In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to allow people to reply to your Instagram Stories by adjusting your privacy settings. Whether you’re a creator, business, or casual user. Enabling replies is a great way to boost engagement and start conversations directly through your story content.
By default, Instagram gives you control over who can respond to your stories, but if replies are disabled, your audience won’t be able to react, comment, or engage.
Let’s walk through the simple steps to turn on replies and make your stories interactive again.
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Allow People To Reply To Your Instagram Stories
Open the Instagram app on your smartphone and tap your profile icon located in the bottom right corner to access your profile.
Tap the three horizontal lines (≡) in the top right corner of your profile screen to open “Settings and privacy” menu.
Scroll down to the section labeled “How others can interact with you,” then tap on “Messages and story replies.”
In this menu, tap “Story replies” to view and customize who can respond to your Instagram Stories.
Choose Who Can Reply, select either:
“Followers you follow back” – limits replies to mutual followers.
“All your followers” – allows anyone who follows you to reply.
Once selected, your new settings will take effect immediately. Now, your viewers will be able to send direct messages or emoji reactions to your stories, increasing engagement and interaction.
