Customers who message a business expect a fast answer. Your portal collects Facebook Messenger conversations and Instagram DMs in one inbox, so you can keep up without bouncing between two apps.
One inbox for Messenger and Instagram DMs
The messages inbox in your portal lists every conversation from your connected Facebook Page and Instagram account together. Unread conversations show a badge, so you can tell at a glance what still needs an answer.
Open any conversation to read the full history and reply right there. Short and quick beats slow and perfect: a same-day "Yes, we have that in stock!" wins more customers than a polished answer two days later.
Your replies come from the business
Replies sent from the portal go out as your Facebook Page or your Instagram account, never as your personal profile. Customers see your business name and profile photo, exactly as if you had typed the reply in the Facebook or Instagram app.
First, flip one switch in the Instagram app
Instagram only shares DMs with connected tools after you turn on a setting inside the Instagram app. If that switch is off, Instagram conversations will not appear in your inbox at all.
- Open the Instagram app and go to Settings.
- Tap Messages and story replies, then Message controls.
- Turn Allow access to messages ON.
Facebook Messenger has no extra switch - connecting your Page is enough. For the full Instagram checklist, see the article on preparing your Instagram account.
The 24-hour rule
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has a firm rule for every third-party tool: a business can reply to a conversation only within 24 hours of the customer's last message. Every new message from the customer restarts the clock.
For example: a customer messages you Monday at 2 pm. You can reply from the portal until Tuesday at 2 pm. If they write again Tuesday morning, the clock restarts from that new message.
The easiest way to stay inside the window is to check your inbox once or twice a day. Most small businesses can clear every waiting message in a few minutes.
The rule is meant to protect customers from spam. It pushes businesses to answer real questions quickly instead of blasting promotions into old conversations. You can read the details in Meta's messaging policy.
When the window has closed
If more than 24 hours have passed since the customer last wrote, the portal cannot send your reply - no outside tool can. Answer from the native app instead: the Facebook or Messenger app for Page messages, or the Instagram app for DMs. Once the customer responds again, the window reopens and you can continue in the portal.
Pick which alerts you get
Your notification summary shows unread messages so nothing slips past you. In your notification preferences, you can switch Facebook messages and Instagram messages on or off separately - useful if one platform brings real customers and the other mostly brings spam.
The same preferences also cover new comment alerts for Facebook and Instagram, so you can tune all your alerts in one place.
Messages stopped showing up?
First check whether your account connection is marked expired - reconnecting usually fixes it, and the article on fixing connection problems walks you through it. When you reconnect, Meta shows its access screens again; keep everything checked so the portal keeps the permissions it needs.
For Instagram, confirm the message-access switch above is still on. Turning it off quietly stops new DMs from reaching the portal.
Still stuck? Send a note and it will get a look as soon as possible, usually within one business day.