How do you delete messages from instagram

How to Delete Your Instagram Messages

You can delete your Instagram messages in two ways, both through the mobile app.
Instagram's private messages menu lets you delete an entire conversation at once.
Holding your finger on a message you've sent will let you "unsend" and delete that message.

While Instagram is mainly a platform for posting photos, it also offers its own private messaging system. And like most messaging services, you have full control over which messages get saved and which get deleted.

If your inbox is filling up, there are two ways to delete your Instagram messages. You can both delete entire conversations and delete individual messages you've sent.

These steps work for both the iPhone and Android Instagram apps.

Deleting entire conversations

1. Open Instagram and tap the messages icon in the top-right corner, which looks like a paper airplane.

2. On the messages page, tap the icon in the top-right that looks like a bulleted list.

3. Tap all the conversations that you want to delete, then tap Delete in the bottom-right corner.

Highlight and delete the conversations you don't want. Instagram; William Antonelli/Insider

4. Confirm that you want to delete the conversations.

Remember that the other person (or people) in the conversation will still be able to see the messages, unless they delete it themselves.

Delete your own individual messages

If you've sent a message that you later decide you want to take back, you can delete it using the "Unsend" option. This will delete it for everyone in the conversation.

1. Open Instagram again and find the message that you want to delete.

2. Press and hold your finger on the message that you want to unsend.

3. When a pop-up menu appears, select the Unsend option and confirm that you want to delete it.

Tap "Unsend." Instagram; Jennifer Still/Insider; William Antonelli/Insider

Note that while unsending a message will delete it for everyone, sending a message might still notify everyone else in the conversation.

Jennifer Still contributed to a previous version of this article.

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at [email protected].

How to delete Instagram messages

Sometimes during online social media communications, conversations or messages are sometimes written that you would prefer to forget or if possible delete permanently from your account. If you have been using Facebook’s Instagram app and would like to edit conversations or delete Instagram messages. You might be interested to know that the development team at Meta previously known as Facebook provides an easy way for you to delete a message from the Instagram Direct app.

Whether you are on iOS or Android, simply open the Instagram app on your phone or tablet and follow the instructions below to delete your conversations and Instagram messages. If you are looking to clean your account and remove those unwanted conversations, this quick guide will take you through the process of removing and permanently deleting your Instagram messages.

Delete Instagram conversations

1. While in the Instagram app, select the paper plane or Messenger icon symbol in the top right-hand corner of your feed.

2. This will provide a list of all your conversations held within Instagram

3. On iOS and iPhone devices, simply swipe left on the conversation that you would like to delete and Meta will magically remove it from your feed.

4. On Android devices, simply tap and hold down your finger on the conversation or messages you would like to delete.

5. The application will then ask you to confirm your choice by tapping Delete.

Once you have deleted messages that are unwanted and conversations from Instagram Direct, they will no longer be visible in your inbox. However, they will still be available to other Instagram users and people that were included in the conversation. It is also worth remembering that your data download file does not include messages that you have unsent or conversations that you have deleted from your Instagram account.

How to delete Instagram messages

If you would like to unsend or delete a message, you have sent using Instagram Direct, follow the instructions below.

1. Enter the Instagram app and select the icon for the feed in the top right-hand corner of your screen. Normally a paper plane or Messenger icon.

2. Once again, select the Conversation, which includes the messages you would like to delete.

3. Go to the Message that you would like to delete or unsend

4. Tap and hold the message to reveal the Unsend option

5. Confirm that you would like to Unsend the message when asked.

Do not forget that although you are deleting or rather unsending the message, other people in the conversation may have already read it. Once you have deleted the Instagram message, it will no longer be visible to people to see included in the conversation.

Unfortunately, Facebook, or rather Meta, does not provide a way to delete multiple conversations at once or multiple messages within the Instagram application. So you will need to repeat the processes listed above for each message or conversation you would like to delete from the application.

If you have a huge amount of messages or conversations to delete from Instagram Direct, there are third-party applications and services that are available to automate the process, but those are for another article at a later date. For now, quickly Google “automating actions on your phone” will list recent applications although more are available for Android than iOS because of Apple’s restrictive terms and conditions that stop developers from carrying out certain actions from within their apps.

If you are still struggling with how to delete messages or conversations from your Instagram app and would like to communicate directly with the Instagram support team jump over to the official help centre.

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How to delete messages on Instagram?

How to delete posts on Instagram?

Instagram direct is a relatively recent application feature that is designed to exchange messages, graphics and media content between Instagram users without creating a post in the main application feed. The possibility of personal communication allowed Instagram to reach a new level, because the creators of the application are actively working on the functionality. However, not all users know how to delete messages on Instagram on Android and iOS. nine0003

How to delete direct messages from

There are several ways to delete messages.

