If you have accidentally deleted important Instagram messages and searching for ways to get them back, this post is carefully created for you. Here, we will explain how to recover deleted Instagram messages and if restoring the deleted chats on the IG app/ website is possible.
There can be various reasons why one needs to recover deleted Instagram messages. It may be due to find some key information or detail from the whole conversation, or it might be to rejuvenate your memories. Regardless of the reason, we’ll try to help you to restore the deleted messages on Instagram.
Is It Possible To Recover Deleted Instagram Messages?
The answer to this question is both a yes and a no. This is because there is a common method to recover deleted Instagram messages. However, it doesn’t have a 100% success rate. Some users can restore the deleted chats using the method, while others fail.
On its official support forum, Instagram states, “Keep in mind that deleted messages on Instagram cannot be restored.” Although you can recover photos, videos, reels, videos, and Instagram stories, you’ve deleted. If your messages aren’t that important, you can give up and accept that they are gone.
Since you have read this post to this point, we believe that your Instagram messages were very crucial, and you want them back, so we are presenting the only method you can try. This method is known to recover deleted messages within the past 24 hours. But it won’t work for older messages.
How To Recover Deleted Instagram Messages?
Instagram’s feature lets users download their profile data, including posts, stories, comments, and messages. Recovering deleted Instagram messages involves downloading this data, accessing it, and then finding the chats.
However, Instagram takes around 48 hours to process your request to send the whole data saved on its servers. We’d recommend bookmarking this page while you follow the steps mentioned below. Also, follow the steps very carefully to have the highest chance of getting the gone messages back.
Important: You need the follow the steps mentioned below on the Instagram website in a browser such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc, and not in the Instagram mobile app.
Step 1- Request Your Instagram Data:
The first step in the procedure is to request Instagram for your profile data. And when they process your request (which takes around 48 hours), download it to your device. Follow the step-wise instructions shared below:
- Visit Instagram.com (opens in a new tab) and sign in to your account.
- Now go to your profile from the top right corner and click “Edit Profile.”
- Next, click on “Privacy and Security” from the left pane.
- Next, scroll down to find “Data Download” and click “Request Download” just below it.
- Instagram will then ask for your email address, enter it. You must also choose the file format you want the data in and select “HTML.” You can also select JSON here if you know about the format enough.
- After clicking “Next,” you must verify your identity by entering the password and clicking “Request Download.”
You need to take a break as Instagram takes around 48 hours to send you the link to your profile data in your email. Sometimes, the email may arrive within the first 24 hours; other times, it will take over 36 hours to arrive.
Step 2- Download Your Instagram Data:
Keep checking your inbox for the email by Instagram. Once it arrives, follow the instructions available below:
- Open the email that Instagram has sent you. It’ll have the subject “Your Instagram Information.”
- Go through it and click the “Download Information” button.
- The link will redirect you to Instagram to download the data.
- Enter your username and password, then click “Log in.”
- Finally, click on “Download Information.”
Remember that your Instagram data will have a significant size depending on the age of your account. Ensure you have enough storage to download it and are connected using a faster network connection.
You should also know that the link Instagram sends you to download the data expires in four days. So, if you have found the email, download the data immediately.
Step-3: Access The Data & Find Deleted IG Messages
Once you have downloaded your Instagram data, finding the deleted messages begins. Follow the instructions shared below:
- The data that you have downloaded will be in a compressed file format. Use an unzipper to Unzip the downloaded folder at a desired location.
- After extracting the files, find and go to the Messages-> Inbox -> [Name of the User] and then click on the “Message.html” file.
- The opened HTML file will display all the sent and received messages sent to any particular user.
- If you have downloaded the data in the JSON file format, you need to find and open the file named messages.json using a text editor. Right-click on it, select “Open with…” and select the tool (preferably Notepad).
- After that, you can view all the messages stored on Instagram services in JSON format.
You can now go through the messages and recover the deleted Instagram texts. Just copy and paste the messages somewhere else, or you can also take screenshots or screen captures. However, this method doesn’t assure that you will be able to find the deleted texts, as they might’ve been deleted from the Instagram servers as well.
Can Third-Party Tools Recover Deleted Instagram Messages?
When you start looking up ways to recover deleted Instagram messages, you’ll meet several third-party tools claiming to help you restore the chats. However, most tools don’t work when recovering deleted Instagram messages.
Many tools try recovering the deleted messages from the cache present on your device. However, Android devices keep clearing the cache from time to time. Hence, the tools often fail to bring back any gone conversations. The chances are best if you have given an app access to your notifications.
If that’s the case, the cache from your notifications, including Instagram messages, will be stored on the device. So, the third-party tools can process it and find the deleted chats. However, the method won’t be useful as there are few chances you can search for the messages you were looking for.
We will not recommend trying out many third-party tools to recover deleted Instagram messages as they won’t work. You should not pay for expensive subscriptions claiming to help you get back the conversations. Your best bet is to try the abovementioned method and hope to find the messages.
Can You Recover Deleted Instagram Messages Within The App?
No, you can’t recover deleted Instagram messages within the app. Once you delete a message or the whole conversation with any particular Instagram user, there is no way to return it. It is gone forever. Instagram doesn’t provide an “undo” button to return deleted messages/ chats.
The same goes for the Instagram website. If you accidentally or unknowingly delete some messages and want them back later, that is impossible. However, you can try the method to recover deleted Instagram messages shared above. You might be able to restore the deleted conversations depending on your luck.
Frequently Asked Questions:
A: No, it’s not possible to recover deleted Instagram messages. However, some users claim to find deleted messages in their Instagram profile data. So, you can try the method shared above to see if you can get back the deleted messages.
A: You can’t restore Instagram DM if you have deleted the conversation for any user. Instagram doesn’t have an undo button for the delete action on the app or website.
A: Instagram Data is the updated version of your profile information and content stored on the servers. So, there is little to no chance it will contain deleted Instagram messages. You will only find the data that is already present on your profile.
A: No, third-party tools can’t help you to recover deleted Instagram messages. Once a message or a conversation is deleted on Instagram, it’s gone forever, and you can’t bring it back.
Final Words:
Accidentally losing important Instagram messages can be painful. The agony increases when you realize there isn’t an efficient method to return them. However, you can try the general solution of asking the other person to give you the messages deleted from your end. They might still have them.
Although this only works when the two of you are on good terms. If the deleted messages are from a group chat on Instagram, you can ask other group members to forward the specific messages as they can still view them. This is the only sure-shot way of getting back the messages that you have deleted.
That’s all for this guide. Feel free to ask your questions related to the topic in the comments. We’ll be glad to help you more.
This is Saquib, a technology and social media expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. With a passion for staying up-to-date on the latest developments and trends in the tech and social media world and as a writer, I have been creating informative and engaging content that is easy for readers to understand and enjoy, also published in several leading tech and social media publications and is a regular speaker at industry events. In addition to my writing and speaking engagements, I also work as a consultant, helping businesses grow with the ever-changing tech and social media niche.
