If you’re running a brand or creator account today, you already know how chaotic managing the DMs can get — especially if you’re active on both Instagram and Facebook. Thankfully, Meta introduced a new feature in 2020 to help with this issue: cross-app messaging between Instagram and Messenger.
If you want to know how to connect Instagram to Messenger, and more importantly, how to manage both inboxes without losing your mind (or messages), this guide is for you.
Can you connect Instagram to Messenger?
Yes, you can connect Instagram and Facebook Messenger using Meta’s built-in settings, which will allow you to send and receive messages across both platforms.
How to connect Instagram to Messenger
- Switch to a Professional Instagram account if you haven’t already.
- Link your Instagram account to a Facebook Page:
- Log in to your Facebook Page and head to Settings and privacy.
- Scroll down to the Permissions section and click Linked accounts.
- Click Instagram.
- Make sure Allow access to Instagram messages in Inbox is toggled on.
At this point, you might be prompted to update your messaging settings; accept the update so your Instagram DMs can integrate with Messenger.
- Open Meta Business Suite and click Inbox on the left-side menu to access your messages.
What happens next?
Meta Business Suite’s unified Inbox allows you to view and reply to messages from Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp all in one place. Plus, it has some great features to take advantage of, including:
- Comment management alongside DMs: See and respond to comments on your Instagram and Facebook posts without leaving your inbox.
- Contact details and conversation history: See basic info about the person messaging you and add notes or labels to keep track of conversations over time.
- Basic automations: Set up instant replies, away messages, and simple keyword triggers so you’re not responding manually every time.
- Inbox organization tools: Mark messages as unread, flag them for follow-up, or move them to Done or Spam to keep things tidy.
The limitations of Meta Business Suite’s Inbox
The unified inbox is a solid starting point, but as you grow, a couple of limitations start to show:
- Limited automation: Meta’s built-in tools (like instant replies and keyword triggers) are helpful, but they’re pretty basic. You can’t build full conversation flows, qualify leads, or create more personalized experiences.
- Still mostly manual: Even with everything in one inbox, you’re still replying to most messages yourself — which won’t work if you’re getting dozens (or hundreds) of DMs a day.
Also, if you’re on TikTok, you’re back to juggling another platform entirely.
Growing Beyond Meta’s Inbox? Sign up for Manychat
As an official Meta Business Partner, Manychat connects directly with Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp (TikTok too, if you’re on that platform). You can use Manychat to manage and automate conversations across all of these platforms from one app.
Don’t just reply — start conversations
With Meta’s inbox, you reply to the messages that come in; Manychat helps you create conversations from different triggers (comments, DMs, Story replies, and more).
Turn those conversations into conversions
Meta helps you manage chats; Manychat helps you monetize them. For example, you can send links automatically when someone says a keyword, or qualify leads in the DMs with a quick quiz.
(No automation experience required; there are templates you can use to get started.)
Own your contacts
Everyone who reaches out to you on Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, or TikTok is a valuable connection. You can use Manychat to collect their contact details and sync that information with your other tools (CRM, email marketing platform, etc.), so that you can connect with your audience outside of the algorithm(s).
