To like a message on Instagram, open the chat and double tap the message: a heart appears under it. For a different emoji, press and hold the message instead and pick one from the reaction bar, or tap + for the full list.
On a computer there's no double tap. You hover over the message in your browser, click the small smiley face icon and choose a reaction. Either way, the person you're chatting with usually gets a notification that you reacted, unless they've muted the conversation.
Like a message on your phone
These steps work the same way on iPhone and Android.
- Open Instagram and tap the messages icon to see your chats. Depending on your version, it sits at the top of your feed or in the bar along the bottom.
- Open the conversation that has the message you want to like.
- Double tap the message bubble. A small heart appears underneath it, and that's your like sent.
- If a heart doesn't fit the moment, press and hold the message instead. A row of emoji pops up just above it.
- Tap the emoji you want, or tap + at the end of the row to search every emoji on your phone.
You can react the same way to most things in a chat, including photos, videos and posts someone has shared with you. Double tap for your quick reaction, press and hold for everything else.
Instagram moves buttons around now and then. If a menu name looks different in your version, open the app's settings and search for the key word, such as 'messages' or 'reactions'.
Reacting from a computer
Instagram in a web browser handles reactions with a mouse rather than a double tap. Here's how it works there:
- Open Instagram in your browser and log in.
- Click the messages icon in the menu down the left-hand side, then open the chat.
- Hover your mouse over the message you want to react to. A few small icons appear next to the bubble.
- Click the smiley face icon.
- Pick the reaction you want and it shows under the message straight away.
If the icons don't appear, move your mouse slowly over the message bubble itself rather than the empty space beside it. Small browser windows can squash the chat too, so widen the window if things look cramped. If you answer a lot of messages from a laptop, my guide to replying to Instagram DMs on a laptop or phone covers the rest of the desktop chat.
Double tap, emoji or reply: which one fits
These three look similar from the outside, but they send different signals. Here's the quick comparison:
| What you do | How | What they see | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double tap | Double tap the message | Your quick reaction (a heart unless you've changed it) under their message | A fast 'got it' or 'love this' |
| Reaction emoji | Press and hold, then pick an emoji | That emoji under their message | Showing a specific feeling, like laughing at a joke |
| Reply to one message | Press and hold, tap Reply, then type | Your answer with their message quoted above it | Answering one point in a busy chat |
A reaction is quiet and quick, and it doesn't push the chat along. A reply is better when several messages have arrived at once and you want it clear which one you're answering. In a group chat, replying to the exact message saves a lot of 'which one did you mean?' back and forth.
Change your quick reaction or take a like back
Swap the heart for another emoji
Here's the bit most people miss: the double tap doesn't have to send a heart. It sends your default quick reaction, and you can change it to something else.
- Press and hold any message in a chat.
- Tap + at the end of the reaction bar.
- Look for the option to customise or change your default reaction, then choose the emoji you'd like your double tap to send.
If your version of the app doesn't show that option, there's no hidden setting to dig for. Just press and hold whenever you want something other than the heart. It's one extra second and it works everywhere.
Remove a like or reaction
Changed your mind? Tap your reaction under the message, then tap it to remove it. The emoji comes off the message. If you'd picked the wrong one, remove it and react again with the right emoji.
Removing a reaction doesn't touch anything else in the chat. Taking back a whole message is a different thing called unsending, and it leaves a different trace. If you're curious about that side, here's what an unsent message looks like on Instagram.
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What the other person sees
When you react, the person usually gets a notification saying you reacted to their message, unless they've muted the chat. Inside the conversation, your emoji sits under their message bubble where both of you can see it.
Worth knowing: liking a shared post inside the chat isn't the same as liking the post itself. If a friend sends you a post and you double tap it in your DMs, you've reacted to their message. The post doesn't get a like from you. To like the post, tap it to open it and like it there.
This catches out a lot of small business owners. A customer shares your post with a friend, the friend hearts it in the chat, and none of that shows on your post. Reactions stay inside the conversation.
A couple of other things to keep in mind:
- Message requests can behave differently. In some versions you can't react to a message that's still sitting in your requests, so if the reaction bar won't appear on a message from someone new, check whether you've accepted the chat yet.
- A reaction shows you've opened the message. Even with read receipts off, a heart gives away that you've seen it. If you'd like to keep that quieter, you can turn off read receipts on Instagram and simply hold off reacting.
- Reactions don't replace an answer. If someone has asked you a question, a heart can look like you've read it and moved on.
What I'd do
If it were my inbox, I'd leave the double tap as a heart and press and hold only when a heart feels wrong, like a laughing face for a joke. For anything with a question in it, I'd reply rather than react, because a heart can read as 'noted' when the other person was waiting for a yes.
For the rest of the series, see the Instagram Help: 81 Guides to Followers, Hashtags, Money, Accounts and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I like a message on Instagram without them knowing?
Not really. The person usually gets a notification when you react, unless they've muted the chat, and your reaction shows under their message for both of you.
How do I unlike a message on Instagram?
Tap your reaction under the message, then tap it to remove it. You can react again with a different emoji afterwards if you want.
Why can't I double tap to like a message?
Update the app first and try again. If it still won't work, the message may be in your requests, where some versions don't allow reactions until you accept, so press and hold the message to see which options appear.
Does reacting to a shared post in my DMs like the post?
No. Reacting in the chat only reacts to the message. Open the post and like it there if you want the like to count on the post itself.
