diff --git a/packages/instantsearch.js/src/middlewares/__tests__/createInsightsMiddleware.ts b/packages/instantsearch.js/src/middlewares/__tests__/createInsightsMiddleware.ts
index 8b2507d0da..208574daea 100644
--- a/packages/instantsearch.js/src/middlewares/__tests__/createInsightsMiddleware.ts
+++ b/packages/instantsearch.js/src/middlewares/__tests__/createInsightsMiddleware.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { wait } from '@instantsearch/testutils/wait';
 import type { JSDOM } from 'jsdom';
 import type { PlainSearchParameters } from 'algoliasearch-helper';
 import { fireEvent } from '@testing-library/dom';
+import { createInstantSearch } from '../../../test/createInstantSearch';
 
 declare const jsdom: JSDOM;
 
@@ -227,15 +228,36 @@ describe('insights', () => {
     });
 
     it('throws when search client does not have credentials', () => {
-      const { insightsClient, instantSearchInstance } = createTestEnvironment({
-        searchClient: createSearchClient(),
+      const { insightsClient } = createInsights();
+      const instantSearchInstance = createInstantSearch({
+        // @ts-expect-error fake client
+        client: { search: () => {} },
       });
       expect(() =>
         createInsightsMiddleware({
           insightsClient,
         })({ instantSearchInstance })
       ).toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(
-        `"[insights middleware]: could not extract Algolia credentials from searchClient"`
+        `"apiKey is missing, please provide it so we can authenticate the application"`
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('warns when search client does not have credentials', () => {
+      const { insightsClient } = createInsights();
+      const instantSearchInstance = createInstantSearch({
+        // @ts-expect-error fake client
+        client: { search: () => {} },
+      });
+      expect(() => {
+        try {
+          createInsightsMiddleware({
+            insightsClient,
+          })({ instantSearchInstance });
+        } catch (e) {
+          // insights error
+        }
+      }).toWarnDev(
+        '[InstantSearch.js]: could not extract Algolia credentials from searchClient in insights middleware.'
       );
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/instantsearch.js/src/middlewares/createInsightsMiddleware.ts b/packages/instantsearch.js/src/middlewares/createInsightsMiddleware.ts
index 74e8f26984..2071cb633f 100644
--- a/packages/instantsearch.js/src/middlewares/createInsightsMiddleware.ts
+++ b/packages/instantsearch.js/src/middlewares/createInsightsMiddleware.ts
@@ -88,11 +88,10 @@ export function createInsightsMiddleware<
     const [appId, apiKey] = getAppIdAndApiKey(instantSearchInstance.client);
 
     // search-insights.js also throws an error so dev-only clarification is sufficient
-    if (__DEV__ && !(appId && apiKey)) {
-      throw new Error(
-        '[insights middleware]: could not extract Algolia credentials from searchClient'
-      );
-    }
+    warning(
+      Boolean(appId && apiKey),
+      'could not extract Algolia credentials from searchClient in insights middleware.'
+    );
 
     let queuedUserToken: string | undefined = undefined;
     let userTokenBeforeInit: string | undefined = undefined;
@@ -122,7 +121,12 @@ export function createInsightsMiddleware<
       // Otherwise, the `init` call might override it with anonymous user token.
       userTokenBeforeInit = userToken;
     });
-    insightsClient('init', { appId, apiKey, ...insightsInitParams });
+    insightsClient('init', {
+      appId,
+      apiKey,
+      useCookie: true,
+      ...insightsInitParams,
+    });
 
     let initialParameters: PlainSearchParameters;
     let helper: AlgoliaSearchHelper;
@@ -196,21 +200,16 @@ export function createInsightsMiddleware<
           if (onEvent) {
             onEvent(event, _insightsClient as TInsightsClient);
           } else if (event.insightsMethod) {
-            const hasUserToken = Boolean(
-              (helper.state as PlainSearchParameters).userToken
-            );
-            if (hasUserToken) {
-              insightsClient(event.insightsMethod, event.payload);
-            } else {
-              warning(
-                false,
-                `
+            insightsClient(event.insightsMethod, event.payload);
+
+            warning(
+              Boolean((helper.state as PlainSearchParameters).userToken),
+              `
 Cannot send event to Algolia Insights because \`userToken\` is not set.
 
 See documentation: https://www.algolia.com/doc/guides/building-search-ui/going-further/send-insights-events/js/#setting-the-usertoken
 `
-              );
-            }
+            );
           } else {
             warning(
               false,