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How to React to a Message on Instagram

One benefit of having a face-to-face conversation with your friend is that you can use facial reactions or certain actions such as laughing or crying to show that an act of communication has been completed. Sadly, you can’t do it on Instagram, except wait, you actually can? Stick around with me to find out how to react to messages on Instagram!

Easy-mode

Steps on How to React to a Message on Instagram

Open Instagram – Go to your conversations – Choose a conversation – double click on a message for a quick reaction – Long-tap on a message for a more detailed emoji list, press “+” for the complete list of all emojis – Send the emoji you want

Changing Your Default Emojis on the Mobile App

Once in a conversation, long-tap on a message – Choose “+” – Tap on “Customize” – Select the current default emoji you want to change – Then select the emoji you want as a replacement – Done

Steps on How to React to a Message on Instagram – Browser Version

Go to https://www.instagram.com/ – Sign in – Navigate to the conversations – Double click on the message for a quick reaction – Hover your mouse over the message and choose the emoji icon for more emojis – Send the emoji you want

Steps on How to React to a Message on Instagram

The concept of reacting to a message is the same for both iOS users and Android users. So this time, I decided it was time we showed how to use this reaction on Android and browsers. Without any further hesitations, let’s continue with this guide.

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Step 1:

Open Instagram.

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Step 2:

Look for the mail icon on the upper right corner of your screen. Tap on it to open your conversations.

Step 3:

Now choose and enter a conversation.

Step 4:

Double-tap on the message of your choosing. This marks the message with a default reaction. I will explain later you can change your default reaction.

Step 5:

If you want to have more options to work with, you can long-tap on the message. A few suggested emojis will appear. If you press +, you will see much more than the few suggested emojis you were shown at first.

How to React to a Message on Instagram

Step 6:

Once you found the emoji of your choosing, tap on it.

How to React to a Message on Instagram

Before I explain how to use emojis with a browser, I will explain how to change the default emoji on your mobile app.

Changing Your Default Emojis on the Mobile App

Your choice of emojis probably varies from mine, and so would your default one. For this part, we are going to rely on the part from the last section.

Step 1:

In a chat, long tap on the message of your choosing. At this stage, it doesn’t matter which message to choose.

Step 2:

Tap on “+”. This will open the menu with more emojis I mentioned earlier. However, we are going to do something different than last time.

How to React to a Message on Instagram

Step 3:

Tap on “Customize”.

How to React to a Message on Instagram

Step 4:

Tap on the emoji you want to replace. As you can see, the “heart” emoji is currently the default. So, we have to select it if we want to change it. Also, we can change other emojis we have in our quick access bar. The quick emoji access bar includes the few emojis you see immediately after the long tap and before tapping “+”.

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How to React to a Message on Instagram

Step 5:

Now choose the emoji you want to replace it with from the list below.

Steps on How to React to a Message on Instagram – Browser Version

Sometimes it happens to me that I want to see everything on a bigger screen, or I need to have access to it from my PC. If you are like me, then this section is for you.

Step 1:

Go to Instagram’s site at https://www.instagram.com/ and sign into your account.

Step 2:

Find one of your conversations. Choose a message that you want to react to. Once you hover your mouse pointer on it, you should see some options like in the picture.

How to React to a Message on Instagram

Step 3:

You can double-click on the message to send a quick reaction.

How to React to a Message on Instagram

Step 4:

To send other emojis, hover your mouse pointer on the message again. From the shown options, choose the leftmost icon that looks like a colorless emoji.

How to React to a Message on Instagram

Step5:

You can now choose the emoji you like. Please note that any emoji you choose will be added to the bottom of that message as your reaction.

How to React to a Message on Instagram

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: Can I change my default emoji for the double tap/click through the browser?

            A: No. You can only change the default emoji for double tapping/clicking on your phone.

Q: The option to send an emoji as a reaction is not available for me. What’s wrong?

            A: This is an option that was added to newer versions of Instagram. If you don’t have it, it means that you need to update your Instagram app. To update Instagram, you can:

  • Go to the three-lines/dots menu – Go to setting – Choose update messaging – Update

If it doesn’t work, make sure you are signed into your Facebook account on your device. If you don’t have a face account, you can download the latest version from Google Play or the Instagram site.

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Q: My Instagram is up-to-date, but I can’t send emojis as reactions. What is the problem?

            A: There is a chance this feature has been restricted in your area by Instagram.

Q: Which browser should I use to sign in?

            A: You can use any browser you desire to sign into your Instagram account. However, please be advised:

  • Make sure the browser you use is secure, both the browser itself and the sign-in page. Otherwise, your personal information may be at risk. You can find reputable browsers out there You should also double-check the entered site address and look for a lock icon next to the address bar.
  • Make sure your browser is up-to-date. This way, you are sure to have access to all features Instagram has to offer. Also, you will benefit from the latest security updates from the browser itself.

Q: When I hover my mouse over the message, the new options appear; but they disappear before I can choose the emoji icon. What is the problem?

            A: After the emoji icons appear, move your mouse toward it without the mouse going off of the message. If your mouse goes off of the message, the options will disappear.

Conclusion

Communication includes sending a message and receiving it. It is equally important to show you have received and understood the message. Sometimes, we do so with facial expressions or certain sounds rather than words, phrases, and sentences. Instagram allows us to react to a message for this very reason. Today, I discussed how you can react to a message with an emoji on Instagram, both for those who are using it on their phones or a browser. Remember, a good emoji is worth a thousand words! (Or maybe not, who cares!)

jack Smith

I'm jack. I love to speak about social media and learn how to use this social media easy and fast.

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