Buzz
Fast and simple ways to erase your chats or DMs on Instagram
Need to remove or unsend a message on Instagram? Deleting clears it only from your view, while unsending erases it for everyone. Use delete to tidy up old messages, or unsend to fix a mistake—like messaging the wrong person or saying something you regret. Keep reading to find out how both options work and see answers to common questions.
How to Delete a Message on the Instagram App
- Go to the conversation containing the message.
- Tap and hold the message you want to remove.
- Choose Delete for you.
- Select any additional chats you want to remove.
- Tap Delete for you again to confirm.
Instructions
How to Delete Messages Using the Mobile App
Launch the chat that contains the message you want to remove. You’ll need to use the Instagram mobile app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android—this can’t be done in a browser.
- Tap the paper plane or messenger icon at the top right to open your DMs. Then choose a conversation with the message you want to delete.
- Some users may not see this option—unsending might be your only choice.
Tap and hold the message. A pop-up menu will show next to it.
Choose Delete for you. You’ll see checkboxes (Android) or circles (iOS) appear for selecting multiple messages.
Pick the messages you’d like to delete. Selected messages will show filled-in boxes or circles to confirm your choice.
Tap Delete for you. You'll find it in red at the bottom of your screen.
- Keep in mind: this only deletes the message from your chat. The other person can still view it.
Removing Entire Chats in the Mobile App
Go to your direct message inbox. Tap the paper airplane or messenger icon at the top right to view all your chats.
- Deleting a full chat only clears it from your view. Everyone else in the conversation will still see the messages.
Tap and hold the chat you’d like to delete. On the browser version, open the chat, then click the circled “i” icon to bring up a side panel.
Tap Delete (in the app) or Delete chat (on the web). The chat will disappear from your inbox, but everyone else in it will still have access to the messages.
Unsend Messages
Go to the conversation that contains the message you want to remove. Tap the paper airplane or messenger icon at the top right to access your direct messages, then choose the chat with the message.
- You can also use your web browser to visit your direct messages and unsend messages from there.
Tap and hold the message. This brings up a menu beside the message.
- If you're on a browser, click the three-dot icon next to the message.
Select Unsend. This will delete the message for all participants in the chat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Instagram let others know when you unsend a message? No, Instagram doesn't alert others when you unsend something. But if the message was visible for a while, the recipient may have read or even screenshotted it before you removed it.
- If a message is reported, it might still be included even if deleted or unsent.
Can you unsend several messages all at once on Instagram? You can delete multiple messages just for yourself, but to unsend messages completely, you'll need to remove them one by one manually.
Does unsending remove the message for both you and the other person? Absolutely. When you unsend a message, it's erased from the chat for everyone involved.
Is it possible to delete a message someone else sent you? No, you can’t remove messages sent by others. However, you can block the sender if necessary.
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If you've deleted a message or chat and want it back, check here for methods including downloading your data or using third-party tools.
