React to Instagram Messages With Two Clicks Tops!

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | May 05, 2023

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

Finally! It’s the windfall you’ve always wanted. Your DMs are positively popping. Followers and prospective followers are asking questions about your content. Some people are placing orders for your products. You’re trying your darndest to ensure you reply to everyone, but it’s difficult. Luckily, you can now react to Instagram Messages. This is for the influencers who want to interact with their followers and build lasting relationships with a core group.

Does This Sound Like You?

Being socially awkward is one thing, but being awkward online is another ball game. DM conversations can go on forever. Have you ever been in a conversation and not known how to react to a new text? Or there was a time when you didn’t know about how to reply to a message in an Instagram DM. How does one even reply to a “lol”?

Closing a conversation can be tricky. You don’t want to look like you ghosted someone, but sometimes nothing isn’t anything left to say. Trust me, leaving someone on “read” could be taken entirely the wrong way. If you have an Instagram group chat, it can be tricky to make sure everyone feels acknowledged.

If you have dealt with these issues, you may appreciate how gratifying it is to learn how to reply to Instagram messages subsequently. Due to the incorporation of Messenger features, Instagram’s chat capabilities have grown since Facebook acquired the app in 2012

Leave it to the social media experts here to fill you in on how you can react to messages in your DMs. This is just one small way to diversify your brand from others.

Say What You Really Mean When You React to Instagram Messages

Emojis are currently in style. From Whatsapp to iMessage, they have long been a way to react to Instagram messages with the exact expression you need. For those of us who are not soo verbose, they accomplish the task of converting the message we can’t put into words. 

You should include a few fun ones in your Instagram direct messages. They are a great way to keep conversations light. It can give the impression of genuine interest and create a personable relationship.

Groups of friends laughing.

Every direct message or story “mentions” is an opportunity to get to know and actively engage with your audience. Whether you react with a like, love, laugh, custom emojis, or reply with a message, your supporter will remember that you made time to acknowledge them. So, give it some thought the next time you get a message on Instagram. Instagram users may clearly express their feelings to others using the DM emoji reaction tool, which is a huge advantage.

There’s more. Did you know that long-pressing an Instagram message also displays a number of additional options? You can respond to, copy, report, or send a specific communication. Instagram is constantly stepping its game up for content creators. This article specifically speaks about reacting to messages.

React to Instagram Messages With Something Different

Are you overusing the heart emoji? It’s ok to want to keep it fresh for your followers. They can probably tell you are just responding for the sake of responding.

Did you know you can change how you react to Instagram messages? You might grow weary of repeatedly double-tapping messages to add the same “heart” emoji when you start making the best of this emoji reaction feature. Then, you might wonder how to alter a reaction on Instagram. Does that even exist as a possibility? Naturally, it is! Without changing much, you can add various emoji reactions to IG messages.  

  1. Open the messages tab by clicking the button in the top right corner of the Instagram app.
  2. Open the desired chat.
  3. Pinpoint the message that you want to reply to.
  4. This is the important part! Simply press and hold a message for a few seconds rather than double tapping it. 
  5. There will be a list of emojis (around 4-5). If it appears in the row of emojis, choose your preferred option.

Extra tip: If the emoji icon of your choice isn’t there, hit the “+” button at the end of the list and choose the perfect emoji from the expanded selection that shows up.

Now you can “laugh” when someone tells a joke in your DMs. Now your followers will see that you are reading their messages for the substance, not just for reading. “Teary-eyed” emojis or “prayer hand” emojis can show compassion. The “hundred” emoji shows relatability.

Here’s How To React to Instagram Messages With Emojis on iPhone

The powers that be developed Instagram messaging and constantly update it with phones in mind.

For some time now, Instagram has allowed us to reply to direct messages using emojis. Another update addressing how to reply to a specific Instagram message was released around the same time. However, many are unaware of this update, let alone understand how to respond to messages on Instagram. 

Rose gold iPhone on Macbook.

Some people just saw the option pop up but never got into the ins and outs of the feature. Let’s dive deep into how to optimize this feature for iPhone. Adding an Instagram reaction to a message on the app or the web interface isn’t too difficult. To add the appropriate emoji, double-tap, double-click, or hold the message firmly for a few seconds. 

Specifically regarding how to react to Instagram messages with emojis on iPhone, see the following steps:

  1. Make sure you are using the most recent version of the app.
  1. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone. 
  1. Go to the chats or direct messages to select a chat. 
  1. You can reply to a message by tapping it.
  1. Emoji reactions will now appear on the screen.
  1. Simply tap the relevant emoji to reply to the message. Your chosen Emoji will show up below the message.

React to Instagram messages today! What’s stopping you? While you’re o the go, you can give your followers an extra touch of personality. This is a great way to increase your engagement. It’s especially great because you can do it while you wait for your coffee order, or in the back of your Uber. Having these feature accessible on your iPhone is a game-changer. Create deeper relationships with your followers with literally two clicks.

How To React to Instagram Messages With Emojis: Android Users Tap In!

