Instagram Has A Secret Game Hidden In Your DMs — Here's How To Play It
It's not uncommon for people to go through a website or mobile app and then inadvertently stumble upon a hidden Easter egg in the form of a quirky feature they didn't know existed. For instance, some Google doodles, when clicked, are actually interactive games that you can play on either a computer or mobile device. Similarly, an old-school Atari game appears when you Google a certain phrase. These perks are mostly designed to give users something to chuckle about or do to kill time. It also could be fun to encounter them when you least expect it.
The latter may be true for some Instagram users who accidentally discovered a secret game within the app while sliding into people's DMs. Upon further investigation, there's been no official announcement from Meta explaining its existence — it just does. If you haven't seen it yet and are wondering what this hidden feature could be — it is one of many useful Instagram features, after all — go get your mobile phone and launch the social media app.
All you need to do is send someone a lone emoji
On Instagram's main page, tap the chat icon to open your DM inbox. Pick any message and send an emoji using your phone keyboard — it doesn't matter which one (although it's preferable to use one that's relevant to the last message sent in the thread to avoid confusion). Once the emoji is on deck, tap it.
This should immediately launch a Pong-style game, with a black bar at the bottom as your paddle and your chosen emoji as your ball. Use your fingers and drag the paddle left or right to catch the ball. Each bounce will increase the number of hits onscreen. The longer you play, the faster the ball gets and the darker the background becomes. That's it! When you fail to catch the ball, a sea of your chosen emoji appears underneath your final score. You have the option to play again or go back to the conversation page.
Just another of many useful features
Based on testing, this addicting game only shows up when you send a single emoji — it won't launch if you send multiple icons in a single message. It also doesn't work on emoji reactions to Instagram stories. Your high score is retained regardless of which conversation or emoji you opened to get to the hidden game. You can also access the game when you hit a single emoji someone sends you. They'll never know you're playing the game unless you tell them.
Also based on testing, the game is available on either an Android or iOS device, but not via the desktop platform. Do note that since there's no clear indication from Meta on which markets were given the game, it's also possible for some users to be left out of the fun to be had. All in all, this simple game seems to be just another of many features available in Instagram messaging.