Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Learn more.
How to recover deleted messages from Instagram
In This Article
There’s nothing worse than accidentally deleting an important Instagram message and being unable to find it when you need it.
A quick Google search will take you to Meta’s Help Centre where a support page will tell you that deleted Instagram messages cannot be restored. However, this isn’t entirely true.
There is a very small chance you can recover deleted Instagram messages if you work fast enough. The method in question involves requesting a record of your data including all of your messages. You can then scroll through that file to find the deleted message.
Of course, the best way to ensure that you never lose a message is to follow the steps below at regular intervals – just like you would when backing up a PC. By doing so, you’ll ensure that you always have a somewhat up-to-date copy of your messages on deck. This could be especially helpful if you run a business on Instagram and want to keep track of customer orders and interactions.
However, if you haven’t backed up your data and are currently skimming through your chats desperately searching for that one message, all hope is not lost. Stay on this page to learn how to recover deleted messages on Instagram.
If this method isn’t successful, we recommend scrolling down to the Troubleshooting section of this guide for more advice on how to recover deleted messages and comments on Instagram.
OG Pixel Buds are now half off
Head over to o2 to grab Pixel Buds Pro for £99. That’s half the original £199 asking price. A major bargain on these 2022 buds.
What you’ll need:
The Short Version
How to recover deleted messages from Instagram
Step1
Go toInstagram.comin your browser
This isn’t something that can be done in the Instagram app.
Step2
Sign in to your account
You may already find yourself signed in if you’ve logged into Instagram recently.
Step3
Go to your profile
You can do this by clicking the profile icon in the top-right corner and selecting Profile.
Step4
Click Edit Profile
This option should be right next to your username.
Step5
Click Privacy and Security
This will be on the left side of the screen.
Step6
Scroll down and click Request Download
You can find the link directly under the Data Download heading.
Step7
Click Next to confirm your email address and chosen information format
Stick with HTML if you just want to view your data and not import it into other services.
Step8
Enter your password and click Request Download
Instagram 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.
Step9
Once you receive the email, click Download Information
This will send you back to Instagram. You may need to log in again to verify it’s you.
Step10
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.
Step11
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
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.
You can recover comments immediately after you post delete them by tapping on the red banner that appears when you hit delete.
If you’ve accidentally deleted any posts, reels or stories, you can easily recover them by heading to Settings and Recently Deleted on the iOS or Android app. Just make sure to do so within 30 days for posts and reels, or within 24 hours for stories to ensure you don’t lose them.
You might like…
Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
