It’s always frustrating when you accidentally delete an Instagram message or an entire chat, especially if it contains important information such as meet-up details.
Fortunately, Instagram allows you to recover deleted messages. We’ve created this guide to show you how to do so, while including photos to help you through the process.
It’s important to know that this method doesn’t guarantee 100% success, so don’t get your hopes up too much about recovering your lost messages. We’d recommend backing up your data frequently to avoid this issue.
But if your messages have already been deleted, then follow our steps below to try and bring them back from the dead.
What you’ll need:
An Instagram account Up to 48 hours for your request to process
The Short Version
Log into Instagram in your browserGo to your Privacy and Security settings Scroll down to Data Download and hit Request Download Confirm your details and wait for an email Click the download link to download your data Open the file and check the Messages folder
How to recover deleted messages from InstagramThis isn’t something that can be done in the Instagram app. Step 2 Sign in to your account You may already find yourself signed in if you’ve logged into Instagram recently. Step 3 Go to your profile You can do this by clicking the profile icon in the top-right corner and selecting Profile. Step 4 Click Edit Profile This option should be right next to your username. Step 5 Click Privacy and Security This will be on the left side of the screen. Step 6 You can find the link directly under the Data Download heading. Step 7 Click Next to confirm your email address and chosen information formatStick with HTML if you just want to view your data and not import it into other services. Step 8 Enter your password and click Request DownloadInstagram warns it could take up to 48 hours for you to receive a link in your email inbox, though ours took an hour and a half. Step 9 Once you receive the email, click Download InformationThis will send you back to Instagram. You may need to log in again to verify it’s you. Step 10 Click Download Information The link will be available for up to two weeks, so be sure to download it before that time period is up or you’ll need to request a new link. Step 11 Head to the Messages folder to see an archive of your chats! It’s important to note that this folder will only contain the information that is stored on Instagram’s servers, so you might not find everything you’re looking for.
Troubleshooting
What if this doesn’t work? If Instagram can’t retrieve your deleted messages from its servers, you can try using a third-party app to find them for you. Just make sure you use an app that you trust and bear in mind that this may not work either. The best way to recover deleted Instagram messages is to keep a regular backup of all your data using the method above. How to recover deleted messages from a friend If you’re chatting with a friend, you can always just ask them to forward the message to you as it should still be viewable on their end. This works well if you’ve made plans and have deleted the message stating when or where you’re meeting. Can I recover deleted comments on Instagram? You can recover comments immediately after you post delete them by tapping on the red banner that appears when you hit delete.
