#How to Add Special Effects to Your Instagram Messages

Your direct messages on Instagram don’t have to look so plain. Like every other Instagram feature, you can add special effects to your messages before sending them. Here’s how to access and apply these effects.

Note: To get access to these effects, you will first have to turn on the Facebook Messenger integration. In addition to bringing a range of new messaging options, this also allows you to text Facebook friends right from Instagram.

Open the Instagram app on your Android device or iPhone, then visit your list of DMs by tapping the Messenger icon at the top-right corner of the home screen.

Head into the conversation that you’d like to try sending texts with special effects in.

Type your message in the text box at the bottom. When you begin typing, the camera shortcut on the left will be replaced by a magnifying glass icon. Tap that button once you’ve entered your complete message.

At the very top of the following slide-up menu, you’ll find your message displayed with four different special effects.

All of these filters are interactive. So, for instance, if the recipient taps a text message sent with the heart-themed special effect, it will release a bunch of virtual hearts like balloons on their screen.

Similarly, the gift box option hides your message, and only when the other person touches it will it unwrap itself and reveal what you’ve sent. The confetti filter will vibrate the recipient’s phone on touch.

Thanks to Facebook’s cross-platform update, there’s a lot more you can do to customize your messaging experience on Instagram. You can send disappearing messages in a new Vanish Mode, pick which emojis show up in the quick reactions pop-up, and turn yourself into a selfie sticker.

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