Method no. 1 . You can delete the dialogue with the user completely. In this case, all correspondence will disappear, regardless of the date and amount of information. However, it should be remembered that the second interlocutor still has correspondence.
Method no. 2 . In Instagram direct, you can delete 1 post. For example, you sent a text message, video, picture, etc., and then changed your mind. Then you have a chance to cancel the message. But at the same time, you should remember that if your interlocutor is online, there is a high risk that he will read it. This method applies only to those messages that were sent by you, but not by your interlocutor. nine0012
Method no. 3 . This method involves the Self-Destructing Photos feature. This feature implies a limited number of views, which you personally marked as acceptable. It is worth noting that this function applies only to those correspondence with the interlocutor who is among your subscribers or to the correspondence with the interlocutor who approved the dialogue with you. It is also important that the Instagram app is updated to the latest version.

Features of deleting direct messages on iOS

To delete all direct messages on iOS, you need to find the conversation you want to delete. After that, slide your finger to the left and in the submenu that appears, tap on "Delete".
To delete certain messages, you need to go to the Inbox, then select what you want to delete, then click on the message and hold for a while. In the submenu that opens, tap "Cancel Send". nine0012

Features of deleting direct messages on Android

In general, deleting messages on Android has a similar principle to iOS and includes the following:

To delete all direct messages on Android, you need to find the conversation you wish to delete. After that, click on the chat and hold until a window appears in which you should tap on the "Delete" item.
To delete certain messages, you need to go to the Inbox, then select what you want to delete, then click on the message and hold for a while. In the submenu that opens, tap "Cancel sending message." nine0012

How to clear direct on Instagram

The Instagram application does not include a complete cleanup of incoming direct messages, so they should be removed gradually. But you should also remember that your interlocutor still retains everything that you sent him, unless, of course, you use the ability to send self-deleting messages.

If you want to start communicating on Instagram again, you just need to find the user you need in the application and tap on the "Write" button in his profile. nine0003

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How to delete a message on Instagram - all ways to clear the correspondence

Content of the article:

Deleting messages for yourself and the other party
- How to delete a message from direct on phone
- Deleting a message from direct on a computer
Deleting the entire dialog completely
- On a mobile device under IOS and Android
- To PC
Deleting all or several dialogs
Sending disappearing messages
- Sending disappearing photos and videos
- Sending disappearing text
How to recover deleted conversations
- Restoring correspondence without backups
- Data storage applications

Is it possible to delete a message on Instagram

Of course, you can delete a message from an Instagram conversation, but there are a few nuances. And before deleting messages from public or private dialogs, you need to weigh all the pros and cons and only then start cleaning.

First, when you delete an individual message from a chat, it is deleted from all other participants in the conversation. That is, you can delete the message immediately for everyone who participated in the conversation, and not just for a specific user.

Secondly, when you delete the dialogue completely, and not individually for each message, the messages will remain unchanged for all other chat participants or an individual interlocutor if the communication was face to face. That is, you can delete the entire chat only from your own list of dialogues in direct, but nothing will change for your interlocutor (s). nine0003

Thirdly, deleted correspondence cannot be restored if there are no complaints about it from other participants in the correspondence. Direct does not have an archive like stories and it will not be possible to restore it as memories.

Fourth, it is possible to cancel sending a message (delete), but it is better to think several times before sending information that you will have to regret later. After all, the interlocutor can see it before you have time to cancel the send.

Next, we will analyze each case separately, when you need to delete individual messages in a dialog, when you need to delete the entire dialog and delete all or several dialogs in your account. nine0003

Related articles:

How to find out who unsubscribed on Instagram

Deleting messages for yourself and the other person

Please note that when you delete a phrase from a conversation, it disappears both for you and for another user. However, if the correspondence is complained about, the data can be restored for verification.

We recommend that you do not send confidential information in private messages, send photos that are too personal, and save your login information. nine0003

Even if the correspondence can be deleted, there is always a chance that another user managed to take a screenshot of the screen and the data will be saved forever.

How to delete a message from direct on your phone

To share a single message from direct to Instagram from your phone, do the following:

Open the list of conversations in direct. To do this, click on the icon in the upper right corner.
Open the chat you want to edit. nine0012
Find the message you want to get rid of. Hold the text with a long press.
Click on the "More" option in the lower right corner. From the pop-up menu, select the "Cancel Send" option.

This method of cleaning correspondence is useful for those who want their messages to disappear not only for the sender, but also for the interlocutor (addressee).

