Level Up Your Instagram: The Ultimate Guide to Highlighting Messages

Instagram is more than just pretty pictures; it’s a dynamic communication platform. But sometimes, important messages can get lost in the flood of DMs. That’s where the highlight feature comes in! Highlighting messages allows you to pin specific conversations to the top of your inbox, ensuring you never miss crucial updates, deadlines, or sweet nothings. This guide will walk you through exactly how to highlight messages on Instagram, step-by-step.

Why Highlight Messages?

Before we dive in, let’s understand why highlighting is a game-changer:

• Prioritize Important Conversations: No more sifting through endless DMs to find that crucial piece of information. Highlight what matters most.
• Stay Organized: Keep track of ongoing projects, collaborations, or important customer inquiries.
• Never Miss a Deadline: Highlighting messages containing deadlines or action items ensures you stay on top of things.
• Quick Access: Access key conversations instantly, saving you valuable time and reducing stress.

How to Highlight Messages on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

Instagram’s highlight feature is easy to use. Here’s how to do it on both mobile (iOS and Android) and desktop:

On Mobile (iOS and Android)

1. Open Instagram: Launch the Instagram app on your phone.
2. Go to Your DMs: Tap the message icon in the top-right corner of your screen to access your Direct Messages.
3. Select the Conversation: Find the conversation you want to highlight and tap on it to open.
4. Long Press the Conversation: On the main DM page where you see all your chats (not within the specific conversation), press and hold your finger on the conversation you want to highlight. This action will trigger a menu.
5. Choose “Highlight”: From the menu that appears, tap on the option that says “Highlight”. The conversation will immediately jump to the “Highlighted” section above the rest of your conversations.
6. View Highlighted Messages: Tap the “Highlighted” header above your main list of chats to view all your pinned conversations.

Unhighlighting Messages on Mobile

Need to remove a highlight? It’s just as easy:

1. Go to Your DMs: Open your DMs.
2. Access Highlighted: Tap the “Highlighted” header to see all your highlighted chats.
3. Long Press: Long press on the chat you want to remove from highlights.
4. Tap “Unhighlight”: In the pop-up menu, select “Unhighlight”. The conversation will return to its original position in your inbox.

On Desktop

Instagram’s desktop experience also allows you to highlight messages:

1. Go to Instagram.com: Open your web browser and navigate to the Instagram website.
2. Login: Log in to your Instagram account.
3. Access Direct Messages: Click the paper plane icon in the top right corner of the screen to go to your DMs.
4. Find the conversation you want to highlight: Locate the desired chat within your inbox list.
5. Hover over the Chat: Hover your mouse over the conversation you wish to highlight. This action will reveal three dots (…) on the right side of the chat box.
6. Click the Three Dots: Click on the three dots (…). This will open a menu of options.
7. Select “Highlight”: Click on the “Highlight” option. The conversation will then be moved into the “Highlighted” section at the top.
8. View Highlighted Messages: Click the “Highlighted” header above your main chat list to view all your pinned conversations.

Unhighlighting Messages on Desktop

To remove a highlight on the desktop:

1. Go to Your DMs: Go to the direct message section.
2. Click Highlighted: Select the “Highlighted” section to view the highlighted chats.
3. Hover over Chat: Hover your cursor over the chat you want to remove.
4. Click the Three Dots: Click the three dots that appear on the right side of the chat to access the menu options.
5. Click “Unhighlight”: Select the “Unhighlight” option. The conversation will be removed from the “Highlighted” section and return to the main inbox.

Tips for Effective Highlighting

• Be Selective: Don’t highlight every conversation. Focus on the ones that genuinely require your immediate attention.
• Review Regularly: Periodically review your highlighted conversations to ensure they’re still relevant. Unhighlight chats that are no longer important.
• Use It for Projects: Highlighting can be incredibly useful for group project conversations, keeping all the relevant information in one place.
• Customer Service: For businesses, highlight messages from customers that require further action or follow-up.

Conclusion

Mastering the highlight feature on Instagram can significantly improve your communication workflow. It helps you prioritize conversations, stay organized, and ensure no crucial messages slip through the cracks. By following this guide, you’ll be highlighting like a pro in no time!