If you’ve ever accidentally deleted an IG direct message, you might be wondering how to see deleted messages on Instagram.
While it’s not a simple process, there are a few potential workarounds, such as Instagram message recovery, third-party apps, or checking your emails.
Curious about these methods? Keep reading to learn more about how to find deleted messages on Instagram!
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What Are Deleted Messages On Instagram?
Deleted messages on Instagram refer to the messages that you or your conversation partner have removed from your chat history on the platform.
These messages may contain text, photos, videos, or other types of media. The question is: Is there a way to see deleted messages on Instagram? Well, once a message is deleted, it is removed from the chat history and cannot be accessed unless saved or backed up elsewhere.
Can You See Deleted Messages on Instagram?
No, you can’t directly view deleted Instagram messages. Once a message is deleted, it’s removed from both the sender’s and recipient’s inboxes. Instagram doesn’t have a built-in feature to recover deleted messages, and the “Recently Deleted” feature only stores removed stories or posts—not messages.
However, there are three workarounds to see and retrieve deleted Instagram messages, which we’ll explore here.
How to See Deleted Messages on Instagram: 3 Easy Methods
Let’s explore how to check deleted messages on Instagram with the following methods:
How To Find Deleted Messages On Instagram Via Data Download?
If you’re looking for the answer to how to look at deleted messages on Instagram without scrolling through your entire chat history, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you:
- Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
- Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner of the screen to open the menu.
- Select ‘Your activity’ from the menu,
- Scroll down to “Data Download” and tap it,
- Enter your email address and tap “Request Download”,
- Select ‘Some of your information’, and check ‘Messages’,,
- Choose where you want to save your data or transfer to,
- Choose your ‘Date range’ and tap on ‘Create files’,
If you chose a transfer destination, go through the next steps,
- Select your Destination,
- Choose between ‘Google Drive’ or ‘Dropbox’ and tap ‘Next’,
- Connect to your ‘Google Drive’ or ‘Dropbox’,
- Choose your Date range and tap on ‘Start Transfer’.
- Once you’ve downloaded your data, open the “Messages” folder and look for the conversation that contained the deleted message,
- Open the conversation and scroll through the messages to find the deleted message.
2. Using Third-party Apps
If you find it challenging to download your data on Instagram and recover deleted messages, you might consider using third-party apps that claim to restore your messages. Here’s how to see deleted Instagram messages using these apps:
Note: Be cautious! Some third-party apps might be fake or harmful and could steal your Instagram login information. Using these apps might also break Instagram’s rules, which could get your account in trouble.
1. How To See Deleted Messages On Instagram with Third-party Apps on iPhone
Here are some steps on how to See Deleted Messages on Instagram on iOS:
- Open the App Store on your iOS device and search for a third-party data recovery app such as EaseUS MobiSaver, Dr. Fone, or iMyFone D-Back.
- Download and install the app of your choice, then launch it on your device.
- Connect your iOS device to your computer, then select the option to recover data from your device.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to select Instagram as the app you want to recover data from, and select the option to recover deleted Instagram messages.
- The app will scan your device for any deleted Instagram messages and display them for you to view and recover.
Potential Issues While Attempting To See Deleted Instagram Messages on iPhone
- If you don’t have the latest version of Instagram installed, you may not be able to see deleted messages
- If the message was deleted a long time ago, it may not be retrievable. Instagram may only save messages for a certain period of time before permanently deleting them.
- If you have a poor internet connection, you may experience delays or errors while trying to view the deleted messages.
- If you’re still unable to see the deleted messages, try restarting the app or restarting your device to see if that helps resolve the issue.
- However, if you’re still unable to retrieve the deleted messages, it’s possible that they are lost for good. Instagram’s policies and systems can be complicated, and sometimes deleted messages may not be recoverable. recently deleted Instagram messages are more likely to be found.
Read more: How to Search Instagram Messages: The Ultimate Guide
2. How to See Deleted Messages on Instagram with Third-party Apps on Android
- Download a data recovery app from the Google Play Store. Some good options include DiskDigger, EaseUS MobiSaver, or Dumpster.
- Install and open the app on your Android device.
- Grant the necessary permissions to the app so that it can scan your device for deleted files.
- Select the type of file you want to recover, in this case, lost photos.
- Scan your device for deleted Instagram messages.
- Once the scan is complete, the app will show you a list of all the deleted Instagram messages that it was able to recover.
- Select the messages you want to recover and save them to your device.
- It’s important to note that the success of this method depends on how long ago the messages were deleted. If the messages were deleted a long time ago or if the messages were overwritten, it may not be possible to recover them. Also, this method may not work if the messages were deleted by the sender or if the account was deleted.