Deleting a message from direct on a computer

The process of deleting individual messages in an Instagram conversation from a computer has some peculiarities. nine0003

To delete a conversation from Direct, do the following:

Log in to your account from a computer and open the list of dialogs.
Select the chat where you want to delete the message.
Find the message and hover your mouse over it. Three icons will appear on the left side of the phrase.
Select the icon with three dots to the left of the message. After clicking, you will see several actions that you can perform - "Share", "Copy", "Forward" and "Undo Send". If you want to delete the selected phrase, select the "Cancel Send" option. nine0012

Deleting the entire conversation

Sometimes deleting one or more phrases is not enough. In this case, getting rid of the chat completely will help. We remind you once again that in this case, the correspondence will remain unchanged with your interlocutor, it will disappear only with you.

On a mobile device for IOS and Android

Instructions for deleting a direct dialogue from your phone will be different depending on the type of your device. nine0003

You can delete correspondence from the iPhone as follows:

Log in to your account and go to the section with private messages.
Select the chat you want to get rid of. You can do this by scrolling down the feed, or use the search at the top of the screen.
Swipe the dialogue to the left or hold it down until the menu appears Click on the "More" button.
In the context menu that opens, click "Delete".
Press the option again to confirm the action.

The principle of deleting a dialogue from Instagram from Android is very similar, but has some differences.

Sign in to your account, go to direct.
Select the chat you want to get rid of. You can do this by scrolling down the feed, or use the search at the top of the screen. nine0012
Press and hold the dialog until the context menu appears.
Select "Delete".
Pay attention to the warning that will appear on the screen. The chat with the user will be permanently deleted.

On a PC

It is not possible to completely delete a direct dialogue from a computer. There is currently no such feature, but you can share one or more messages from the dialog itself.

Delete all or several dialogs

Instagram has provided such a function as deleting all or several correspondence in a few touches. For those people who often and in large numbers receive direct messages from different profiles and conduct active correspondence, this functionality will be extremely useful.

Important! Deleting the entire conversation thread only clears the owner's account, but does not make changes to the accounts of the interlocutors. If you need to delete a message from the interlocutor too, then clean the messages one by one in each chat. nine0003

To delete several chats at once, follow the following algorithm:

Sign in to instagram direct;
Click on the list icon;
Mark those chats that need to be cleared, a menu will appear below;
Click on the relevant function;
Confirm action.

Sending disappearing messages

In order not to create unnecessary trouble for erasing correspondence, you can insure yourself in advance and send a disappearing message. nine0003

The disappearing message can be a photo, video or text. Information disappears immediately after viewing, and it is impossible to see it again.

Sending disappearing photos and videos

To send such a message, do the following:

Open direct and select the correspondence with the user, or group chat.
Click on the camera icon. The camera mode will open in front of you. Take a photo, apply an effect if necessary.

Sending disappearing text

If you want to send a text message in such a way that after viewing it disappears, you need to switch to the corresponding mode. For this you need:

Open a dialog with the user
Swipe up to enable disappearing messages;
Send a message;

After the text is read by the addressee, it will disappear from the dialog

Please note that it is impossible to see the disappearing message from the computer. This feature is only present in the mobile app.

How to restore deleted correspondence

It is impossible to restore deleted correspondence using the standard means of a mobile application and without having certain skills, as well as a set of certain programs. nine0003

This is why the Instagram system warns the user that the chat is permanently deleted.

Restoring a conversation without backups

If you deleted the whole conversation, and not just a single message, then you can ask the other person to take a screenshot and send the image to you.

You can try recovering deleted data via Facebook if your two accounts are linked.

Log in to your Facebook account, go to the business page to which your Instagram profile is linked; nine0012
Select the menu item "Inbox";
Click on the Instagram Direct option in the left pane.

If the dialogs are saved, you will see them in this section.

This method of restoring correspondence is available only for business accounts and for those profiles whose Instagram is linked to a Facebook account.

Another way to restore correspondence is to use the data download function from Instagram. nine0003

This can only be done when using Instagram from a computer.

Keep in mind that in this case you will receive not only the restored text of the correspondence, but also all the rest of your account data.

Do the following:

Log in to your account from a PC, click on the profile icon;
Click on the "Settings" item from the drop-down menu;
On the left side of the screen, select the "Privacy and Security" tab; nine0012
Scroll down to the Download Data section;
Select the "Request file" function. A new page will open in front of you, where you can select the type of downloaded file and enter the email address to which you want to send the data.

Applications for saving data

There is a special application for recovering deleted data from Instagram - Instagram Message Recovery.

To use the application's features, do the following:

Sign in to the app and enter your Instagram account login details.
Click on the message you want to recover.
Confirm your selection again.

We hope that in this article you have found answers to all your questions and now you know how to delete and restore messages in Instagram correspondence.