How to Reply to a Message on Instagram: Step-by-Step Guide

Yes, you are not mistaken; it is a guide on how to reply to Instagram messages. You may wonder if it is so difficult to have a specific guide for this. Obviously not. Replying to Instagram DMs is a skill acquired by modern children with the mother’s milk, but what about those who are not so modern? If you have a beloved grandma or grandpa for whom you have just bought their first cell phone and registered them on Insta but have no time to teach them how to reply to a message on Instagram– put this task on us and this blog. 

How to Reply to a Message on Instagram

So, how do you respond to messages received via Instagram? There are different options to do so: from your desktop, via the Instagram app on your iPhone, and using Insta on your Android device, so let’s dissect every method step-by-step.

On iPhone and Android

Most people reply to Instagram DMs from their mobile devices, as it originally was intended (Instagram is an app oriented towards mobile devices). Thus, if you have an iPhone or Android, here is what you should do. 

1. Find the Instagram icon on your iPhone. You must tap on it and open the app.
2. Find the icon that looks like a circle with lightning in it. It should appear at the top right of your feed. Tap on it, and you will see all the Instagram direct messages you have.
3. Choose the message you want to respond to and tap on it.
4. Type the text you want to send and tap on the paper airplane on the right.

The Instagram app used to be a bit different on iOS and Android, but for the users’ convenience, its interface was changed to be almost completely the same on both platforms, so now you can reply to messages on Instagram in the same way, no matter what mobile platform you use.

On PC

There is no stand-alone Instagram application for PC, but you can use the browser version to reply to messages on Instagram from your desktop. Here is a detailed guide on how to do this.

1. Launch the web browser on your PC. Instagram’s website works with all the most popular titles: Chrome, Edge, Mozilla, and Opera.
2. Type Instagram.com in the address field to get to the Instagram website.
3. Log into your Insta account using your credentials.
4. You will see Instagram’s feed after you log in. Find the messenger icon in the menu on the left: a circle with lighting. Click on it.
5. You will see all the private messages you have on Instagram. Click on the message you want to reply. 
6. Use your keyboard to type the response to the Instagram message.
7. Hit the send button in the Instagram interface or Enter on the keyboard.

Saved Responses for Business Accounts

People who do their business on Insta can save the standard replies they use the most often as templates within the Instagram app. Here is what you need to do to create quick replies.

1. Find the Instagram icon on your iPhone. You must tap on it and open the app.
2. Find the icon that looks like a circle with lightning in it. It should appear at the top right of your feed. Tap on it, and you will see all the Instagram direct messages you have.
3. Choose the chat from the list.
4. Tap and hold the original message until you see a context menu.
5. Tap “Save Answer” on the menu.
6. Now, you have this answer saved as a template, and you can use it to send a quick reply without typing.

How to Reply to Specific Messages

You can reply to a specific message on Instagram by using a feature developed exactly for this purpose. It can be useful when you want to notify another user that you are not having a general conversation but want to reply to a certain question/phrase.

1. Open Instagram on your device and tap on the messages icon in the upper right corner of your Instagram feed.
2. Find a person conversation with whom you need at the moment and open it.
3. Tap the message you want to respond to and hold. Choose the “Respond” option.
4. Type the text and send it.

Sometimes, you may not be able to reply to a specific message, and there can be several reasons for this:

• the other user may have banned you or restricted communication with you;
• Instagram may have restricted you for breaking the community rules;
• you may have a technical glitch and need to restart the app;
• Instagram app requires an update;
• You have an internet connection issue.

If you have already restarted the app and nothing has changed, you are sure you haven’t broken any rules, and you have the latest version of the app, it is worth contacting customer support for help.

How to Reply Using Emoji

Instagram has a rich emoji library that can be used to reply to an Instagram story or message, and although they are pretty intuitive to use, here are some instructions.

1. Open Instagram and get to messages (hopefully, you already remember how to do it).
2. At the bottom-right, there will be an icon with a sticker – that’s what you need.
3. Choose the emoji you would like to send, tap it, and then tap “Send” as if you are sending a normal message.

In such a way, instead of boring text, another person will receive a vivid emoji from you.

Instagram DM Protection from Hate Speech and Spam

Instagram can filter specific messages that contain sensitive, offensive, or dangerous information. As these types of info can be individual, you can set up those filters to respond to your personal needs. Follow these steps to set up your filters.

1. Open the Instagram app on your phone. Tap on your profile picture at the bottom right to access your profile page.
2. Tap on the 3-line icon at the top right corner of your screen to access settings.
3. Scroll down the menu to the “Hidden Words” item; tap it.
4. Here, you can activate/deactivate the built-in Instagram filters and add new words and expressions to the list of restricted items.

You can also limit the circle of people who can send you messages, and the procedure would be almost the same.

1. Open the Instagram app on your phone. Tap on your profile picture at the bottom right to access your profile page.
2. Tap on the 3-line icon at the top right corner of your screen to access settings.
3. Scroll to the item called “Limited Interactions”.
4. Here, you can choose whose messages will go to “Inbox” and whose – to “Requests”.

Instagram also has its own rules about offensive content, and to know more about them, visit the Instagram Help Center.

Utilizing Third-Party Tools for More Efficient Messaging

Instagram’s messaging platform is pretty convenient, but there are some third-party services that can enhance your experience. 

1. Buffer Reply. This app allows you to organize all your messages from all the apps, making it much easier to respond to them without switching between dozens of applications.
2. Sendible. This app allows you to schedule the replies, track keywords used, and set up the filters and requirements much deeper.

Later is another tool to schedule your Instagram DM replies, allowing you to be more flexible and organize your time better.