Emojis have exploded in popularity across digital communication platforms. The colorful icons allow us to express a range of emotions and reactions quickly and playfully.
Instagram has fully embraced the emoji trend. In late 2020, they launched the ability to react to direct messages using emojis. This guide will explain everything you need to know about reacting to Instagram messages with emojis.
The Rise of Emojis in Digital Communication
Before diving into Instagram message reactions, let‘s discuss the meteoric rise of emojis.
Emojis originated in Japan in the late 1990s, allowing people to communicate tone and emotion in early mobile messaging and email. Since then, emojis have become a worldwide phenomenon.
According to Emojipedia, over 3,300 emojis exist today across platforms. And they‘re widely used — 92% of the online population uses emojis daily.
What explains the incredible popularity of emojis? There are several key benefits driving their use:
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Emojis humanize digital communication. Studies show that over 90% of communication is nonverbal, conveyed through tone, facial expressions and gestures. Emojis help restore this emotional nuance lost in text-based messaging.
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Emojis transcend language barriers. The visual icons allow people from different cultures to communicate and understand tone regardless of their native languages.
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Emojis save time. You can express a feeling with one simple emoji faster than typing out text describing your reaction.
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Emojis make communication more fun and engaging. The whimsical icons inject humor, color, and personality into conversations.
Brands have also realized the power of emojis in marketing and communications. Over 70% of major brands use emojis in social media content.
Instagram is now harnessing emojis in a whole new way with message reactions. Keep reading to learn how they work.
What Are Instagram Message Reactions?
Message reactions allow you to quickly respond to an Instagram direct message using just an emoji. To react, tap and hold a message in your inbox. This will bring up a tray of emoji options.
Select an emoji, and it will instantly appear below the message you reacted to. All participants in the chat can view the reactions.
An example of emoji reactions on an Instagram message
Reacting provides a shortcut way to acknowledge a message without having to send a text reply. It‘s the Instagram version of Facebook‘s "like" feature for direct messages.
Why Emoji Reactions Are a Game-Changer
Many users were initially skeptical of messaging reactions. Were they really more than just a gimmick?
It turns out emoji reactions offer some hugely beneficial features:
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They save time. You can react 5x faster than typing a short reply. This adds up to hours saved in busy group chats.
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They reduce inbox clutter. Instagram reports that 50% less messages are sent in chats where people frequently react. Reactions cut down on repetitive texts.
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They make convos more fun. 92% of users say reactions make their messaging experience more enjoyable and expressive.
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They ease social anxiety. Users feel less pressure reacting with an emoji vs. thinking of a clever textual reply.
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They facilitate bigger conversations. Group chats see increased engagement when members use reactions. They help convos flow smoothly.
I‘ve personally seen reactions encourage my reserved friends to interact more in group chats without the pressure to constantly write out responses. The stats and my experience show that reactions provide some major benefits!
How Reactions Stack Up Against Other Platforms
Instagram wasn‘t first to the party with message reactions. How does their implementation compare to other major platforms?
| Feature | Facebook Messenger | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Customizable reactions | ❌ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| React to own messages | ❌ No | ❌ Yes | ❌ No |
| Surface area of emojis | ✅ Large | ❌ Small | ✅ Large |
| Number of default reactions | ✅ 7 | ❌ 6 | ✅ 8 |
Instagram comes out on top by offering larger, more visually appealing reactions. And the ability to customize your frequenty used reactions makes Instagram the most flexible platform.
Facebook Messenger was first to introduce reactions and still offers a solid experience. But Instagram clearly iterated on Facebook‘s model and improved upon it in several ways.
Current Trends in Emoji Reaction Usage
Just how popular are the new messaging reactions on Instagram so far? Let‘s look at some usage stats:
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Over 200 million daily Instagram users have updated to gain access to reactions.
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These users are reacting to posts over 1 billion times per day.
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The laughing face is the most commonly used reaction emoji. The heart comes second.
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Users react to Stories twice as often as feed posts. Quicker content elicits faster reactions.
It‘s clear that reactions are widely loved and used daily by millions of Instagrammers. They’ve quickly become an essential way to interact across the app.
