What Are General Messages on Instagram?
Professional Instagram accounts and personal accounts have distinct differences, mainly due to the presence of additional features, tools, and insights.
One notable feature found in professional Instagram accounts is the partitioned inbox, which includes separate sections for primary and general messages.
These two categories enable users to efficiently manage their Direct Messages (DMs) and control chat notifications.
However, you may wonder, what exactly are general messages on Instagram?
To address this question and provide further information, we have prepared this article.
Contents
Overview of General Messages on Instagram
Professional Instagram accounts provide a range of features to enhance your account, track post engagement, access insights, and manage your online activities effectively.
To access these features and tools, you have the option to choose between Creator and Business accounts.
When you switch to a professional account, you’ll gain access to two distinct categories within your inbox: primary and general messages.
This inbox management system allows you to organize your conversations based on priority, while also providing control over your chat notifications.
Initially, all your messages will be directed to the primary tab. As you engage with your friends and followers and determine the most significant conversations, you can move less urgent message threads to the general tab.
By default, notifications are enabled for new and unread messages in the primary tab.
In contrast, push notifications for new or unread messages in the general tab are disabled by default.
Nevertheless, you have the flexibility to adjust these settings according to your preferences.
For example, you can disable push notifications for all messages in the primary tab. Similarly, under the general tab settings, you can configure notifications to be enabled for new and unread messages.
How To Get the General Messages on Instagram?
The partitioned inbox feature, which provides separate primary and general messages, is exclusively available for professional Instagram accounts. To access general messages on Instagram, you must switch to a Creator or Business account. Follow the steps below to accomplish this:
- Open Instagram on your mobile device.
- Tap on the profile icon located at the bottom right corner.
- Tap the three horizontal lines at the top right corner.
- Select “Settings and privacy.”
- Scroll down and tap on “Account type and tools” under “For professionals.”
- Tap on “Switch to professional account.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
- Select the category that best describes you and tap “Done.”
- Choose between a “Creator” or “Business” account and tap “Next.”
- Finally, tap “OK.”
- Go back to the Instagram home page.
- Swipe right or tap the messages icon at the top right to open your chats.
- You will now see three categories: “Primary,” “General,” and “Requests.”
How To Like a Post on Instagram
How To Move Messages From Primary to General Tab on Instagram?
To effectively manage your inbox, it is recommended to move low-priority messages from the primary tab to the general tab. Follow these steps to accomplish that:
- Go to the “Primary” tab in your Direct Messages (DMs).
- Press and hold the conversation that you wish to move to the “General” tab.
- A pop-up menu will appear. Select “Move to General” from the options
Understanding Primary and General Messages on Instagram
Let’s consider a scenario where you have a business Instagram account for promoting your shoe-selling business. Your account has amassed a significant number of followers, including loyal customers, family, and friends.
When individuals from these three categories send you a direct message, their messages are directed to the primary tab. However, if someone who is neither a follower nor a friend sends you a direct message, their message will be placed in the requests tab.
You have the ability to manage the messages in both the primary and requests tabs based on their significance. If you wish to receive notifications whenever someone sends you a direct message, it is advisable to keep their conversation in the primary tab.
Conversely, messages that are of lesser importance or ones that you can read later should be moved to the general tab.
In the case of general messages, you will not receive any alerts for new messages or reminders for unread ones unless you enable the notifications.
Wrapping Up
General messages on Instagram are considered as low-priority messages that can be read at a later time. On the other hand, high-priority messages are located in the primary tab, and you will receive notifications for them.
The presence of these two tabs assists in organizing your inbox and managing your notifications effectively. It’s important to note that the primary and general message tabs are exclusively available on professional Instagram accounts.
