Finding and opening your direct messages on Instagram
Your Instagram direct messages are in the top right corner of your screen. On a phone, tap the paper airplane icon (it looks like a small plane pointing right). On a computer, click the same icon in the top right of your Instagram feed. This opens your message inbox, where you see all your conversations listed by the most recent message.
If you have unread messages, Instagram shows a small red circle with a number on the airplane icon. This tells you how many new messages are waiting. Once you tap or click the icon, the red circle disappears and you can see all your conversations at once.
Your inbox shows the person's name or group name, a preview of the last message sent, and how long ago it arrived. Tap or click any conversation to open it and read the full message thread.
Key Takeaways
- The paper airplane icon in the top right corner of Instagram opens your direct message inbox on both phone and computer.
- A red circle with a number on the airplane icon shows how many unread messages you have waiting.
- Your inbox displays conversations in order from newest to oldest, with a preview of the last message in each thread.
- Tap or click any conversation name to open the full message thread and read all messages from that person or group.
Reading messages on your phone
On an iPhone or Android phone, open Instagram and look at the top right corner of your screen. You will see the paper airplane icon next to a heart icon. Tap the paper airplane to open your inbox. Your conversations appear as a list, with the most recent at the top.
Each conversation shows the person's profile picture, their name or username, the last message they sent you, and the time it arrived. Swipe left on any conversation to see options like muting notifications or deleting the thread. Tap the conversation itself to open it and read the entire message history.
If someone sends you a message while you are using Instagram, a small notification may pop up at the top of your screen. You can tap that notification to jump straight to the conversation, or ignore it and check your inbox later by tapping the airplane icon.
Reading messages on your computer
On a desktop or laptop, go to Instagram.com and log in. In the top right corner, you will see the paper airplane icon next to the heart icon. Click it to open your inbox. Your conversations appear in a list on the left side of the screen.
Click any conversation name to open it. The full message thread appears on the right side of the screen, showing all messages from newest to oldest. You can scroll up to see older messages in that conversation. Type your reply in the text box at the bottom and press Enter or click Send to respond.
On a computer, you can also see if someone is currently active (online) by looking for a green dot next to their name. This dot only appears if you follow each other or have messaged before.
Organizing conversations you receive often
If you message the same people regularly, you can pin conversations to the top of your inbox so they are always easy to find. On your phone, press and hold a conversation until a menu appears, then tap "Pin." On a computer, right-click a conversation and select "Pin." Pinned conversations stay at the top even if you receive newer messages from other people.
You can also mute a conversation so you do not see notifications when new messages arrive, but the conversation stays in your inbox. On your phone, swipe left on the conversation and tap the speaker icon with a line through it. On a computer, right-click the conversation and select "Mute." You can unmute it the same way whenever you want to see notifications again.
If a conversation is cluttering your inbox, you can delete it by swiping left on your phone and tapping the trash icon, or right-clicking on a computer and selecting "Delete." Deleting a conversation removes it from your inbox but does not block the person or stop them from messaging you in the future.
Handling messages from people you do not follow
Instagram separates messages into two sections: your main inbox and a "Requests" folder. Messages from people you do not follow usually land in Requests instead of your main inbox. This prevents strangers from filling up your message list.
To see message requests on your phone, open your inbox and look for a tab that says "Requests" or "Message Requests" near the top. Tap it to see messages from people you do not follow. On a computer, you will see a "Requests" section in your inbox list on the left side.
You can read a message request without responding. If you want to reply, tap or click the message and type your response. If you do not want to see messages from that person, you can delete the request or block them. Blocking prevents them from messaging you, seeing your profile, or finding your posts.
What to do if messages are not showing up
If you are not seeing messages you expect to receive, first check your Requests folder. Messages from people you do not follow go there by default, and you might have missed them. Open your inbox, tap or click "Requests," and look through the list.
If you have muted a conversation, you will still receive the messages but will not see a notification. Check your full inbox list to see if the conversation is there. You can unmute it to start seeing notifications again.
If a conversation has disappeared entirely, the person may have deleted their account, blocked you, or the message thread may have been deleted. Try searching for the person's username in your inbox search bar (if your app has one) to confirm. If the person still has an active account and you are not blocked, you can always send them a new message by going to their profile and tapping "Message."
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see when someone read my message?
Yes. In a direct message conversation, if you see "Seen" below your message, the person has read it. If you see a small icon of their profile picture below your message instead, they have received it but not opened it yet. This only works if you both follow each other or have been messaging for a while.
What is the difference between a message and a message request?
Messages from people you follow appear in your main inbox. Messages from people you do not follow go to your Requests folder so they do not clutter your main list. You can read both, but you have to look in the right place to find them.
Can I delete a message I already sent?
On most phones and computers, you can press and hold a message you sent and select "Unsend" or "Delete." This removes the message from both your inbox and the other person's inbox. The other person will see a note that you unsent a message, but they will not see what it said.
Why am I not getting notifications for new messages?
Check whether you have muted the conversation. You can also check your phone or computer settings to make sure Instagram notifications are turned on. On your phone, go to Settings, find Instagram, and make sure notifications are enabled. On a computer, Instagram notifications depend on your browser settings.
Can I message someone who has blocked me?
No. If someone has blocked you, you cannot send them messages, see their profile, or find their posts. If you think you have been blocked, try searching for their username. If their profile does not appear, they have either blocked you, deleted their account, or made their profile private.