Where to find your Instagram messages
Instagram messages live in the Direct Messages section, which you reach from the paper airplane icon in the top right corner of your feed. On mobile, tap that icon and you'll see a list of all your conversations. On desktop, click the same icon and a panel opens on the right side of your screen showing your message threads.
Each conversation shows the person's name, their profile picture, and a preview of the most recent message. If someone has messaged you and you haven't opened that conversation yet, you'll see a small dot next to their name. Unread messages also appear in a slightly different shade so you can spot them at a glance.
If you have a lot of conversations, you can search for a specific person by typing their username in the search box at the top of your Direct Messages list. This is faster than scrolling through dozens of threads.
Key Takeaways
- Your Instagram messages are stored on Instagram's servers, not just on your phone, which means Instagram can see the content of your conversations.
- You can read messages by tapping the paper airplane icon and opening any conversation, but Instagram keeps a record of what you send even if you delete it from your phone.
- Instagram's default setting stores your messages indefinitely unless you manually delete them or use the "Unsend" feature to remove a message from both sides of the conversation.
- Messages you send to people who don't follow you may land in their "Message Requests" folder instead of their main inbox, and they won't be notified unless they open that folder.
- Instagram can use the content of your messages to show you targeted ads, though the company says it does not sell your message content to third parties.
Reading messages from people who follow you
When someone who follows you sends a message, it goes straight to your main Direct Messages inbox. Open the conversation by tapping their name, and you'll see the full thread of your back-and-forth messages in chronological order, with the oldest messages at the top and the newest at the bottom.
You can scroll up in any conversation to see older messages you've exchanged. Instagram doesn't delete old messages unless you manually remove them, so you can look back weeks or months to find something someone said to you before.
Checking message requests from people who don't follow you
If someone who doesn't follow you sends you a message, Instagram doesn't put it in your main inbox. Instead, it goes to a separate folder called Message Requests. You won't get a notification about it unless you've turned on notifications for message requests in your settings.
To see message requests, open your Direct Messages and look for a tab or filter option that says "Message Requests" or "Requests." On mobile, you may need to swipe or tap a menu to see this option. These messages stay in the requests folder until you accept the conversation, delete it, or mark it as spam.
Accepting a message request moves that person's conversation to your main inbox and tells Instagram you want to hear from them. Declining or deleting a request removes the conversation from your view, though the person may not know you've declined — they'll only know if you never respond.
What Instagram knows about your messages
When you send a message through Instagram, the content travels to Instagram's servers before it reaches the other person. This means Instagram can read what you write. The company uses message content to train its systems, detect spam and abuse, and show you ads based on what you talk about.
Instagram says it does not sell your message content to advertisers or other companies. However, the company does use information about your conversations — like the topics you discuss — to decide which ads to show you. If you message someone about hiking boots, you may see hiking gear ads later, even though you didn't search for them.
This is different from email, where most providers encrypt messages so that even the email company cannot read them. Instagram's messages are not encrypted by default, which is why the company can see what you write.
Deleting messages and using unsend
You have two ways to remove a message: delete it from your own view, or unsend it so the other person can't see it either. Deleting a message removes it from your phone or computer, but Instagram's servers still have a copy. Unsending a message removes it from both your conversation and the other person's conversation.
To unsend a message, press and hold it (on mobile) or right-click it (on desktop), then select "Unsend." The message disappears from both sides of the conversation, and the other person will see a note that says "This message was unsent." However, if the other person took a screenshot before you unsent it, they still have a copy.
If you want to delete an entire conversation, swipe left on it (mobile) or hover over it and click the trash icon (desktop). This removes the conversation from your inbox, but Instagram keeps a record of the messages on its servers. Deleting a conversation from your phone does not delete it from Instagram's database.
Managing notifications and privacy settings
By default, Instagram notifies you when someone messages you, but you can change this. Go to your settings, find "Notifications," and look for options related to Direct Messages. You can turn off notifications entirely, or you can choose to get notified only from people you follow.
You can also control who can message you in the first place. In your settings under "Privacy," you'll find an option for "Messages." You can set it so that only people you follow can message you, or you can allow anyone to send you a message (which will go to Message Requests if they don't follow you).
If someone is messaging you repeatedly and you don't want to hear from them, you can block them. Blocking prevents that person from seeing your profile, sending you messages, or finding your account through search. They won't receive a notification that you've blocked them, but they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile.
What happens to messages if you deactivate or delete your account
If you deactivate your Instagram account, your messages remain on Instagram's servers. When you reactivate your account, your message history comes back. If you permanently delete your account, Instagram says it deletes your messages within 90 days, though the company may keep copies for legal or security reasons.
The other people in your conversations will still see the messages you sent them, even if you delete your account. Unsending a message before you delete your account is the only way to remove it from their view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Instagram read my messages?
Yes. Your messages are not encrypted, so Instagram can read them. The company uses this information to detect spam, prevent abuse, and inform the ads it shows you. Instagram says it does not sell message content to third parties, but it does use information about your conversations to target advertisements.
What's the difference between deleting and unsending a message?
Deleting removes the message from your phone or computer only — Instagram's servers still have it. Unsending removes it from both your conversation and the other person's conversation, though they'll see a note that the message was unsent. Screenshots bypass unsend.
Why did my message go to Message Requests instead of their inbox?
Message Requests is where messages from people who don't follow you land. They won't be notified unless they open the Message Requests folder. Once they accept the conversation, future messages from you go to their main inbox.
If I block someone, can they still see the messages I sent them?
Yes. Blocking prevents them from messaging you going forward and hides your profile from them, but it does not delete messages they've already received from you. Only unsending a message removes it from their view.
Are my Instagram messages backed up if I delete the app?
Your messages are stored on Instagram's servers, not just on your phone. Deleting the app does not delete your messages. When you reinstall Instagram and log back in, your full message history will be there.