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How do you direct message on instagram


How to Message Someone on Instagram and Chat Privately

  • You can message someone on Instagram through the platform's direct messaging feature, which lets you reach out to anyone with an Instagram account. 
  • Users don't need to follow you, nor do you need to follow them to message each other on Instagram.  
  • You can message someone by swiping left on the Home screen and then creating a new message or tapping "Message" on someone's profile page.  
  • Instagram messages allow you to add multiple recipients to send a message to several people at once. 
  • This story is part of Business Insider's Guide to Instagram.

Instagram allows you to communicate publicly and privately with followers, mutuals, and other Instagram users. That includes sending private messages to anyone. 

You don't need to follow or be followed by that user to use the app's private messaging feature, and no one can see these messages except the recipients.  

Not only can you send text and images to someone, but you can send a message to multiple people at once. 

Here's how to message someone privately on Instagram.

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How to message someone on Instagram from the app home screen

1. Start the Instagram app on your mobile device and then swipe to the left from the Home screen or tap the paper airplane icon in the top-right corner.

2. Tap the New Message icon at the top right of the screen. 

The New Message icon is in the top right next to the Video Chat icon. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Add each person you want to send the message to. You can select one Instagram user or add multiple recipients. 

You can also add someone by searching for them using the Search field. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

4. Tap "Chat" at the top right of the screen. 

5. Enter the message, add an image, audio, video, or Giphy.

Write your message, add media, and then tap "Send." Dave Johnson/Business Insider

6. When you're done, tap "Send."

How to message someone from their Instagram profile page

1. In the Instagram app, find and open the profile page of the person you want to message. 

2. Tap "Message."

Use the "Message" button on a user's profile page to communicate with them. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Enter the message and add an image, video, audio, or Giphy if you want. 

4. When you're ready to send it, tap "Send."

 

  • How to delete Instagram private messages, by deleting a conversation or unsending a message

  • How to make your Instagram private and hide your account from everyone except the followers you approve

  • How to delete a comment on Instagram from your computer or mobile device

  • How to tag someone in an Instagram post, story, or comment

  • How to post on Instagram from your phone or a computer, using the official app or an internet browser

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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Send an Instagram Direct Message With These 5 Easy Steps

As the kids say these days, “it goes down in the DMs”.

How to DM on Instagram

  1. Open Instagram and log in to your account
  2. Tap the paper airplane in the top right corner
  3. Using the plus sign, select your recipient(s)
  4. Type your message, select a photo, or take a photo, and hit send!

Admittedly, I don’t know what “it” is, and I can’t say with any speck of certainty that anybody, regardless of age, actually says that.  

Either way, Instagram’s introduction of Instagram Direct, the photo-sharing platform’s direct messaging feature, was an exciting new release when it launched in 2013.

Instagram was always a public-facing platform. To interact with other accounts, users had to like or comment on their posts. When Instagram Direct was introduced, users who followed each other were able to send private, one-to-one messages for the first time.

In this guide, we’ll cover the introduction of Instagram Direct, what it is, and why it was such a big deal. Plus, we’ll take you step-by-step through sending different types of Direct Messages, including chat-like text messages, videos, disappearing pictures, and more!

Let’s get started!

First things first – what is Instagram Direct? Or in this case, an Instagram DM (direct message).

What is a DM on Instagram?

First things first – let's define DM. In this case, DM stands for direct message – or a message sent privately to one (or a few) people. 

So now that we have the DM definition, we can dive a bit deeper into how to send a message on Instagram and why the feature was introduced. 

Instagram Direct is Instagram’s private messaging feature. Kevin Systrom, Instagram founder, announced it at a press event in New York on December 12, 2013. This was an exciting moment for the photo-sharing platform, as it was the first time it explored one-to-one messaging on an otherwise public platform. 

The video above accompanied Systrom’s announcement and briefly explored the new feature's main functionalities.

Interestingly, this announcement came shortly after Instagram was acquired by Facebook, a platform that launched its private messenger back in 2008. 

In 2013, private social media messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger were continuing to dominate (with the latter already seeing nearly 200 million monthly active users). Even more importantly, Snapchat, the multimedia messaging app, was quickly gaining traction. Introducing a direct messaging feature was a smart (and maybe even essential) move by Instagram.