A lot of people love using emojis as reactions. Using them in Instagram DM has been an even more exciting experience since the option became available. An emoji can occasionally convey a message more effectively than words if used correctly. Daily online interactions are more fun and interesting, thanks to these little icons on our cell phone keyboards. 

Hand holds an Android phone.

Content creators who use Android don’t miss out on the fun. Instagram includes you in this feature. Without further delay, here is how to react to Instagram messages with emojis, Android edition!

  1. On your Android phone, launch the Instagram app. Ensure that you have the latest available version.
  2. Choose a chat by going to the chats or direct messages. 
  3. Tap on the message you want to respond to.
  4. The screen will now display a number of emoji reactions.
  5. To respond to the message, tap the appropriate emoji. Your selected Emoji will appear beneath the message.

It’s that simple. Don’t miss out on the cool new feature to react to Instagram messages. It doesn’t take much effort, but it could greatly impact your followers. Always update messaging practices for your brand in line with Instagram.

Be Careful When You React to Instagram Messages!

Especially when you’re in a hurry, the double tap is a very tempting way to react to Instagram messages. Unfortunately, the default response is likely a bright red heart emoji. What you don’t want to do is double-tap and send a heart emoji to just any message. The heart icon can be suggestive of the wrong people. 

Other emojis are a lot more neutral. The thumbs-up emoji could suggest agreement or support, depending on the message. It leaves a lot less room for the mind to wonder, that’s for sure.

​​Do you want to respond as quickly as possible but don’t want to use a heart emoji necessarily? Thankfully, you can alter the double-tap heart emoji’s standard response. Instagram is way ahead of you! Here is a quick and simple technique to alter the reaction of the double-tap heart emoji. You can decide on your pre-selected emoji.

Change Your Default Emoji Response

Use these steps to change the default heart emoji into a double-tap reaction: 

  1. Launch the Instagram conversation window. Touch and hold a message to respond to it.  
  2. Next, click the “Plus +” icon to the left of the condensed list of emojis.  
  3. Then select “Customize.” 
  4. Tap the “Heart” emoji.” If it appears first, it is the default response emoji. After that, pick the appropriate emoji from the extensive list at the bottom. 
  5. Click “Done” once more to save your changes.

You should pick a default emoji that aligns best with your brand. For you, that really could be a red heart. If not, it could be a heart of another color. Considera heart of that color, for example, if your brand color is mustard yellow. You have a lot of options on Instagram. The right choice could solidify your brand and maintain engagement with followers simultaneously. 

Oh No! Didn’t Mean To React to Instagram Messages?

Whoops!

Were you too quick with the thumb work? We get it. Mistakes are bound to happen. Being able to react to Instagram messages is a godsend in times when you don’t want to leave your followers hanging. But the downside is that you can make some fatal mistakes when you’re in a hurry. Here are some awkward scenarios that this instantaneous communication can cause:

  • You respond with the laughing emoji when someone asks you for help on a sensitive topic.
  • You send a heart emoji to an unprofessional or disrespectful proposition.
  • You send a thumbs-up emoji to an explicit request you do not want to fulfill.
Woman facepalms as she stares at her mistake.

An emoji can be pretty ambiguous. Leaving room for misunderstandings can seriously harm your brand, business, and reputation. Since Instagram wants to keep the platform a supportive place, you should stay in its good graces and avoid reports.

While the reactions are instant, we can offer our best tips to mitigate the damage. You can “unsend” the emoji. That’s right. Just as quickly as you react, you can retract. (That has a nice ring to it, actually!) 

It will look like your  story response never happened. However, Instagram doesnt notify the recipient when you unsend your reaction. You can only hope that they didn’t see the mistaken reaction in the first place.

Follow our tips below:

  1. Tap the message you reacted to, then hold the tap to open the chat.
  1. You should see the option to “unsend.”
  1. Select “Unsend” by tapping. 

Your story response will no longer be sent. Remember that even though the recipient won’t be notified when you retract your reaction, Instagram notifies them  immediately of messages sent, so there’s a chance they’ll see it before you can undo your message if you’re not quick enough. 

React to Instagram Messages and Increase Your Engagement

Instagram is one of the most famous sites. Instagram DMs are one of the best additions to this platform that enables users to connect and communicate with one another within the app. You can communicate with your customers, friends, and coworkers better than before by expressing your feelings to your customers. 

Balloons with emoji faces printed on them.

Users can react to Instagram messages and stories with expression and personality. You can respond to messages on Instagram using your preferred emojis by following the easy steps in this blog.

Instagram brought a new feature that allows users to react to Instagram messages. In this article, you learned how to respond to messages on Instagram and send animated messages. Now, go forth and engage!

Over the past ten years, our expert social media team at Path Social has developed a proprietary AI targeting algorithm and our internal platform of Instagram influencers. Our client reviews speak for themselves.

We can attract focused, enthusiastic, and engaged organic users in this way. Because, to date, no one has been able to copy our findings successfully, you can create a thriving Instagram community by following our tips. Begin increasing your Instagram following right away. Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today