Do Instagram DMs boost your reach? Instagram head says 'no'

Instagram Head Adam Mosseri posted a video directly addressing a rumour that's been circulating among creators and casual users: that sending direct messages boosts your content's reach. The answer is simple. It doesn't.

"There's a rumour out there that if you DM people, you're going to get more reach," Mosseri said in the video. "And I just wanted to be clear that that is not the case."

He emphasised that while DMs are valuable for staying connected and building relationships, they have zero algorithmic benefit for visibility.

As the creator strategy is built on some algorithm assumptions, when myths spread, they tend to drag people into false strategies.

Mosseri’s direct way of saying it cuts through the noise; it’s a pattern he’s already adopted as Instagram gets more pressure from creators who are frustrated with declining reach and that kind of algorithm opacity that nobody can really see.

The rumour probably came from a kernel of truth, in a way. Engagement activities do matter to Instagram’s algorithm. Likes, comments, and saves push reach. DMs, though, work outside the public engagement ecosystem.

They’re private interactions that the algorithm doesn’t measure or reward. So creators who blurred “engagement helps reach” with “every interaction helps reach” may have, without noticing, helped spread the myth.

Recently, Mosseri has become more clear on what actually influences your visibility: saves and shares come first, followed by engaging comments and watch time.