Potential Issues When Seeing Instagram Deleted Messages on Android
While attempting to see deleted messages on Instagram on an Android device, here are some potential issues that you might encounter:
- Recovering deleted messages may not always be successful. The longer the messages have been deleted, the less likely it is that they can be recovered.
- The app you use to recover deleted messages may not be compatible with your Android device, or it may not have the necessary permissions to scan your device.
- Some data recovery apps require you to root your Android device, which can be a complex process that could harm your device if not done correctly.
- Recovering deleted messages may violate Instagram’s terms of use, which could result in your account being suspended or banned.
- If the messages were deleted by the sender or if the account was deleted, it may not be possible to recover them.
- Recovering deleted messages may also require a paid subscription for some data recovery apps.
3. Check Your Email
If you have email notifications turned on for Instagram, you may be able to see deleted messages in your email inbox.
Even if Instagram deletes a direct message, you can still view the message content in your email inbox if you receive an email notification.
It’s important to note that these methods may not always be successful, and there is no guarantee that you will be able to recover deleted messages on Instagram.
Potential Risks of Checking Your Email
While checking your email for deleted Instagram messages is generally safe, be aware that anyone who has access to your email account could potentially see your Instagram notifications. Be sure to keep your email account secure and use strong, unique passwords.
Overall, it’s important to weigh the potential risks and benefits of using other methods to recover deleted Instagram messages. If you’re unsure about the safety of a particular method, it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid it.
Read more: Unsend Message Instagram; How To Delete Or Recover?
Best Practices For Dealing With Deleted Messages On Instagram
I can help you with that. Here are some best practices for dealing with deleted messages on Instagram:
Take a screenshot: If you receive a message that you think might be important, take a screenshot of it right away. That way, if the message is deleted later, you will still have a record of it.
Don’t panic: If a message is deleted, try not to worry too much. It’s possible that the person who sent it simply changed their mind and decided to delete it. If it was an important message, reach out to the person and ask them to resend it.
Check your message requests: Sometimes, deleted messages will end up in your message requests folder. If you don’t see the message in your main inbox, see your Instagram DM requests to find out if it’s there.
Archive your messages: If you don’t want to lose any important messages, consider archiving them. Archived messages can be accessed at any time, even if they’re deleted from your main inbox. All you need to do is to follow the following steps:
- Log in to your Instagram account,
- Go to your ‘direct messages’,
- Go to your chat with your friend or follower,
- Tap on the ‘archive button’ adjacent to the post you want to save,
- Choose a collection to save in or create a new one.
Conclusion
To conclude, if you’re wondering how to see deleted messages on Instagram, requesting a data download is generally the most reliable method. This allows you to specify a specific time range to search for the messages.
However, if you find it challenging, there are also third-party apps available for Android and iPhone that can retrieve old data.
Moreover, if you’ve enabled email notifications for Instagram messages, you may be able to find the deleted messages in your email inbox.
FAQs
Now let’s answer some questions on how to see your deleted messages on Instagram.
1. Can You Still See Messages From a Deleted Instagram Account?
You can delete your Instagram account, but the direct messages you’ve sent will remain available to other users. Your name won’t appear as the message sender; instead, ‘Instagrammer’ will appear, and your profile image will be deleted from the exchange as well.
2. How Do You Find Delete Messages On Instagram?
Some methods make it possible for you to see your deleted messages. You can download your data or use third-party apps to find your deleted messages or simply check your emails if you still get notifications on your email.
3. Are Instagram Messages Deleted Forever?
To put it briefly, an Instagram message is never fully deleted. It disappears from your inbox, but it remains on Instagram’s servers and is marked as deleted. Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple way to verify or retrieve a communication once it has been deleted. However, some methods like requesting data download can be used to recover this deleted information.
4. Can I see a Deleted Message From Someone on Instagram?
Yes. there is one way to see a message if the sender has deleted it. You can go through every message you got from Instagram Notification History, even if the sender has since removed them. Remember that you can only view messages that you have received and not sent and this only works if you have Instagram notifications enabled at the time you got the messages.
5. Is there Any App or Tool that Can Help Me See Deleted Instagram Messages?
As we mentioned in the article, there are some third-party apps and tools that claim to be able to recover deleted Instagram messages. They are able to recover some or all of your deleted messages. However, keep in mind that some of these apps can be scams and unable to recover your data.
6. How Can I Prevent Accidentally Deleting Important Instagram Messages?
To avoid accidentally deleting important Instagram messages, try to be careful when navigating the app and double-check before deleting anything. You can also consider using the “archive” feature to save messages instead of deleting them.