In Instagram DMs, the flag marks a conversation you want to come back to. It works like a bookmark for your inbox. The other person isn’t told, and flagging a chat is not a report.
The word “flag” also shows up in two other ways on Instagram. People say “flag” when they mean reporting a post or an account, and “flagged” is sometimes used for content that Instagram’s systems limited.
The flag in Instagram DMs
The flag is part of the inbox tools Instagram gives professional accounts (creator and business accounts), next to features like the Primary and General tabs. On a personal account you may not see it at all.
When you flag a conversation, it gets a small orange marker in your inbox, and you can list all flagged chats with a filter. That makes it useful for messages you need to answer later, orders or collaborations you are following up on, or anything you don’t want to lose in a busy inbox.
How to flag a conversation on Instagram
- Open your DMs and tap the conversation.
- Tap the flag icon at the top of the chat.
- To see every flagged chat, go back to the inbox, tap the filter icon next to the search bar and choose Flagged.
To remove the flag, open the conversation and tap the flag icon again. Social Media Examiner walks through the same steps as part of an Instagram DM workflow for busy inboxes.
Does the other person know you flagged the chat?
No. A flag only changes how the conversation appears in your own inbox. It doesn’t send a notification and it doesn’t report the message or the account.
If you want to go back to a message quickly without flagging, you can also mark a chat as unread. Our guide on marking Instagram messages as unread shows how.
If “flag” means report
When people say they flagged a post or a message, they usually mean they reported it. On Instagram that is the Report option:
- A message: press and hold the message, then tap Report.
- A post: tap the three dots above the post, then Report.
- An account: open the profile, tap the three dots in the top right corner, then Report.
Reports go to review against Instagram’s Community Guidelines, and the person you report isn’t told who reported them. For what happens next, see how many reports it takes to delete an Instagram account.
What “flagged” means for posts and accounts
Sometimes “flagged” describes content that Instagram’s systems acted on: a post that was removed, or content that Instagram decided not to recommend to people who don’t follow you. You can check this yourself in Account status in your Instagram settings. It shows removed content, any restrictions on the account, and whether your content can be recommended to non-followers, and it lets you appeal decisions you think are wrong.
FAQ
Is flagging a message the same as reporting it?
No. Flagging keeps a conversation easy to find in your inbox. Reporting sends a message, post or account to Instagram for review.
Can someone see that I flagged our conversation?
No. The flag is only visible to you.
Why don’t I see the flag in my DMs?
The flag belongs to the inbox tools for professional accounts, so it may not appear on a personal account. Updating the app can also help, since Instagram changes the inbox from time to time.
What does the orange mark on a chat mean?
It means the conversation is flagged. Open the chat and tap the flag icon to remove it.
How do I find flagged messages on Instagram?
In your inbox, tap the filter icon next to the search bar and choose Flagged. If you need to reply to one message inside a long chat, our guide on replying to a specific message helps.