How To Delete Instagram Messages

It’s easy to forget the mundane messages you send on Instagram. While not every conversation is memorable, it might be necessary to delete certain conversations for various reasons.

If you’ve found yourself wanting to delete messages on Instagram, but aren’t sure how, this guide will show you step-by-step instructions so that you can easily manage your conversations – no tech experience required!

Keep reading to learn how to clean up your inbox without fuss.

How To Delete Individual Messages On Instagram For iOS

Before we look at deleting entire conversations, let’s start with deleting individual messages on iOS (i.e. your iPhone).

Step 1: Launch The Instagram App

You need to click on the Instagram app icon and start it up.

Instagram App Icon

Step 2: Click On The Instagram DM Icon

You’ll see the Instagram DM icon in the top right corner of your screen. Tap that to open your inbox.

Select The Dm Icon On Instagram On Ios

Step 3: Select An Instagram Chat

Once in the DMs section, you can see all the people you’ve messaged with on Instagram.

Here you select one chat and click on it.

Select The Instagram Chat You Want To Open

Step 4: Find And Select A Message You Want To Delete

Tap and hold that message, and from the options that pop up on the screen, select “Unsend.”

Select Unsend To Delete The Ig Message

Note: You can only delete/unsend messages that you have sent.

How To Delete Individual Messages On Instagram On Android

Now that we’ve established how to delete single messages on iOS, let’s cover how to do the same on an Android device.

Step 1: Launch The Instagram App

Again, here you need to start off by opening the Instagram app.

Select The Instagram App

Step 2: Click On The Instagram DM Icon

You’ll see the Instagram DM icon in the top right corner of your screen. Tap that to open your inbox.

Select The Instagram Dm Icon On Android

Step 3: Select An Instagram Chat

Once in the DMs section, you can see all the people you’ve messaged with on Instagram.

Here you select one chat and click on it.

Select The Instagram Chat You Want To Open

Step 4: Find And Select A Message You Want To Delete

Tap and hold that message, and from the options that pop up on the screen, select “Unsend message.”

Select Unsend Message From The Options

Note: You can only delete/unsend messages that you have sent.

How To Delete Individual Instagram Messages On PC

If you happen to be using Instagram from a PC/Desktop device (regardless of the operating system), you can also delete individual messages.

This is how.

Step 1: Open Instagram On Your Computer

The first thing to do is to open a web browser (like Chrome), type the URL www.instagram.com in the URL bar, and press enter.

The Instagram Url On A Chrome Browser On Macos

Step 2: Click On Messages

In the menu on the left, you’ll see the “Messages” option.

Click it, and you should get to the Inbox section of Instagram.

Select Messages On Instagram From Desktop

Step 3: Select An Instagram Chat

Once in the DMs section, you can see all the people you’ve messaged with on Instagram.

Here you simply select one chat and click on it.

Select The Instagram Chat Where You Want To Delete A Message

Step 4: Find And Select A Message You Want To Delete

Hover your mouse’s cursor over the message, and click on the three dots that appear on the left.

Select The 3 Dots Icon To The Left Of The Instagram Message

From the options that appear, select “Unsend.”

Select Unsend To Delete An Instagram Message

Note: You can only delete/unsend messages that you have sent.

How To Delete An Entire Conversation On Instagram

If you want to delete a whole conversation and not just an individual message, you can do that too.

Remember that deleting an entire conversation will only delete it for you, not the recipient.

The process to remove the entire conversation is similar across all devices, with some nuances depending on the operating system you’re using.

Let’s start with iOS.

How To Delete Instagram Chats On iOS

Step 1: Launch The Instagram App

First, you must click on the Instagram app icon and start it up.

Instagram App Icon

Step 2: Click On The Instagram DM Icon

You’ll see the Instagram DM icon in the top right corner of your screen. Tap that to open your inbox.

Select The Dm Icon On Instagram On Ios

Step 3: Swipe The Desired Chat To The Left

Select the Instagram chat you want to delete by swiping to the left.

Step 4: Select More And Then Tap Delete

Once you swipe left, you’ll see options; select “More.”

Select More To Find The Delete Chat Option

Then select “Delete” from the options that appear at the bottom of the screen.

Select The Delete Option To Remove The Instagram Chat

How To Delete Instagram Chats On Android

Deleting an entire Instagram chat on Android is similar, albeit with a few slightly different steps.

Step 1: Launch The Instagram App

First, you must click on the Instagram app icon and start it up.

Select The Instagram App

Step 2: Click On The Instagram DM Icon

You’ll see the Instagram DM icon in the top right corner of your screen. Tap that to open your inbox.

Select The Instagram Dm Icon On Android

Step 3: Tap And Hold The Desired Chat

Select the Instagram chat you want to delete by tapping and holding.

Step 4: Select Delete

After tapping and holding, a menu will appear at the bottom. Select “Delete” from this menu to delete the entire chat.

Select The Delete Option In Order To Delete The Entire Instagram Message Chat

How To Delete Entire Instagram Chats On PC

If you happen to be using Instagram from a PC/Desktop device (regardless of the operating system), you can also delete entire Instagram chats.

This is how.

Step 1: Open Instagram On Your Computer

The first thing to do is to open a web browser (like Chrome), type the URL www.instagram.com in the URL bar, and press enter.

The Instagram Url On A Chrome Browser On Macos

Step 2: Click On Messages

In the menu on the left, you’ll see the “Messages” option.

Click it, and you should get to the Inbox section of Instagram.

Select Messages On Instagram From Desktop

Step 3: Select An Instagram Chat

Once in the DMs section, you can see all the people you’ve messaged with on Instagram.

Here you simply select one chat and click on it.

Select The Instagram Chat That You Want To Delete

Step 4: Open The Instagram Chat Info

In the top right corner, select the Info icon (an “i” icon); this will open the information tab for the chat.

Select The I Icon To Open Up The Instagram Chat Settings On Desktop

Step 5: Tap Delete Chat

From the options that appear, select “Delete Chat.”

Select Delete Chat From The Chat Details To Remove The Instagram Chat

For one reason or another, we may send messages we don’t want to.

So knowing how to delete a message or an entire conversation could be handy.

Remember that the messages may not be deleted for the recipient if they’ve already seen or even screenshotted it.

David Woutersen

Article by

David Woutersen

David is the founder of Outofthe925.com and has been in the social media industry since 2017. Since then, his mission has been to help others take control of their online presence. For some, this has been earning an income online; for others, it's teaching how to use social networks more effectively. And each year, he continues to help millions with strategy, troubleshooting, and inspiration.

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