How to delete messages on instagram permanently

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.

How to delete your Instagram messages

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 Permanently

Key Points

You can choose to delete all Instagram messages, entire conversations, or just a single message.
When you use the delete conversation feature, it only deletes the conversation thread from showing up in your inbox and does NOT delete the conversation, including messages from other parties within the conversation.
If you need to delete messages often, another option is to use Vanish Mode. This turns message recording off.

Although people use Instagram to share photos, some use its messaging functionality to interact with friends and new people. All you need is a smartphone and the Internet. Knowing how to use Instagram and especially deleting messages can ensure you make the most of your account. We’ve created this handy guide to show you how to delete Instagram messages permanently.

How to delete your Instagram messages: a step-by-step guide:

Before we start, it’s important to know that you can delete individual messages or an entire conversation from Instagram. We’ll cover both below.

How to delete an entire conversation

1. Open the Instagram app and head into your messages

Select your messages in the upper right corner.

Opening the Instagram app is super easy. Simply press on the Instagram icon and then head over to your messages. To access messages, click on the tab at the top right side of your screen. You will be able to see all your conversations.

2. Tap and hold (Android) or swipe right (iPhone) on the conversation you want to delete

Hold down a conversation and press delete.

Once your messages are open, you will see a list of open conversations in front of you. When tapped, these conversations will open up into the current messages within each thread. To delete the entire thread, tap and hold on to the conversation while on the main conversation menu. This will open up a secondary menu with the option to delete the entire thread.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This feature only deletes the conversation thread from showing up in your inbox and does NOT delete the conversation, including messages from other parties within the conversation.

How to delete a specific message in a conversation (permanent and on all devices)

While deleting a conversation thread can be useful, it won’t remove the message from any other device. If you want to delete a message from all Instagram devices, you need to “unsend” the message. Here’s how to do that.

1. Tap on the conversation where the message was sent.

Open up a specific conversation on Instagram messenger.

Open up the conversation where the message was sent by tapping any conversation threads from the main messages menu. After tapping, you should now be in a conversation on the messenger with a layout of the recent messages sent in that thread.

2. Tap and hold on the message that you want to unsend

Once you hold the message, two menus will appear. The first menu allows you to add an emoji reaction to the message, and the second one is just above your keyboard, which has three options. This is the one we want. In the middle of the menu is the word “unsend. ”

Simply tap that button and watch as your message unsends! What this does is remove the message from other users’ devices. It’s a more permanent method of deleting a message than simply deleting the entire conversation!

How to use the “Vanish Mode” on Instagram, so you don’t need to delete messages

If you regularly need to delete messages, a great option use the “Vanish Mode”. This feature allows you to flip a switch and turn the message recording off for anyone in the conversation.

1. Enter a conversation and swipe up in the messaging area

Swipe up and hold to enter Vanish Mode on Instagram.

While in a conversation, simply swipe up until the circle animation completes and the phone gives a small vibration. You will get a notification that you are in Vanish Mode. Messages and photos sent while in this mode are not saved or recorded to the device of anyone using Vanish Mode.

2. Swipe up again to exit and delete the messages in Vanish Mode

When you are done messaging in Vanish Mode, simply swipe up until you see the animation complete. The messages you have just sent will be deleted, and you will know if they have been screenshotted. Enjoy!

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How to Delete Instagram Messages Permanently FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What two ways can you use to delete Instagram messages?

You can either delete an entire conversation (which only affects your device), or you can unsend a message (removes the message from all devices).

Does Instagram store your messages?

Instagram claims to only hold device data on their servers for 90 days after it is deleted locally, but that number could be inaccurate.

What is Vanish Mode?

Vanish Mode allows you to send and receive messages that are then deleted when the mode is exited.

Does Vanish Mode let you screenshot?

Yes, Vanish Mode does let you screenshot, but it notifies all users who are also in the chat when someone screenshots.

Does deleting Instagram remove messages?

No, deleting your Instagram does not delete messages on other devices that have received the messages.

About the Author

Colby Maxwell

Colby is a science and tech writer that fell in love with computers after he hacked his neighbor's wifi as a kid (and got in serious trouble). He primarily writes about science, new technology, and innovative concepts that have the potential to change the world, or let him game in 4k.

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How to delete a message on Instagram from an interlocutor: instructions

Let's figure out how to delete an unnecessary or irrelevant message on Instagram from an interlocutor from Android or iPhone. In the article we will talk about the methods. Read to the end - you will learn how to automate and optimize communication with subscribers and customers without a flooded Direct.

