It’s easy to make a hasty decision to delete something on Instagram.
But whether you hit the delete button on a whim or carefully considered the decision over a week, you might realize it was a mistake.
Retrieving deleted posts on Instagram is easy with the archive feature, but recovering old chats is a different story — the solution is a little more complex. Read on to learn how to see deleted messages on Instagram.
Can you recover deleted messages using Instagram’s “Recently Deleted” feature?
Even if you’re an avid social media user, you may not have heard of Instagram’s “Recently Deleted” feature.
Users can retrieve their own deleted Instagram stories for up to 24 hours and deleted profile posts, reels, and videos for up to 30 days. But unfortunately, it doesn’t do the same for chats or individual messages. To retrieve deleted messages on Instagram, you’ll need to use an Insta recovery tool or another workaround.
How to retrieve deleted messages on Instagram in 3 ways
Whether you deleted a message by accident or just without thinking, you want your message back from the internet void. It might seem hopeless, but there are a few things you can do, depending on what kind of phone you have and whether you’re willing to download a third-party app. Here are three methods to try:
1. Recover messages from Instagram Data
Even if your messages are no longer in your direct message center and all hope seems lost, Instagram’s servers may still have them saved. To access this data, you can send a download request to Meta. This method should work for both iPhone and Android. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Instagram app
- Visit your profile page and click on the top-right settings menu
- Select “Your activity”
- Scroll to the bottom and click on “Download your information”
- Press “Request a download”
Meta will then send you a file of everything you’ve ever done on Instagram, from posts to messages. When you receive your file, you’ll have four days to download it. Although your messages won’t return to the DM chat box they came from, this is a great way to retrieve data if you want to reference an old message.
2. Use a third-party app to recover deleted messages
Third-party apps such as U.Fone and FoneLab can retrieve deleted data by accessing the cache files on your iOS or Android device – the sneaky Instagram backup you didn’t know you had.
These apps can recover deleted messages on Instagram, as well as files, texts, and audio. Both U.Fone and FoneLab have simple user interfaces and easy-to-follow instructions that guide you through recovering the specific data you’re searching for.
Although using third-party software is a common way to access old data, it’s best to do your own research before downloading and using any apps. Hackers sometimes create custom applications enticing users to download their software unwittingly, which means they could gain access to your personal data and use it without your knowledge.
Stay alert and cross-reference numerous sources before downloading any new applications onto your device (or offering up your account information).
3. Try Notification History on Android
Viewing Notification History may work to retrieve deleted messages for users operating with Android 11 and above. If you had Instagram notifications and Notification History enabled on your device before you deleted your messages, you can follow these steps:
- Go to your settings
- Click on “Notifications” and then select “Advanced settings”
- Select “Notification History”
In Notification History, you can review all original messages received from Instagram, even if the sender has since deleted them. Just keep in mind that this only works if you had Instagram notifications turned on when you received the messages, and you can only see ones you received, not sent.
)