Through Instagram Direct, users can send photos or videos that they take (or upload from their phone’s photo library), posts they saw in the feed, disappearing photos and videos (think Snapchat), other user’s Instagram stories, hashtags, and location pages.

Instagram also recently added a green dot next to an Instagram user’s profile picture that indicates when they’re logged on to Instagram and available to chat.

An Instagram DM can be sent to one person, or, up to 32 people in a group chat! (If you want to share private Instagram stories with more than 32 people, consider making an Instagram close friends list.)

As of 2018, users can use Instagram direct messaging to video chat with just one person or a group of up to four different people. This new feature works similar to FaceTime or Google Hangout, with users able to video chat anyone with whom they have a direct message thread open.

Today, Instagram Direct has evolved to be a valuable form of Instagram marketing. Organizations with an Instagram business profile can use the tool to offer social media customer service, and users can use the tool to connect with their favorite brands.

Of course, it would be unfair to tell you about all of these exciting features without telling you how to use them! These step-by-step instructions will give you all of the information you need to start chatting with your friends and followers via Instagram DM.

Ready to take your Instagram to the next level?

Download The Beginner's Guide to Instagram and get started 🚀

How to DM on Instagram

As mentioned above, there are plenty of ways to DM on Instagram. That said, there are definitely two methods you’re more likely to use than others. In this guide, we’ll give you step-by-step instructions on:

  • How to send a picture, video, or chat in a DM
  • How to send a post from your Instagram feed in a DM

Let’s get started!

How to send a picture, video, or chat in a DM 

Have you ever taken a picture and immediately thought of a friend who just needed to see it? Or, maybe you ran into an old college acquaintance while running errands and want to reach out, but you forgot to exchange phone numbers.  

Whatever your reasoning may be, sending a chat, picture, or video by Instagram DM can be a great way to reach people! 

Luckily, this is a simple process consisting of just a few steps.

1. Open Instagram and log into your account 

This first step is easy – and if you’re anything like me, something you already do every single day. Grab your phone, open up your Instagram app, and log in to your account. As a heads up, our instructions and screenshots refer to sending an Instagram DM from an iPhone. However, the process should look similar (if not identical) on Android devices.

2. Tap the paper airplane button in the top right corner, or, swipe left from anywhere in the Feed

When you tap on the paper airplane button or swipe left, you’ll be brought to the screen from which you’ll send your DM. If you have existing conversations (or if you’ve ever been sent a DM before), they’ll appear on this screen.

3. Tap the plus sign in the top right corner 

To send a new message, tap the plus sign in the top right corner. This will bring you to the screen where you select the person (or persons) to whom you’d like to send the message.

4. Select your recipient(s)

Instagram will pull up a list of suggested accounts to which you may want to send your direct message. If you don’t see your intended recipient, use the search bar at the top of the screen to find them, searching by either their username or full name. When you’ve selected your recipient, click “Next” in the top right corner.

5. To send a written message:

To send a chat, type your message and click send.

To take a picture or video to send:

To take a new picture or video to send, tap the camera button to the left of the chat-box. If you’ve posted an Instagram story before, this screen should look familiar! You can take a picture or video as normal, or take advantage of some of Instagram’s fun features like Boomerangs, filters, and more.

 Once you take your picture, you’ll have a few options on how it will appear to your recipient. At this point, you’ll choose between:

  • Having the photo or video appear or play once, and then disappear (like the first version of Snapchat)
  • Having the photo or video appear or play once, but allow your recipient one replay after that (like Snapchat’s current functionality)
  • Having the photo remain in your private chat with the recipient

Select the way you would like your picture or video to appear, and hit send! 

To send a picture or video from your photo library:

To send a picture or video from your photo library, tap the button to the right of your chat-box. This button looks like a landscape scene. This will pull up your phone’s camera roll, from which you can select a photo or video. Once you select your image, click send. Keep in mind that for the best possible quality, the picture or video should fit the standard Instagram story dimensions.  

There you have it! From there, you can continue chatting back and forth, or send additional content.

