Instagram is one of the most popular social media today, with billions of users browsing it daily. And even Instagram original idea was to allow people to share photo content; this app now makes it possible to chat with other users via Instagram Direct messages.
Instagram messages recovery is an issue that many users face after deliberately or accidentally deleting DMs. If this happens, messages disappear, and it seems like nothing can’t be done. Can it, really? Keep on reading to find out.
How to Unsend an Instagram Message
Instagram allows you to delete your chat completely, delete single messages, unsend messages or switch on the Vanish Mode to make messages disappear automatically.
Useful: read how to turn on the Vanish Mode to make Instagram messages disappear some time after they are sent and seen by other users.
If you want to undo the sending of the message (unsend it), do the following: click on the selected message, hold it, and then click Unsend.
After you do so, the message disappears and is invisible for all participants in the chat. Note, however, that your own messages can be deleted this way only. Besides, if the user has their DM notification on, they might be able to read the message on their phone screen.
Ways to See Deleted Instagram Messages
Instagram allows you to chat with one or multiple users in groups of up to 32 people. You can share text messages in Instagram DM, as well as photos and videos from your phone gallery or Instagram feed, share profiles of other users, theirs and your own stories, hashtags, emoticons, and links.
Request Instagram Data
Many articles of this kind claim you can restore deleted Instagram chats by requesting data from Instagram (Settings → Security/Privacy and Security → Data Download → wait for up to 2 days for email with your data in it).
Following this, Instagram is believed to collect all your data and send you an email with a zip attachment.
After Instagram sends you your data in a ZIP file, you presumably will get a full backup of your account with photos, videos, stories, chats and so on. But there will be no deleted chats. This is merely a copy of your current account with all current messages and chats.
So this method isn’t going to work.
Third-Party Tools and Sites to Recover Deleted Instagram Messages
Many third-party apps say they can help you with deleted Instagram messages recovery. However, several tools such as Tenorshare did not work for me; they didn’t actually retrieve deleted messages.
There are also several Instagram message recovery online sites you can come across on the Internet. They promise to help you get your deleted Instagram messages back. You simply have to enter your username or profile URL and wait for the tool to work.
But many of these sites look a bit scammy and often ask you to fill out forms and surveys. Sometimes, these surveys can’t even open and don’t work in specific regions.
Some of these sites help you recover your Instagram account data and casually say that there may or may not be your deleted Instagram messages among the data. So there’s no guarantee.
Sadly, this method doesn’t seem to work either.
Recover Deleted Instagram Messages with Facebook
Another 'popular' way that promises to help you retrieve deleted Instagram messages is the so-called recovery with Facebook. This method claims it will get your Instagram messages from your connected Facebook account’s inbox.
This method used to work previously, apparently, but now it's not the case.
With the latest Facebook updates, there aren't any possible ways of viewing deleted Instagram messages on your connected Facebook account.
So, this method no longer works.
Can I Actually Recover Deleted Instagram DMs
Yes. When you delete something, you only delete it on your side (unless you unsend the message right after you sent it).
The user or group of people you're chatting with will still have a copy of your conversation.
So the only possible way to recover deleted Instagram messages is to ask them to resend the message you need.
So, in a nutshell, it seems there is no other way to retrieve deleted messages on Instagram other than reaching out to the user you chatted with. Another option is to stop deleting Instagram conversations since you never know when you might need these messages again.
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