Instagram users in shock after unlocking secret emoji game hidden in DMs

Instagram appears to have silently added a lovely little secret in a recent update, letting users discover a hidden game.

People have been realizing that there's now a keepy-uppy game in Instagram DMs, and it's extremely easy to access.

All you have to do is send an emoji to someone in an Instagram DM - there doesn't seem to be any limit on what emoji you pick, either.

Once you've done that, just tap on the emoji in the message feed and you'll unlock a hidden game.

Instagram

The game is simple - you control a small paddle at the bottom of the display with your finger, moving it around to make sure it keeps the emoji bouncing up.

Each time you successfully bounce the emoji up you'll add one to your score. The longer you can keep your streak going, the higher your score will get.

It's basically a very simple version of the arcade classic Breakout, without any blocks to break, so it might not keep you diverted for a million years. Still, people have been pretty thrilled to discover the game.

One user on X said they were "playing that Instagram emoji game until they text back", a good way to pass the time if you're twiddling your thumbs waiting for a reply.

Another commented: "That emoji game on Instagram is so fun lol," and a third added: "Never knew tapping on an emoji on Instagram would make me jump with excitement."

Because this isn't an official feature that Instagram announced and rolled out in a way that can actually be tracked and checked, it's hard to know how you can guarantee access to it.

Instagram

It's unclear whether the game is available in all worldwide territories, but you should definitely make sure you have the latest version of Instagram installed to check it out.

This doesn't just get you the game, but also a slew of new features that Instagram has added to its DMs. You'll be able to pin chats to the top of your inbox and turn read receipts on or off to preserve a bit more privacy if you want it.

Plus, there are now themes you can apply to each chat in your inbox to spice things up and make them look a little bit more distinct and fun, which is really nice.