What Does the Flag Mean on Instagram?

What Does The Flag Mean On Instagram

Instagram direct provides the ideal opportunity for Instagrammers and brands to grow their reach. That’s why many businesses have learned, by necessity, how to mass DM on Instagram, unread Instagram messages, or remove the seen receipt. DMs can help you build brand awareness, and with every new update, we get new features in the DM section! One of the recent ones is the ‘flag’ option. But what does the flag mean on Instagram?!

Since the Instagram flag icon appeared on Instagram DMs, it has raised many questions. Many ask, ‘What does the little flag on Instagram mean?’ many others would like to know how it’s different from starring a message and why they don’t have access to it! 

In this article, we’re going to solve this mystery together. So if you have relevant questions like ‘What does flagging do on Instagram?’ stay tuned; this article is all about the orange corner on Instagram DM! 🙂

What Is the Flag on Instagram

Starting with the basics, let’s see what the flag is and where and when it appeared! If you run an Instagram business profile, you probably saw the Instagram flag icon at the top of the conversation as you were trying to send private messages on IG.

what does the flag mean on Instagram
What is the Instagram flag icon?

This option first appeared in an Instagram update and replaced the ‘star’ feature in the DM section! But why the change? Why can’t you star Instagram messages anymore?

There’s no official news on why the Instagram flag icon replaced starring. But to answer the initial questions of ‘What does the red flag mean on Instagram?’ they explained that it serves the function of starring IG messages. 

And they have probably changed it because as you star a message, you’re giving it some value. That is, a starred conversation means that you have made it your favorite, while that may not always be the case.

What Does the Flag Mean on Instagram DMs

As explained earlier, the flag appears to business accounts. This icon enables Instagrammers to identify conversations they’d like to return to. 

Simply put, the orange corner on Instagram DM, AKA the orange flag, helps you sort and filter Instagram DMs so that some crucial chats won’t get lost in the sea of DMs you receive as a business page. 

For example, suppose you have sent a message to an Instagram influencer to start a new collaboration, and you are impatiently waiting for a response. In this case, this conversation is much more important than your customers texting you to ask for prices. So, you can’t risk losing track of this conversation!

Or, let’s assume one of your loyal customers has sent a direct message, reporting an unprecedented problem with one of your products or services. You don’t want to ignore the serious concern of your customers and would like to return to their chat as soon as you have the answer. 

These matters are time-sensitive, and you can’t spend that precious time sifting through multiple less critical and less time-sensitive messages. That’s when the flag icon comes to your rescue. 

As you flag a conversation, an orange triangle appears next to the chat to set that conversation apart. Plus, you get to filter your messages so that you can only access your flagged conversations! 

If you still haven’t got your answer as to ‘what does the flag mean on Instagram?’ why don’t you give it a try?!

How to Use the Instagram Flag Icon

So far, we have tried to answer all your questions in depth. But if you still don’t know the answer to ‘What does the orange flag mean on Instagram DMs?’, it’s time you saw for yourself!

You can understand how to flag Instagram messages or conversations following these steps:

  • First, open your Instagram feed and click on the DM icon in the top right corner.
what is the flag option
choose the direct icon
  • When your DMs open, find the conversation you’d like to flag.
  • Now, tap and hold the conversation until a list appears. 
what does the flag mean on instagram
choose flag from the list
  • At this point, choose ‘Flag.’ 

You can also follow these steps for flagging someone on Instagram:

  • Open your Instagram feed and direct. 
  • Then, tap on the conversation you want to mark. 
  • At the top of the screen, choose the Instagram flag icon. 

Following these steps will get you the same result; this orange corner or triangle on Instagram DMs.

the orange corner on Instagram DM
the orange corner on Instagram DM

So, if anybody asks ‘what does the orange triangle mean on Instagram?’ you can tell them that it’s the flag icon that will help them sort important messages!

How to Filter Instagram Messages with the Flag Icon

Suppose you have already marked some important message, is the orange triangle next to the DM your only shot at identifying them?! Of course not! 

You can sort and filter Instagram flagged DMs following these instructions:

  • Open your profile feed and choose the direct icon in the top right corner.
  • Choose ‘Filter’ next to the ‘Search’ bar.
filter instagram messages
filter Instagram DM
  • You can filter and sort your Instagram unanswered, unread, or flagged messages from this list.
what does the flag mean on Instagram
filter flagged messages
  • Choose ‘Flagged.’

You can also clear the filter to see all your DMs by going through the same steps and choosing ‘Clear’ from the list.

