take this instruction:
Let’s get more specific about these steps and find out how to react to messages on Instagram.
As you already know, it’s pretty easy to use emojis to react to messages on Instagram. Now it’s time to talk about the details of each step and show you how they’re done.
Remember all of the four steps are actionable on Instagram’s mobile app and not on other versions.
The first step is by far the most basic one; however no less important. No matter what you want to do on Instagram, it’s best to make sure you’re using the latest version.
Besides the inclusion of new features, these updates often include security and stability improvements as well. This is why you need to update the app regularly to not miss out on any features or improvements.
In fact, most of the people who can’t react to Instagram messages or complain about Instagram emoji reactions for direct messages not working haven’t updated the app. If you do so, you can easily see the options.
To update Instagram, you must visit Google Play Store (or App Store if you’re an iPhone user). If there are any updates available, you’ll see the button.
Pro tip: after updating Instagram, go to the app ‘Settings’ and select ‘Update Messaging’ to run this feature on your phone.
The second step you need to take to figure out how to react with emojis on Instagram DM is not complicated either! Just, launch the application on your cell phone and log in to your account if you haven’t already.
Now go to one of your chats. You can do this by tapping on the Instagram messages icon on the top-right side of the screen.
Once you’ve opened a conversation, you can start reacting to any of the DMs with emojis. To do this, double-tap on a DM to react to it. By default, you can react to direct messages on Instagram with the heart emoji.
However, if you press and hold a message, an emoji list will appear from which you can choose the one you want.
Pro tip: since Instagram DMs have been merged with FB Messenger, you’ll only see this feature if you’ve already connected your Facebook account. Simply go to the Instagram app ‘Settings’ and select ‘Accounts Center’ to link your FB account.
You’re probably curious to know whether it’s possible to change the default heart emoji to something else.
To change the heart emoji used when double-tapping on a DM:
Pro tip: if you cannot see this list, this Instagram feature isn’t available in your country of residence. Sadly, there’s nothing else you can do to access it.
Finally, as we said earlier, from the set of emojis Instagram has included, you can choose one to react to a DM.
Easy peasy, right? You just have to press and hold a DM to bring up the emojis list and use one as you wish.
Pro tip: if you react to a direct message with the wrong emoji, you can simply remove it. This time you need to tap and hold the emoji you used to remove it.
But what if you want to change the whole set? Would that be possible? Of course!
Many emojis are available on our cell phone keyboards, but we rarely use more than 20 of them. The same goes with using them on Instagram to react to messages. So that’s why you should customize your emoji reactions to save yourself from searching for them every time.
To personalize the Instagram emoji reactions list:
Pro tip: remember that the emoji you set as your first will appear when you double-tap on messages.
So far, the steps we mentioned and explained work for those who were wondering how to react to messages on Instagram iPhone or Android. But perhaps you’re one of those people who prefers to send DMs on Instagram on PC or Mac.
If you are, then we have bad news for you. Unfortunately, you can’t use custom emojis to react to DMs on Instagram for Windows or Instagram web.
The only one available on these two versions is the heart emoji which you can double-click on a DM to use it. You can easily remove it by left-clicking on the heart icon below a direct message and choosing ‘Select to remove.’
So far, you’ve learned all about Instagram reactions. But how do you reply to a specific message on Instagram? Let’s master it if you don’t know the answer yet!
If you’ve fully learned the steps on how to react to a message on Instagram, you have a headstart here! The first and second steps you need to take to figure out how to reply on Instagram are:
So far, so good, right?! Now, let’s see what you need to do differently!
After selecting a conversation and choosing the message you want to reply to, you should:
Congratulations, you just mastered how to reply to a message on Instagram! It wasn’t so hard now, was it?!
Pro tip: if you have replied to the wrong message and would like to remove your message, you can simply delete your Instagram DM from both sides. Then, you can tap and hold the right message you want to reply to and write your answer.
In this article, we aimed to fully explain how to react on Instagram messages with emojis and how you can reply to a DM. But, there are still unanswered questions we need to address. Let’s get to them now, shall we?!
One of your frequently asked questions concerns how to like an Instagram DM. In fact, doing so is pretty straightforward and was possible even before the update.
To learn how to like a message on Instagram, you can take the following steps:
It’s as easy! But if you’re wondering how to like a message on Instagram with a different emoji than a heart, you can tap and hold the message. Then, choose any emoji you would rather use!
With Instagram reactions, you can use any emoji. So, to learn how to laugh at an Instagram message, you should first know how to react. To do so, you can follow the steps below:
That’s it. Now you also know how to use the laugh-react on Instagram!
Those who can’t use Instagram emojis as a reaction to a DM usually complain that there’s something wrong with Instagram or their phone. So, they keep asking ‘Why can’t I react to messages on Instagram on iPhone / Android?!’ But in fact, if you update your application, many of your problems will go away.
After updating the IG app and taking all the steps on how to react to Instagram DM, you should be fine!
To do an emoji edit on your Instagram reactions, you should follow the instruction below:
This way, not only do you know how to react to an Instagram message but also you know how to customize the emojis you use. It’s really convenient, right?!
Again, this option is available on Instagram messenger. So, you need to update your application first. So, get the latest version from the Google Play Store or App Store. Then, you can easily follow the mentioned steps to master how to reply to a message on Instagram!
Using emojis makes it easier to communicate with other people. They bring a new level of excitement to our online experience. Sometimes it’s either difficult or time-consuming to express how we feel with words.
But in such situations, using one or more emojis can help us accurately convey our feelings. Thanks to the update we discussed earlier, using emojis to react to messages on Instagram has become a lot easier.
We can create a custom emoji list and react to DMs with the emojis we like. Plus, Instagram now enables you to reply to messages. These new options allow us to enjoy our daily conversations on the platform more than ever.
So if you have updated your app and can access these features, why don’t you go ahead, and read this guide on how to reply to and react to a message on Instagram again?!