How to send a post from your Instagram feed in a DM

Now that Instagram is littered with meme accounts (I’m not complaining), it’s a pretty regular occurrence to see something in your feed that makes you laugh out loud. And what’s better than laughing alone? Laughing with friends, of course!

Luckily, Instagram makes it easy to send posts directly from the feed to your friends and followers. The original poster will not know that you sent their Instagram post, nor will the messages appear in the Instagram feed, search, or your profile.

However, keep in mind that if the original poster has a private Instagram profile, your recipient won’t be able to see the post unless they follow the account that posted it. If the original poster has a public Instagram profile, then you’re good to go! 

Now, here’s how to send a post directly from your Instagram feed. We’ll skip the steps that require opening Instagram and logging in – if you’ve found something you want to share, we can safely assume you’ve done that already!

1. Tap the paper airplane button below the image you want to share 

When you tap on the paper plane image below the image you want to share, Instagram will pull up a list of your existing conversations. If you don’t see your intended recipient(s), simply use the search bar to find their account and select their Instagram handle from the list.

2. Add an optional message, or send without one

After you select your recipient, you can opt to type a message that will send along with the post. Consider including a message that provides more context on the image or explains why the post made you think of this particular person. Instagram DMs are a great way to connect with friends and family, so take advantage of the opportunity to include a personalized message!

Hint: If your recipient can’t see the post, no need for them to follow the account! Simply take a screenshot on your Android or iPhone and send the screenshot via DM using the first set of instructions.

Are you ready to slide into the DMs?

Hopefully, this post has taught you exactly how to DM on Instagram. Instagram’s direct message feature is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, or, get in touch with those acquaintances with whom you haven’t yet exchanged numbers. Whichever way you use it, Instagram Direct was an exciting new feature that isn’t going away soon.

Curious to know more about Instagram? Check out this guide to learn how to leverage IGTV for your business.

Claire Brenner

Claire is a former growth marketing team manager at G2. Born and raised in the Chicago area, her brief stint in Ohio (University of Dayton) gave her a new appreciation for deep-dish pizza, but left her well-versed in Cincinnati-style chili and "cities" with a population fewer than 400,000. While not writing, Claire can be found practicing calligraphy, seeking out the best dive bars in Chicago, and planning her next trip. (she/her/hers)

How to send a message to a person on Instagram?

Help Center

Instagram features

Direct messaging

In Instagram Direct, you can send messages, photos, and videos to one person or a group of people. These messages do not appear in the feed, search results, or your profile.

Send chat messages

Instagram app for Android and iPhone

Tap the or icon in the top right corner of the feed.

Click on the top right corner of the screen.

Select the people you want to send a message to and click Send in chat.

Enter a message. You can also tap to capture and share a disappearing photo or video, or to select a photo or video from your library.

Click Submit.

instagram.com in a browser on a mobile device

instagram.com in a browser on a computer

Instagram Lite app for Android

You can also send a message to the person you follow by going to their profile and clicking Send.

Links you send in a message are shown in the conversation along with an image preview. When sending an address or phone number, you can click on them in a conversation to open a map or make a call.

Note. The Instagram accounts you message to may use third-party apps or automated services to send messages to chats.

If you're having trouble sending a message to Instagram, try these steps.

Sending messages using commands

Commands allow you to use chat features and content when writing a message. Below is how to use them.

Instagram app for Android and iPhone

Tap Write message… at the bottom of the screen.

Here you can:

Enter the symbol / to open the list of function commands. For example, the /silent command will allow you to send a message without sending a notification.

Enter the @ symbol to open a list of people who will receive the notification. For example, using the @[username] command, you can tag a chat participant in a message.

Select a team and write a message.

Click Submit.

Note. The mentions feature is only available in chats with at least 3 participants.

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Recently, Facebook, which owns the social network Instagram, has been developing not only a mobile application, but also an official web resource. Previously, it was impossible to even just view publications. Today, users can use the site to perform most of the usual tasks: viewing photos, videos, and stories of friends, searching for people, viewing the "Recommended" section, the ability to subscribe to profiles, post content, like and write comments.

