The evolution of Instagram is unstoppable. Over time, this mega social media platform has rapidly developed numerous exciting features and updates. And the end goal — creating better engagement experiences for users.
That said, it can be confusing to know what each feature and update do, and one of the confusing features is the flagged message on Direct Message. So what does it mean when you flag someone on Instagram? Well, let’s find out!
What Does It Mean When You Flag Someone On Instagram?
Often, the common interpretation of ‘flag’ is reporting someone. However, flagging someone in the Instagram Direct Message context means marking a chat as important.
Remember the ‘star’ icon on your Instagram DM? It has been replaced with the ‘flag’ icon. However, the function remains the same — keep track of any conversation for future use or reference.
Not only will you save time in backtracking messages, but you will also be able to get an instant alert whenever activity occurs. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about deleting important messages by accident, then getting stressed out looking for ways to recover the deleted Instagram messages.
Unfortunately, this feature was removed for personal accounts permanently. As for professional/business accounts, the organization of direct messages can be done between primary and general tabs.
How Can You Flag Direct Messages On Instagram?
Usually, businesses and influencers will receive tons of messages, resulting in crucial messages being missed out.This is when Instagram tools like ‘flag’ come in handy.
Flagging messages means users can respond to relevant messages promptly, reducing the chances of missing out key messages.
This feature also serves as a bookmarking tool, allowing you to identify any desired threads. Here’s how you can flag a direct message on Instagram:
- Open your Direct Messages on the platform.
- Swipe left on the desired chat thread.
- Click on “More” and “Flag.” You can also tap on the message thread and tap the flag in the top right corner.
- To unflag a chat, repeat the steps.
What Did The Orange Flag Mean On Instagram?
Once a chat is flagged, a flag icon will appear on the conversation. This flag icon will appear on the right corner of the chat, in the shape of a little orange triangle.
Whenever an activity happens within the chat, you will receive an alert. Additionally, the orange flag makes it easy to recognize the marked chats with just a glance.
How To Filter Flagged Messages On Instagram?
Although you can identify important messages by looking for the orange flag, you still need to scroll through your inbox to find the desired chat. The reason is your inbox will still be arranged according to the latest message received.
Luckily, there is a way to see all the flagged messages. All you need is to utilize the filter function. The step of filtering is as easy as flagging the messages. Just follow the below steps:
- Go to your Instagram app.
- Click on the DM icon at the top right or directly swipe left on the screen.
- Tap the filter icon on the right end of the search bar.
- A drop-down bar with 3 different options will appear. Select the ‘Flagged’ option; now, your inbox only shows the flagged messages
What Does The Flag Under My Instagram Posts For?
Despite using the same term, the flag under the Instagram posts is to keep track of your favorite content. In other words, it’s used to save Instagram posts for easier revisiting after.
Posts that are saved will all appear in one place. To access your saved posts, follow the below steps:
- Go to your Instagram app and click the profile icon at the bottom right to access your profile.
- Tap the three lines at the top right corner.
- Select ‘Saved’ (with the flag icon).
- You will see all your saved posts inside. Click ‘All posts’ to view the saved posts.
- If you want to organize the saved posts, click the “+” icon on the top right of your screen.
Final Thoughts
Unlike the more known meaning, flagging in Instagram means marking a conversation as necessary. It’s a good tool that lets you keep track of crucial conversations instead of scrolling through the thousand DMs you may receive.
Unfortunately, this convenient feature is no longer available for personal account users. So, the easiest way to keep your inbox tidy and clean is to switch to a professional account.
Of course, you can always opt to do housekeeping for your inbox now and then.