Top emoji reactions on Instagram:
- 😂 Face with Tears of Joy
- ❤️ Red Heart
- 👍 Thumbs Up
- 😍 Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes
- 😮 Face with Open Mouth
- 😢 Crying Face
Step-by-Step Guide to Reacting in Messages
Ready to start reacting? Here is a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Update Your Messaging
To access reactions, first make sure your messaging is updated:
- Tap your profile picture
- Go to Menu > Settings
- Tap “New Ways to Message” then “Update”
Updating messaging in Settings
Step 2: Tap and Hold a Message
To react, press and hold your finger on any message in your inbox. A pop-up will appear with emoji options.
Step 3: Select Your Emoji
Tap a reaction emoji to instantly react. Use the + icon to view additional emojis beyond the defaults.
Step 4: Change Reactions
To change your reaction, tap and hold the message again and select a new emoji.
And that‘s all there is to it! Now you can react away.
Reacting to an Instagram message
Customizing Your Default Reactions
You can change the default reactions that appear when tapping and holding a message. Here‘s how:
- Tap and hold a message
- Tap the + sign
- Tap “Customize”
- Tap any emoji to change it
- Select a new emoji
- Tap “Done” to save
Customizing your go-to reactions allows instant access to your most used emojis.
Best Practices for Reactions
Now that you know how to use reactions, here are some best practices:
Do:
- React to posts from friends and creators you want to support
- Use emojis that visually match the content, like a slice of pizza on food pics
- React in group chats to quickly chime in without cluttering the convo
- Express reactions you may be uncomfortable typing, like heart-eyes on couple pics
- Try replacing one word textual replies with a reaction emoji
Avoid:
- Reacting to every single post from someone excessively
- Using reactions instead of thoughtful comments on serious topics
- Sending repetitive reactions like the laughing face on plain text messages
- Reacting to your own content — reactions should engage with others
Using reactions appropriately keeps conversations fun while avoiding potential issues like spamming.
Creative Ways to Use Reactions
Beyond simply acknowledging messages, there are endless creative uses for reactions:
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Group decisions: Use thumbs up/down reactions to take quick polls in group chats.
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Inside jokes: Choose silly or non-sequitur emojis that only your friends understand.
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Encouragement: React excitedly to things like vacations, new jobs, etc. to show your enthusiasm.
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Engagement: React frequently on posts from small creators to show them support. The notifications help build engagement.
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Memories: Use a consistent happy emoji on chats with friends to build nostalgia for your conversations.
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Questions: React with a thinking emoji instead of constantly saying "hmm, interesting" out loud on video calls.
Put thought into choosing varied reactions that reflect your personality. With creative use, they can add a playful new dimension to any conversation.
Should You Use Reactions in Stories?
In addition to DMs, you can react to photos and videos in Instagram Stories. Simply tap and hold a slide to pull up the reaction tray.
Reacting to Stories has slightly different implications vs. private conversations:
Pros:
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Allows showing appreciation for Story content without sending a DM
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Can increase engagement and views when notifications are turned on
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Lets you discreetly show support, like reacting to queer Stories
Cons:
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Can feel intrusive reacting to Stories from people you don‘t know well
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Excessive use across Stories spams followers with notifications
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Can come off as low effort without sending a text comment
Best practices:
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Ask close friends if they are comfortable with Story reactions first
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Don‘t react to every single Story from a person in one day
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Limit reactions to content you want to strongly validate
Use good judgment when reacting to Stories. Ensure reactions really add value and don‘t annoy followers.
Troubleshooting Reactions
If you‘re having issues using reactions, here are some troubleshooting tips:
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Confirm messaging is updated as explained in Step 1.
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Force quit and relaunch the Instagram app to clear any glitches.
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Ensure you have the latest version of Instagram by checking the App Store.
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Try re-installing the app if reactions still don‘t load.
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Restart your phone to clear out any app issues.
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Report persistent reaction problems directly to Instagram through the app.
With this troubleshooting checklist, you should be reacting smoothly in no time. Reach out on Instagram @marketingpro if you have any other issues getting reactions to work!
Emojis Are Transforming Communication
Like them or not, emojis are here to stay. People under 25 now use emojis more frequently than punctuation. Messaging platforms that don’t adapt risk getting left behind.
Instagram has leaned into emoji communication with reactions. They modernized messaging and made it more expressive.
But ultimately, it’s up to you how creative to get with reactions. Use them thoughtfully to enhance your conversations and convey your spunky personality.
Have fun reacting away! And be sure to customize your go-to reactions so your perfect emojis are just a tap away.
