What Do The Different Symbols And Icons Mean In Instagram? - SocMedSean

Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps and is enjoyed by millions of people around the world.

You can use it to spend your free time checking out photos and videos of just about anything or to post your own content.

Since Instagram was launched in 2012, new features have continuously been added.

Please note: Some of the links in my posts are affiliate links. I get commissions for purchases made through those links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases when you buy something from those links. 

This includes adding new icons, changing existing icons, and moving icons to different locations within the app. All these changes can be a bit confusing and frustrating to users.

NOTE: If you are experiencing issues with your Instagram account, this article can help you understand the best ways to get in touch with Instagram support.

You may be wondering, “What do the Instagram icons mean?”

Are you having trouble understanding all the icons and symbols in the Instagram app?

Here are some details about some of the most popular icons in the app to get you started in understanding Instagram icons.

Table Of Contents - Click To Expand Or Hide -->

Post Icons In Instagram

What are the various Instagram icons and what do they mean? An Instagram post has a variety of symbols and icons. Here’s a rundown of Instagram’s post icons and what they do:

What does the heart icon mean in Instagram?

In an Instagram post, the heart icon is used to “Like” that post. Liking lets the person who posted it know that you like what they posted.

The heart icon is like a toggle that can go back and forth: Tap on the heart icon once to Like something, tap on it again to remove the Like. Tapping on the photo itself does the same thing.

Note that a filled heart icon indicates a post that you have Liked, while an empty heart icon indicates a post that you have not Liked.

What does the conversation bubble icon mean in Instagram?

The conversation bubble icon in an Instagram post is sometimes referred to as a chat bubble. Tapping it displays the Comments below a post.

If the post has many comments, you can scroll up or down to view them. You can also add your own comment in the field at the bottom of the comments.

What does the paper airplane icon mean in Instagram?

The paper airplane icon in an Instagram post is the Send icon. It allows you to Share the post with one or more Instagram users that you choose.

Tapping the paper airplane icon brings up a list of the Instagram users that you are following. If you see their name in the list, you can tap on their account name to select them, or you can do a search to find their account name.

What does the bookmark or flag icon mean in Instagram?

The bookmark or flag icon in an Instagram post allows you to Save the post to a collection so that you can easily access it at a later time.

What do the three dots in a post mean in Instagram?

The three dots in an Instagram post bring up a menu of additional options for that post.

From that menu, you can Report that post, indicate that you are Not Interested in that post or similar posts, Copy a Link to that post to your clipboard that you can then paste wherever you like, or you can Share the post via a variety of methods (text, iMessage, AirDrop, email, and so on based on what is available on your device).

What Does the House Icon Mean in Instagram?

The house icon in Instagram is the home icon that will return you to your main home page. The home page is where you can see and scroll through photos and videos posted by the accounts you are following.

What Does the Plus Symbol Mean in Instagram?

On the main home page of Instagram, there are several icons.

At the top right, the plus icon is used to create new content and allows you to choose from a variety of different types of Instagram content that you can create: a Post, a Story, a Reel, or to go Live on Instagram.

What Does the Facebook Messenger Icon Mean in Instagram?

The Facebook Messenger icon in the top right of the Instagram home page allows you to send a direct message (DM) to another user or group of users.

Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, has built some special messaging integration between both apps.

Tapping the Facebook Messenger icon brings up your Instagram inbox, which is now linked to Facebook Messenger. However, you can unlink Facebook Messenger from Instagram if you wish.

What Does the Magnifying Glass Icon Mean in Instagram?

The magnifying glass icon along the bottom of the Instagram home page is the search icon.

Tapping it displays a search bar at the top of the home screen that you can use to help find content, users, or hashtags that you might like.

What Does the Video Icon Mean in Instagram?

The video icon along the bottom of the Instagram home page allows quick access to Instagram’s Reels feature. Reels shows longer videos that have been created by Instagram users. You can also create a new Reel from there.

What Does the Heart Icon Mean on the Main Page of Instagram?

The heart icon at the top right of the Instagram home screen can be a bit confusing.

While it uses the same icon as the “Like” icon below a post, tapping the heart icon at the top right of the home screen shows the notifications you have received in the app.

Notifications indicate things like who has liked your content, who has started following you, or if you have received a direct message in the app.

What Does the Profile Picture Icon Mean on the Main Page Of Instagram?

Your profile picture icon at the bottom right of the Instagram home page takes you to your profile screen. There are several icons located here that are described below.

What Does the Grid Icon on the Profile Page of Instagram Mean?

The grid icon on your Instagram profile page allows you to change the view of your profile screen to show the content you have posted in a grid-style view, which is the classic way of viewing your posted content.

What Does the Movie Icon on the Profile Page of Instagram Mean?

The movie icon on your Instagram profile page allows you to change the view of your profile screen to show the Reels that you have posted.

What Does the Triangle “Play” Icon on the Profile Page of Instagram Mean?

The triangle “play” icon on your Instagram profile page allows you to change the view of your profile screen to show the videos you have posted.

What Does the Person Icon with a Square on the Profile Page of Instagram Mean?

The icon of a person inside a square on your Instagram profile page allows you to change the view of your profile screen to show the posts in which you’ve been tagged on Instagram.

I hope you’ve enjoyed and found this information useful. If you have additional experiences or tips on the various icons in Instagram, let us know in the comments below.

— Sean