Delete a message from Direct on your phone

To delete an unwanted message from your Instagram conversation on your phone, follow the instructions:

1. Enter the dialog section — Direct.

2. Start the chat you want to edit.

3. Scroll through the chat, find the text to delete.

4. Press and hold it.

5. In the menu that appears at the bottom, select "Cancel sending"

In the same menu, you can reply to the message of the interlocutor, forward and copy.

Such actions will help to remove the message from both participants in the dialogue.

If you sell or promote services through Instagram, and often communicate with subscribers and clients, it is inconvenient to constantly delete irrelevant messages from dialogs. Gather information, answers to frequently asked questions on the multilink page. And you don’t have to constantly correspond in Direct — the up-to-date information will be in one place.

How to delete messages from a chat from a computer

A few years ago, it was not possible to delete a part of a chat in the desktop version. Now the developers have expanded the functionality of the social network. Deleting on a computer is no different from the actions in the mobile version.

Instructions for deletion:

1. Open an account

2. Enter the dialogue section

3. Find the desired part of the correspondence

4. Move the mouse cursor over it.

5. Icons will appear to the left of the text box — a smiley face and three dots.

6. Select three points. This is the options menu. The options are: Share, Copy, Forward, and Undo Send.

Delete a message in the mobile app

1. Open your profile, personal messages section

2. Select what you want to delete.

3. Swipe the conversation to the left or hold it with a long press. You will see the option "More"

4. The menu that expands will offer several options. Select "Delete"

5. A new box will appear warning you to delete it permanently.

6. Agree - confirm by tapping on the command again.

To quickly find the right interlocutor, do not scroll, use the search at the top of the screen.

Who will delete the correspondence

Chat can be deleted. But in this case, only you will not see it. The interlocutor will have access. It is impossible to make sure that the other side does not see a certain message.

Deleting the entire chat from the PC

If you don't need to search for specific phrases in the correspondence and want to completely get rid of it, this is done with three clicks.

Open a dialog

Click on the “i” icon in the upper right

A window will open offering a choice of what to do: Block communication with the user, delete, complain.

When deleted, the conversation will remain with the other party. Only you will disappear.

Deleting all or selected conversations

Instagram developers have provided a convenient tool - deleting several conversation threads at once. Relevant for active users, bloggers, entrepreneurs who receive a lot of messages.

Again, deleting a conversation leaves it visible to the other party. After the disappearance of the branch in the account, you will no longer be able to make changes.

Instructions for mass erasing chats:

Open Direct

At the top right you will see two icons: a pencil and dots with stripes. Select the second one - this is the list icon.

After clicking, circles will appear to the left of all the avatars of the interlocutors.

Click to mark unnecessary

At the bottom of the screen you will see the options: "General" and "Delete"

Select the one you need

Restoring the dialogue

It is impossible to return the correspondence to Instagram. To do this, Instagram asks for confirmation of actions every time. Therefore, you need to understand that deletion is forever.

Disappearing messages

Make your life easier by using the disappearing feature on Instagram. Disappearing can be made sent text, photo, video. After reading the message disappears.

How to automate communication with followers on Instagram

Do you sell goods, provide services and promote your expert page on Instagram? Direct full of questions?

If services, marathons or information products are constantly updated, then communication in PM is unproductive. Too much time is spent on explanations, additional explanations about new products and service updates.

Try automating communication. Collect information in one place - a multilink.

A multilink is a page on the Internet, similar to a landing page. The difference from a full-screen, multi-page site is as follows:

can be made independently, without a designer, a programmer

is cheaper, since a multilink is a constructor. All the functionality is already programmed - it remains only to choose the order of the blocks on the page.

Hipolink multisold service offers 16 blocks:

- Topics

- Avatar

- Text

- Link

- Social networks

- Messengeries

- Catalog of goods

005

Using the "Text" block, place a greeting and an explanation: what this site is about, what is offered, what is the use.

Place messenger buttons for communication. Choose at least two - so users will have a choice, they will be able to use the familiar messenger. This increases the conversion of the site.

The dropdown tool is useful for describing complex services or answering frequently asked questions. To prevent the description from turning into a “sheet”, the constructor provides for design in the form of a drop-down list. Write a question in the title, the next field is for answering it. The user will open this list by pressing and read the answer.

It is very easy to change the content of the list. You don't have to redo the entire page. This will solve the issue of endless correspondence in Direct. Send a link to Hypolink for any request. The main thing is to monitor the relevance of the information provided there.

Block "Links" use to place links to other pages, transitions to the site.

To publish useful materials, information products and downloads, use the "Internet Services" button. Place a cloud storage button (Yandex Disk, Google Disk, Dropbox), add a caption of what is stored there. And subscribers will be able to download files on their own, without a personal request.

Is it possible to delete messages in direct Instagram and how to do it

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.

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 #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.
Method #3 . This method involves the Self-Destructing Photos function. 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".

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.
Learn more