The little message icon that sometimes appears on Facebook stories indicates that a friend has sent you a private reply to that story. When you post a story on Facebook, friends who view it have the option to respond privately by tapping the message icon and sending a text reply just to you. The message icon serves as a notification that someone has done this.
What is the message icon on Facebook stories?
The message icon is a small chat bubble symbol that you may notice next to some friend’s names when viewing stories. It typically appears in the bottom left corner of a story thumbnail. When you tap on a story that has this icon, it means that your friend has sent you a private message in response to your story.
The message icon on Facebook stories allows friends to reply privately instead of posting a public comment. It enables two-way communication on stories, without cluttering up the comments section that everyone can see.
How do you send a private reply to a Facebook story?
Replying privately to a Facebook story is easy! Just follow these steps:
- When a friend posts a new story, view it by tapping on their profile picture or story bubble.
- Tap and hold down on the story thumbnail as it plays to reveal the options menu.
- Tap the message icon (it looks like a chat bubble or conversation thread).
- Type your text reply in the message box that pops up.
- Hit send!
Your friend will now see the message icon next to your name when they view their own story, indicating you sent a private response.
Who can see private replies to Facebook stories?
Only you and the friend you directly reply to can see private responses to stories. It’s a one-on-one conversation.
Other friends who view the story will not see that there is a private thread or be able to access it. The messages are end-to-end encrypted for privacy.
However, the original story poster will see a notification that you replied and be able to view the private thread by tapping on your message icon.
What happens when you reply privately to a story?
When you send a private reply to someone’s story, here is what happens:
- The story poster sees a message icon next to your name when viewing their story.
- Tapping the icon opens your private thread where they can view your message.
- They can reply back to you in that thread, which only the two of you can see.
- The private thread remains accessible for both of you until the story expires.
- You will get a notification if they respond back to your initial private reply.
Replying privately creates an intimate, ephemeral chat space just between you and the story creator. You can have meaningful back-and-forth conversation triggered by the story without a public comment trail.
How is the message icon different from the viewer list?
When you post a story, you can see a list of friends who have viewed it in the audience panel. But this is different from the message icon in a few key ways:
| Message Icon | Viewer List |
|---|---|
| Indicates someone replied privately | Shows who has seen the story |
| Visible only to story creator | Visible to story creator and viewers |
| Tapping opens private thread | No interaction possible |
So the message icon allows private, two-way conversation about a story, while the viewer list simply shows who has seen it without further interaction.
Can you reply privately to stories on Instagram?
Currently, you cannot reply privately to someone’s Instagram Story. Instagram only allows you to react publicly with an emoji or send the story to the creator as a DM.
Facebook Stories is the only version that has the private reply feature with the message icon. But Instagram may add this useful messaging option in the future.
Can you remove the message icon from your Facebook story?
No, there is no way to remove the message icon from your story once a friend has reacted privately. The icon will remain visible to you until the story expires after 24 hours.
You can, however, delete the private message thread itself. To do this:
- Tap on the message icon to open the private reply thread.
- Tap the X icon in the upper right corner.
- Confirm that you want to delete the message.
This will erase the messages but the icon will still show up so you know a friend reacted. The only way to fully remove evidence of the private reply is to delete the entire story.
Can you react to Facebook stories anonymously?
No, all interactions with Facebook stories are attributable. When you privately reply to a story, the story creator can see that the message came directly from your account.
Facebook does not allow anonymous reactions or comments on stories. Your name, profile picture, and any replies are visible to the story poster and linked to your account.
What happens when a Facebook story with replies expires?
When a Facebook story expires after 24 hours, a few things happen:
- The story disappears from Facebook entirely.
- Any public comments are deleted.
- The private reply thread also disappears.
- The story creator no longer sees the message icon from your reply.
So all traces of the story, including any reactions and comments, are erased after 24 hours. Creators can no longer access expired stories or private threads. The temporary nature allows for authentic, unfiltered sharing that you don’t have to worry about sticking around permanently.
Can you react to Facebook stories on desktop?
Unfortunately, you cannot currently reply privately or otherwise react to Facebook stories from the desktop website. The message icon is a mobile-only feature at this time.
On desktop, you can only view stories – liking, commenting, and messaging are not options. Mobile apps are required to interact.
Facebook has not indicated plans to bring messaging reactions or the message icon to the desktop experience. The mobile focus is intended to keep interactions quick and casual.
Tips for using the message icon
Here are some tips on making the most of the message icon when reacting to friends’ stories:
- Reply promptly – the 24 hour limit means your thread won’t last long.
- Keep it casual – short, low-stakes messages are best.
- Don’t overthink it – have a conversation rather than carefully crafting a comment.
- Follow the story poster’s lead – some may not reply back.
- Stick to positive reactions – avoid conflict or offense.
- Be mindful of their audience – assume the poster’s friends can view.
Conclusion
The message icon on Facebook stories allows for private, ephemeral conversations around shared moments. It encourages interactions that are more authentic, intimate, and casual than public commenting. While basic, the feature enhances connections between friends on the platform. Understanding how to recognize and reply to the message icon can open up new avenues for story engagement.