Bring all messengers into one
Your computer and mobile phone live two different lives. There are apps so broad-gauge you can’t limit their functionality to mobile or tablet only. And there’s hardly a better example than Instagram. Focused on photo and video sharing, Instagram grew into a tool for recording every moment of your routine. While lots of communication happens around Instagram posts and stories, it was inevitable for the app to become a messenger as well. And so it became!
You can access Instagram on Mac via your browser — it covers the features like browsing through the feed, commenting, and liking. Since recently, you can also read and send Instagram messages on computer. What the web version doesn’t support is the Instagram upload feature. This means you can not share your content to Instagram from a browser. But worry not, there are some workarounds — both inside the native app and with the assistance of third-party tools.
Instagram DMs: How does it work?
Instagram Direct was added to the platform in 2013, around three years after the launch. You can access Instagram direct messages (DMs) via the icon in the top right corner of your Feed from mobile or on the web. Here’s what you can do with the Instagram messenger:
- Share text messages, Instagram posts/photos/hashtags/locations, as well as photos and videos from your phone’s library with people you’re following.
- Send a message to Instagram users you’re not following — the recipient will see it as a message request.
- Respond to stories in private messages (with text or instant emoji reactions).
- Create group messages (up to 32 people can be invited to the group).
- Video chat with up to 6 people via Instagram Direct.
IGdm is a desktop application for Instagram direct messages. Download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Sponsored: Shop for fashion by searching with images. You can save videos and images in the instagram posts that a shared with you in a chat. IGdm is an open source project that can be used for free by anyone, donations and incentives are. Check Instagram DM online, on pc, on your mac, anywhere! Any computer and any device. Your can read and send direct messages using your IG account online. We are the only Instagram DM autoresponder. Yes, you can auto-reply to your direct messages through our software. Try our messenger today.
You can read more about the capabilities of DMs on the Instagram Help Centre.
DM on Instagram from Mac
Get a huge set of top apps for DM on Instagram from Mac, view your messages, and receive notifications without having to switch to mobile. Best utilities in one pack, give it a go!
How to check Instagram messages on Mac
Once you receive a message on Instagram, you’ll see a number count appear with your DM icon. Tap it and you get access to the message. For a long time, this was the only way to check direct messages on Instagram — by launching the app. Since 2017, Instagram has also added the notifications feature, allowing users to view messages right from a phone’s locked screen.
Enable notifications for Instagram messages on Mac
How to check direct messages on Instagram on computer? To allow Instagram send you notifications, you have to do the following:
- Click on your profile page (a person icon in the bottom right corner of the screen)
- From your profile, go to the main menu in the upper right corner and click on Settings.
- Select Notifications > Direct Messages.
- Click “On” if you want the app to notify you about incoming messages, message requests, and video chats.
In the same menu, you can customize notifications settings for posts, likes, comments as well as pause all in a click.
IM+ for a flawless management of Instagram accounts
An all-in-one messenger for Mac, IM+ gives you the flexibility of choice in terms of how many messenger accounts you can handle from one spot. It also covers the DM feature of Instagram, along with other messengers of your choice. Basically, it’s an aggregator of messengers that supports popular platforms, from Slack to Facebook Messenger to Telegram, and sits in your Dock for easy access to all communications.
The key pain IM+ is solving relates to the number of accounts you can manage. The app simplifies your life if you need to toggle between business and personal accounts on Instagram. Plus, sometimes we all get into a messaging loop — switching between Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram. IM+ puts it all into a sidebar, so you don’t have to dig around.
Here’s how IM+ adds flexibility into your Instagram routine:
- Instagram DM: If you use Instagram with IM+, the app will show you the DM icon — just as on mobile. You can use it to check Instagram messages from Mac as well as create and send the new ones.
- Get notified: Enable notifications and IM+ will prompt you whenever someone sends you a direct message on Instagram.
- Toggle across accounts: Add multiple Instagram accounts and set up hotkeys for an access to the most frequently used accounts.
- Update your status: When your messaging time is over, or you simply want to take a break, change your status to “unavailable” across all accounts at once. You can also easily mute notifications from the menu bar.
Whether for different channels or multiple Instagram accounts, IM+ is a perfect tool for business communication. If you want to learn more about how to reap benefits from Instagram for Business, check out this guide.
Beautiful Instagram journey on Mac with Grids
IM+ works if you need to check DMs on Instagram, but it’s pretty much limited to messaging. Grids is a whole different story. A full-featured Instagram app for Mac, it fills the gaps by bringing the native features of a mobile Instagram app to macOS. Fair to say, it even makes many things easier.
As you launch Grids, it takes you to a beautifully organized feed. You can choose from among four different layouts and view posts the way you want. The search, likes, comments, and tags — every small thing that makes Instagram complete is covered.
Grids also has the DM feature that replicates Instagram’s native DM logic. You’ll find a familiar DM icon in the top right corner of the app’s window:
How to post photo and video to Instagram from Mac
Once you’ve mastered Instagram DM on Mac, dive deeper into Grids — it has so much more to offer:
- Upload photo and video from your Mac’s desktop. The most wanted feature across all Instagram apps is photo upload. Grids enables you to upload any content stored on your Mac to Instagram.
- Make the necessary adjustments. Switch between the original size and a square (check out instagram dimensions) to customize the look of your photo/video on the feed. Add caption, tags, and location to make your post complete.
- Post Stories from Mac. Grids is the only desktop app that can post directly to Instagram Stories. Simply click on your profile picture and share your photo or video in Stories.
