Double tap a message to react with a heart. For any other emoji, press and hold the message and tap one in the reaction bar, or tap + to choose from every emoji. Your reaction appears under the message, and tapping it lets you remove it.
React to a message in the app
- Open the chat.
- Double tap a message to send a heart.
- For a different reaction, press and hold the message. A row of emojis appears above it. Tap one.
- Tap + at the end of the row to pick any emoji (Online Tech Tips).
Pressing and holding a message also brings up other options, such as translate and pin (Instagram). To answer one message in particular, see how to reply to a specific message on Instagram.
Change the emojis in your reaction bar
- Press and hold any message and tap +.
- Tap Customize.
- Tap an emoji in the row, then pick the one you want in its place.
- Tap Done (WeRSM).
Instagram added custom reactions in 2020 as a shortcut to your favorite emojis (Instagram). Menu names shift a little between app versions.
Remove a reaction
Tap your reaction under the message, then tap it again in the list that opens to delete it (QQTube). To use a different emoji, remove yours and react again. Removing a reaction doesn’t send a notification, but the other person may already have seen it.
Who sees your reactions
- The person who sent the message is notified if they have notifications turned on (Online Tech Tips).
- In a group chat, everyone in the chat can see all the reactions.
React on a computer
On instagram.com, hover over a message, click the reaction icon next to it and pick an emoji. Quick reactions and super reactions aren’t available on the web, and you can’t change your reaction bar there (Online Tech Tips).
If you can’t react to messages
- Update Instagram. On iPhone, open the App Store, tap your photo at the top and look under updates (Apple Support). On Android, update it from the Play Store.
- Check your connection.
- The chat may be restricted or one of you may have blocked the other, and Instagram Lite can behave differently (Elfsight).
FAQ
How do I react with a heart quickly?
Double tap the message.
Does Instagram notify people when I react?
Yes, if they have notifications turned on.
Can I turn off reactions?
Current guides don’t describe a setting that turns message reactions off.