That’s all! 

How to Filter Instagram Messages Without the Flag Icon

So far, you have the answer to ‘What does the flag mean on Instagram?’ We know that it was aimed at business owners to categorize their important messages. But as we emphasized, only business accounts have access to it. 

But what if you have a private account?! Or what if the filters ‘unanswered, unread, and flagged’ are not enough?! In this case, a reliable tool, like AiGrow, will come to your rescue.

AiGrow, a mainly management and growth service for Instagram, offers several features that help brands use DMs to promote their businesses and build brand awareness on IG.

AiGrow
AiGrow features

Using AiGrow for your DMs, you can:

And more! 

AiGrow DM tool
AiGrow DM tool

You can create a free account on this platform. Plus, you can see if it’s worth your time by checking out this AiGrow review! Once you find out how to use AiGrow for your DM, you don’t even have to worry about ‘what does the orange corner on Instagram mean?’

Wait no more and start a fascinating Instagram journey with AiGrow now

What Does the Flag on Instagram Posts Mean

The Instagram flag icon doesn’t only appear in messages! A different shape of this flag also appears under Instagram posts for both private and business accounts. So what does the flag mean on Instagram posts? Let’s find out!

Flagging a post on Instagram enables you to save the content for later! Suppose you’ve come across an entertaining or educational post with an aesthetic IG caption, but you don’t have enough time to watch or read it now. In this case, you can conveniently tap on the Instagram flag icon and save it for later!

what does the flag mean on Instagram posts
the Instagram flag icon under posts

This way, you won’t lose track of your favorite content across this vast social network. Now, you can repost Instagram posts that caught your attention or analyze them for content ideas. 

To access saved Instagram posts, follow the steps below:

  • First, open your Instagram profile feed, and tap on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. 
  • Next, choose the ‘saved’ option with the flag icon.
  • On the new page, you can see all the saved posts. 
  • You can also categorize or group your saved posts by tapping on the ‘+’ icon in the top corner. 
view instagram saved posts
Instagram saved posts

Easy, right?! 

If you still have reservations about ‘What does flagged mean on Instagram?’ you get to flag posts and see what happens! And remember, you can always remove certain content from your saved Instagram posts by tapping on the same Instagram flag icon to un-save it!

FAQ on What Does the Flag Mean on Instagram

We have answered all the primary questions, but let’s see what else you asked!

1- How to Remove the Orange Corner on Instagram DM?

Suppose you have already answered a flagged chat, and it no longer needs your immediate attention. In this situation, you’d want to get rid of the ‘flag’ option. 

To unflag Instagram DMs:

  • Open your Instagram feed and choose the direct icon.
  • Tap and hold the conversation until a list appears.
  • Choose ‘Unflag.’

Pro tip: you can also open the conversation and unchoose the flag icon at the top of the page.

2- What Happens When You Flag a Conversation on Instagram?

We’ve all been there when we had to mark a conversation as flagged, but we wouldn’t really feel comfortable if that person found out! If you have flagged a conversation with a crush or an ex, there’s no need to freak out! 

The option merely helps you classify your messages, and Instagram won’t notify the other person of this action. So, you can relax!

3- What Does it Mean When You Flag Someone on Instagram? Do They Find Out?

In effect, it has nothing to do with the flag icon. So what does flagging on Instagram mean?! To put it simply, it means reporting an Instagram account. And in this case, Instagram will inform the user that they were reported, but it won’t specify who took this action.

So, how do you flag an Instagram account? To report a profile, take these steps:

  • First, open the profile you’d like to report.
  • Then, tap on the three vertical dots in the right corner of the screen. 
  • From the list, choose ‘report.’
how to report an instagram account
report an account
  • Now, Instagram will ask if you want to report the account or just a particular post, message, or comment. Select the right option.
report an account on Instagram
report an IG account or a post
  • Once you determine your reason for reporting, it’s over!
how to report an instagram account
select your reason for reporting

Keep in mind that you have automatically blocked an account when you report it. So, be careful if you’re not ready for that!

Last Words on What Does the Flag Mean on Instagram

The power of sending Instagram DMs in turning followers into customers is undeniable. And Instagram knows it! That’s why we get new features in this section. 

An essential option that facilitates grouping your messages is the Instagram flag icon. We tried our best to provide complete answers to ‘What does the flag on Instagram mean?’ 

If you have other relevant questions, leave us a comment below to receive clear-cut answers from the social pros! 😉