- Choose the best layout. Grids comes with four beautiful layouts you can switch between. Each layout will automatically adjust to window size and present Instagram content in the best view.
- Toggle between accounts. Just as with IM+, you can use Grids for managing both your personal and business accounts — without any limitations. The best thing is you don’t even have to sign in and out if you use multiple accounts — there’s an easy toggle for that.
Tweaking Instagram on a Mac
Instagram Messenger Desktop Mac
Without using any third-party software on Mac, your Instagram life is pretty much limited to viewing photos, liking, and commenting. But it’s not carved in stone, though. You can make Instagram think you’re accessing the platform from your mobile phone and thus get access to some of the features like Instagram DMs and photo upload.
What you can do is change browser user agent to iPhone or iPad to enable photo upload on a Mac:
- Open Safari Preferences > Advanced.
- Check the box next to “Show Develop Menu in Menu Bar.”
- Click on Develop in the top menu bar and select User Agent.
- Choose the latest version of iPhone or iPad available on the list.
- Reload or access your Instagram page at www.instagram.com — you’ll see the mobile version with full-fledged upload functionality.
Well, it still has some limitations. If you change user agent to mobile, you’ll be able to post photos and stories as well as do some basic editing — like rotate or add text and stamps to stories. However, you won’t be able to upload video. Plus, there won’t be any of the filters and color effects available.
Note: Instagram thinks you’re using your phone, so it might occasionally give you mobile-related prompts. For instance, it can ask you to rotate your device. To fix the problem, you’ll just need to make the window look narrower by dragging its edge inwards.
Cheating is cheating. You can use the option of tweaking Instagram settings for emergency cases, but it doesn’t cater for frequent use. This is why we recommend having a native app like Grids installed on your Mac. This is the best way to bulk upload photos and videos and post Stories. If you need to use Instagram DM online, you can get it in the web version via your browser. For messaging on Mac, we use Grids or IM+ messenger (if you need more than one messenger in one spot) — both apps are part of Setapp. As a nice perk, you get around 180 other macOS tools in the same package for a flat fee.
Using Instagram Direct on your computer is impossible in your browser. This is a lot of trouble for people using Instagram for business, especially when we consider that it is possible to create quick answers, which greatly increase the productivity of those who use the social network. But knowing how to talk about Instagram on the PC is one of the biggest doubts of who uses Insta but does not want to be alternating between PC and mobile.
However, there are some applications for Instagram that allow you to reply to messages and even send automatic direct to Instagram.
If you just want to send and receive messages through Instagram Direct, IG: dm is an ideal – and free – option to learn how to talk to Instagram on your PC.
Another benefit of the application for PC and Mac is that it does not allow access to the Instagram feed. In other words, if you just need to send messages or make calls without losing focus, IG: dm becomes an ideal option. No slipping endlessly through the feed or watching Stories non-stop, getting right to the point.
To learn where to download and how to chat through Instagram on the PC using IG: dm, see below our complete walkthrough!
How to talk to Instagram on PC
- Access the link to download IG: dm on your PC or Mac;
- Open the installer and follow the instructions to install the IG: dm;
- Open the application and enter your Instagram username and password;
- If you have activated Instagram’s 2-step verification, please rescue your code and include it to be able to use IG: dm;
- You will be immediately taken to your Direct screen, just clicking on any of your conversations in the history to start communicating;
- If you need to talk to some Instagram users that are out of date, click on the search bar and type the name of the user you want to talk to on Instagram;
From here, just talk normally with any contact. However, it is worth remembering that the IG: dm brings some limitations regarding the Direct of the native app. Through the PC application, you can exchange text messages, images, and emoji.
This means that it is not possible to send audio messages, GIFs, tannings and even the quick answers we mentioned at the beginning of the article by IG: dm. It is also worth noting that you can not start a video or audio conversation.
Other IG functions: dm
Despite the focus on Instagram Direct, IG: dm also has other interesting functionality, especially for those who use apps to gain followers on Instagram.
Through IG: dm, you can stop following users who do not follow you back. Although apps to win likes on Instagram also have the automatic function to stop following, through IG: do you can see specifically who is not following you back.
That way, you stop following more securely, without ending up following a profile that likes content, even when it does not follow you back.
To do so, return to the IG: dm home screen and click on your Insta profile photo.
ClickUsers not following back;
Here you will have access to a list of all the users you follow, but they will not follow you back. To stop following any of them, just click on Unfollow.
Here you will have access to a list of all the users you follow, but they will not follow you back. To stop following any of them, just click on Unfollow.
The third extra functionality of the IG: dm is quite simple, just allowing you to disable receiving notifications. This option is ideal for those who need to stay focused, but can not afford to close their Instagram Direct.
Once again click on your profile, this time activating the Disable Notifications option;
Learned how to talk on Instagram with PC?
IG: dm is a very simple and easy to use program. After download and installation, just log in to start talking to Insta on your computer without major problems.
Although it does not have all the possibilities that Direct offers in the native app for Android or iPhone, IG: dm is ideal for those who need to exchange simple messages, without using GIF and even the infamous audio messages.
Got to download the IG: dm to learn how to talk about Instagram on PC? What did you think of the application? Tell us your opinion below and learn everything about Instagram in our article with the best strategies to win followers on Instagram!
Direct Message For Instagram
If you need help, have doubts or concerns, do not hesitate to leave a comment in the comment box below and we will try to help you as soon as possible!