However, the site does not have all the features visitors are used to. It is used for emergencies when there is no access to the phone. For example, here you can not access personal correspondence and publish a story. Messages on Instagram from a computer are possible, but for this you need to resort to different tricks.

  • How to write messages on Instagram from a computer
  • Sending emails to Direct
  • How to view messages on Instagram on a computer
  • How to read dialogue on Instagram from a computer

How to write messages on Instagram from a computer

Speaking of messages, users most often mean leaving comments under posts and correspondence in Direct. In mobile versions, Direct was not always available, but appeared in Instagram versions from 5.0 and higher.

When wondering how to write a message on Instagram from a computer, you should remember that there is no direct section in which you can enter and view correspondence in the browser version. However, you can deliver short messages through comments. To do this, you don’t even need to be subscribed to the person who is the addressee of the message (provided that the profile is open). The Instagram website is accessible in any browser.

  1. First, open a browser on a laptop or PC with Internet access.
  2. Then authorize by entering a nickname and password.
  3. Open the post you want to comment on. The photo will be placed directly in the center of the screen, and already published comments and a window for entering text will be placed on the right side.
  4. By clicking on it, you should enter the text and send it by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard.

Comment sent. Of course, other users will see it - this option for sending messages on Instagram from a computer is not suitable for personal intimate correspondence.

Sending letters to Direct

If a person wants to correspond with a PC in a private chat, as in an application on a smartphone, then he will not be able to do this on the site due to the lack of the function itself. You can write messages on Instagram through a computer only when you install a minimalistic desktop client from the Store on the Windows operating system. The user can select one of the following options:

  1. For desktops and laptops with an operating system belonging to the Windows family under the Windows 8 line and above. In this case, the person is invited to install the program from the official store.
  2. For earlier versions of the operating system, you can use third-party programs that emulate Android. They make it possible to open various clients created for smartphones.

To install the official application, you need to open the "Store" section located on the PC. This requires an internet connection. In the window that opens, you need to drive the name of the client into the search and click on the "Install" button.

After downloading, Instagram will be available for use: you need to open it and log in. This app has all the features of a smartphone.

How to view messages on Instagram through a computer

After installation and authorization in the application installed on the PC, a tab will automatically appear on the screen. It will show the news feed. With it, you can see the publications of friends, recommended profiles, write comments and put likes. To go to Direct to send messages to Instagram via a computer, you should click on the button in the form of an icon with an airplane.

All conversations are saved here, even those from the phone. If there has already been a correspondence, you need to touch the corresponding chat or create a new dialogue by selecting a person from the list and clicking the "New dialogue" button.

When selecting an interlocutor, you can mark several at once. This is done in the "To" column. At the same time, a feature of the computer version is the fact that in this way you can send messages on Instagram not only to people from the list of subscriptions, but also to those whose profile is closed. In this case, you need to find the page of interest by starting to enter a nickname in the search field. The system will return all matches. After selecting the desired option from the proposed list, start typing.

If the official program on the PC does not work for some reason (the operating system is Windows 7 and below), but you need to view the Instagram dialogs through the computer, a shareware program for launching Android applications can help. It's called BlueStacks App Player. Download BlueStacks from the official website.

  1. The downloaded client opens.
  2. Entering information from your Google account: login and password.
  3. The application store opens inside the program (same as on Android devices).
  4. Use the search to find Instagram, install and log in.

It can then be used normally. The BlueStacks emulator is free. Its main advantage is the ability to use programs from the Android operating system for smartphones on a PC. Naturally, some functions and interface differ from the mobile version, however, all the main advantages of the social network are preserved - the ability to view and publish content, write comments, etc.

Another plus is the ability to use the keyboard and computer mouse, as well as setting up notifications: if an email arrives, the user will be notified (BlueStacks runs in the background).

Watching messages on Instagram through a computer is a pretty handy feature. It allows you to conduct private conversations in Direct: send text messages, photos and videos, or organize a group chat.

How to read an Instagram conversation from a computer

Regardless of which method of accessing Direct was chosen (the official application for PC with OC version Windows 8 and higher or the third-party simulator BlueStacks App Player), read and send messages to Instagram only one scenario is possible through a computer: