How to Delete Instagram Messages? A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Instagram’s Direct Messages (DMs) are great for chatting with friends, sharing media, and staying connected. But sometimes, you might want to delete messages—whether it’s to remove clutter, protect privacy, or erase something you regret sending.
If you’re wondering how to delete Instagram messages, this guide covers everything you need to know. Whether you want to delete a single message, an entire conversation, or unsend messages for both sides, we’ve got you covered.
Why Delete Instagram Messages?
There are plenty of reasons why you might want to delete messages on Instagram:
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Privacy Concerns – You don’t want sensitive information lingering in your chat history.
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Mistakes Happen – Sent something embarrassing or to the wrong person? No worries, you can fix it.
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Decluttering – Too many conversations? Deleting old chats keeps things tidy.
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Security Risks – You may not want certain conversations saved if your phone is lost or hacked.
Now, let’s dive into the step-by-step process.
How to Delete a Single Message on Instagram
If you want to remove a specific message from a conversation, here’s what you need to do:
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Open Instagram and go to the DM section by tapping the message icon in the top right corner.
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Open the chat where you want to delete a message.
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Press and hold the message you want to remove.
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Tap Unsend, and it will disappear from the conversation for both you and the recipient.
Note: Unsend only works for messages you sent, not messages from the other person.
How to Delete an Entire Conversation on Instagram
If you want to delete a whole chat, follow these steps:
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Go to your DM inbox on Instagram.
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Find the conversation you want to delete.
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Swipe left (iPhone) or tap and hold (Android) on the chat.
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Tap Delete and confirm your action.
Warning: Deleting a conversation only removes it from your inbox. The other person will still have access to it unless they delete it too.
How to Automatically Delete Instagram Messages
If you want messages to disappear automatically, Instagram’s Vanish Mode is a great feature:
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Open a conversation.
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Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to activate Vanish Mode.
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Messages sent in this mode will automatically disappear once the chat is closed.
This is useful for temporary or private conversations you don’t want to keep.
Can You Delete Instagram Messages from Both Sides?
Yes, but only for messages you sent. By selecting Unsend, you can remove a message from both ends of the conversation. However, if the other person has already seen or screenshotted it, deleting won’t undo that.
For more privacy tips, check out Instagram’s official privacy settings.
How to Delete All Messages on Instagram at Once
Currently, Instagram does not have a built-in option to delete all 0messages at once. However, you can:
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Manually delete conversations one by one.
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Use third-party tools (but be cautious about security risks).
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Temporarily deactivate your account (this will hide messages but not delete them permanently).
If you want to learn more about Instagram’s official policies on message deletion, check out Instagram’s Help Center.
Knowing how to delete Instagram messages is essential for maintaining privacy and keeping your inbox clean. Whether you’re removing a single message, an entire conversation, or using Vanish Mode, Instagram offers multiple ways to manage your chats.
FAQs About Deleting Instagram Messages
1. If I delete a conversation, will the other person still see it?
Yes, deleting a conversation only removes it from your inbox. The other person will still have access unless they delete it too.
2. Can I recover deleted messages on Instagram?
No, once a message is deleted, it’s gone permanently. However, you can request a data download from Instagram to retrieve old messages.
3. What happens when I unsend a message?
The message disappears from both your inbox and the recipient’s inbox, as if it was never sent.
4. Can I delete messages in a group chat?
Yes, you can unsend your messages in a group chat, but you can’t delete messages sent by others.
5. Is there a way to bulk delete messages?
Instagram doesn’t have an official way to delete multiple messages at once, but you can use third-party apps (though they come with risks).
6. Does deleting Instagram messages free up storage?
Yes, deleting messages can slightly reduce the app’s cache, but it won’t make a huge difference in storage space.
7. How long do deleted messages stay on Instagram’s servers?
Instagram states that unsent messages are removed immediately, but they may be stored in backups for a limited period.
8. Can someone see if I deleted a message?
If you delete a conversation, the other person won’t be notified. But if you unsend a message, they might notice its absence.