Delete a single message you sent

You can remove a message you sent from both your inbox and the recipient's inbox. Open Instagram and go to your Direct Messages by tapping the paper airplane icon at the top right of your home feed. Find the conversation containing the message you want to delete.

Long-press (press and hold) the message until a menu appears. Tap Unsend. The message disappears from both sides of the conversation immediately. The recipient will see a note saying "This message was unsent" instead of the original text.

This works for text messages, photos, videos, and voice messages you have sent. You cannot unsend a message after you have left the conversation and come back to it — Instagram only lets you unsend messages while the chat is still open on your screen.

Key Takeaways

  • Long-press any message you sent and tap Unsend to remove it from both your inbox and the recipient's inbox.
  • Unsending a message shows the recipient that something was removed, but they cannot see what the original message said.
  • You can delete entire conversations from your inbox without affecting what the other person sees on their end.
  • Instagram does not let you edit a message after you send it — unsending and resending is the only way to correct a typo or mistake.

Delete an entire conversation

If you want to remove a conversation from your Direct Messages inbox, swipe left on the conversation (on iPhone) or long-press it (on Android). A trash or delete icon will appear. Tap it to remove the conversation from your list.

Deleting a conversation from your inbox does not delete it from the other person's inbox. They will still see all the messages you exchanged. This is purely a way to clean up your own message list. If you start a new conversation with that person later, the old messages will not reappear — you are starting fresh.

Clear your entire Direct Messages inbox

Instagram does not have a built-in button to delete all conversations at once. If you want to remove many conversations, you will need to delete them one by one using the method above. There is no faster way to do this within the app itself.

If you are trying to clear your inbox because you are concerned about privacy, remember that deleting conversations from your phone does not delete them from Instagram's servers. Instagram stores message data on its own systems. Deleting from your inbox only removes them from your view.

What happens when you unsend a message

When you unsend a message, the recipient sees a placeholder that says "This message was unsent" or "You unsent a message." They cannot see the original text, photo, or video you sent. However, they will know that you sent something and then removed it.

If the recipient took a screenshot of the message before you unsent it, they will still have that screenshot. Unsending only removes the message from Instagram itself, not from any copies the other person may have made. There is no way to know whether someone screenshotted your message before you unsent it.

Unsend messages on Instagram Web

You can unsend messages using Instagram's web version at instagram.com. Click the Direct Messages icon (the paper airplane) in the top right. Find the conversation and hover your mouse over the message you want to remove. A row of icons will appear to the right of the message.

Click the three dots icon and select Unsend from the menu. The message will disappear from both inboxes the same way it does on the mobile app. The process is identical — the recipient will see that a message was unsent but not what it said.

Unsend messages in group chats

Unsending works the same way in group conversations as it does in one-on-one chats. Long-press your message and tap Unsend. All members of the group will see that you unsent a message, but none of them will see what the original message contained.

You can only unsend messages that you sent yourself. You cannot remove other people's messages from a group chat, even if you created the group. If someone else sends a message you find offensive or inappropriate, you can report it to Instagram, but you cannot delete it directly.

Recover a message you unsent by mistake

Once you unsend a message, there is no way to bring it back through Instagram. The message is gone from the conversation permanently. If you need to resend the same information, you will have to type it out again or find the original file if it was a photo or video.

This is why it is worth taking a moment before unsending — think about whether you actually want to remove it. If you unsent something by accident, the fastest solution is to send a new message explaining what you meant to say or resending the content you removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the other person see what message I unsent?

No. They will see a note saying "This message was unsent" or "You unsent a message," but the original text, photo, or video will not be visible. However, if they took a screenshot before you unsent it, they will still have that screenshot.

Does unsending a message delete it from Instagram's servers?

Unsending removes the message from the conversation view for both people, but Instagram's systems may retain data about the message for legal or security reasons. Deleting messages from your phone does not may provide they are completely erased from Instagram's infrastructure.

Can I unsend a message hours or days after I sent it?

You can unsend a message at any time, even days later, as long as you can still see the conversation in your Direct Messages. There is no time limit on unsending. However, if the recipient already screenshotted the message, unsending will not remove their copy.

What if I unsend a message in a group chat — will everyone see it was unsent?

Yes. All members of the group will see that you unsent a message. They will not see the original content, but they will know something was removed. There is no way to unsend a message silently in a group conversation.

Can I delete messages someone else sent to me?

You can delete messages from your own inbox view, but the sender will still see them on their end. To remove a message from your inbox, long-press it and select Delete. This only affects what you see, not what the other person sees.