Instagram Direct
Sending and receiving messages
Instagram Direct lets you send messages to one or more people. You can send the following things as a message on Instagram Direct:
- Photos or videos you take or upload from your library
- Text
- Hashtags
To see messages you've sent with Instagram Direct, tap 
When you send a post from feed using Instagram Direct, it'll only be visible to people who can already see it. For example, if you send a post from a private account as a message, only people who follow that account will be able to see it.
Photos or videos sent with Instagram Direct can't be shared through Instagram to other sites like Facebook or Twitter, and won't appear on hashtag and location pages.
From the Instagram app for Android and iPhone or Instagram Lite app for Android:
- When someone you follow sends you a message with Instagram Direct, you can view it by tapping
- If someone you don’t follow sends you a message, it’ll appear as a request in your inbox. To decline or allow the message, swipe left on the message (iPhone) or tap and hold the message (Android) then select Delete or Accept.
- You can also tap Delete All at the bottom of the screen to ignore all requests at one time. When you allow a message request from someone, their future messages will go directly to your inbox.
If you have the latest version of the app, learn how to manage message requests. Learn more about reporting abusive messages.
You can send messages, photos and videos to one or more people on Instagram. Messages won’t appear in Feed, search or your profile.
To send a message in a chat:
- Tap
- Tap
in the top right.
- Select people you'd like to send a message to, then tap Chat.
- Type a message. You can also tap
to take and send a disappearing photo or video, or 
to select a photo or video from your library. - Tap Send.
To message someone you follow, you can also go to their profile and tap Message.
Note: Links you send will appear in the conversation with a preview image. When you send an address or phone number, you can tap it from within the conversation to open your phone’s maps app or make a call.
Keep in mind, Instagram accounts you message may use third party apps or automated services to send messages in chats.
You can send posts you see in feed as a direct message. Messages won't appear in feed, search or your profile.
To send posts you see in feed as a direct message:
- Tap
- Select the person or group (up to 32 people) from the list below or tap Search to search for someone.
- Add an optional message at the bottom, then tap Send.
Note: When you send a private account's post as a message, only people who follow that account will be able to see the post. The person who uploaded the post won't be notified.
When you send a profile as a message, it will show the person's name, username and a preview of some of their photos. To send a profile as a message using Instagram Direct:
- Go to the profile you'd like to send as a message.
- Tap
(iPhone) or
(Android) in the top right, then select Share this Profile.
- Search for and select the person or group you'd like to send the profile to (up to 32 people).
- Tap Send.
Profiles sent using Instagram Direct are only visible to people who can already see them. If you send a private profile as a message, only people who follow the account will be able to see a preview of their photos.
To send a location page as a message using Instagram Direct:
- Above a post, tap the location to go to the location page.
- Tap
- Search for and select the person or group you'd like to send the location to (up to 15 people).
- Tap Send.
When you send a location as a message, it will appear with a preview of posts that include that location. Keep in mind that messages sent using Instagram Direct won't appear on location pages.
To unsend a message you've sent using Instagram Direct:
- Tap
- Select the conversation and go to the message you'd like to unsend.
- Tap and hold on the message.
- Tap Unsend, then tap Unsend to confirm.
Once you unsend a message, it will no longer be visible to people included in the conversation. Keep in mind that the people you sent it to may have already seen your message.
Note that your Data Download file doesn't include messages that you've unsent from your Instagram account.
Yes, you can send a message to anyone when you use Instagram Direct.
Keep in mind:
- If you send a message to someone who doesn’t follow you, it'll appear as a request in their inbox.
- If you send a message to someone who doesn't follow you but has added you to their close friends, your message will go directly to their inbox.
- If someone allows your message request, your future messages will go directly to their inbox.
Keep in mind that you can only send disappearing photos and videos to people who follow you or have already approved messages from you.
Managing your conversations
You can create a new group conversation in Instagram Direct by sending a message to 2 or more people. To create a new group conversation:
- Tap
- Tap
- Select 2 or more people you'd like to send to, then tap Chat.
- Type a message, tap to select a photo or video from your library or tap to take a new one.
- Add optional effects, filters and a caption.
- Select View Once, Allow Replay or Keep in Chat.
- Tap Send.
Once you create a group conversation, you can add a name for it. To name a group conversation, tap the group conversation and then tap Name this group... at the top.
You can rename group conversations of 3 or more people. To rename a group conversation in Instagram Direct:
- Tap
- Tap the group conversation you'd like to rename.
- Tap the group name at the top, then tap it again to edit.
- Enter a new name for the group conversation, and then tap Done.
Keep in mind that people included in the group conversation will be able to see that you've renamed it.
When you mute a group conversation in Instagram Direct, you'll still be included in the conversation but won't get notifications from it. To mute notifications from a group conversation in Instagram Direct:
- Tap
- Tap the group conversation you'd like to mute.
- Tap the group name at the top, then tap next to Mute Messages or Mute Video Chat.
You can add more people to group conversations that already include 3 or more people. To add people to a group conversation in Instagram Direct:
- Tap
- Tap the conversation you'd like to add people to.
- Tap the group name at the top.
- Tap Add People next to Members.
- Search for and select people you'd like to add, and then tap Next (iPhone) or Done (Android).
- Tap Add (iPhone) or Ok (Android).
Learn what people see when you add them to an existing group conversation.
When you leave a group conversation, you won't get messages from the group unless someone adds you back to the conversation. To leave a group message in Instagram Direct:
- Tap
- Tap the group conversation you'd like to leave.
- Tap the group name at the top.
- Scroll down and tap Leave Chat, then tap Leave to confirm.
If you receive unwanted messages, learn how to report a profile for abuse, spam or anything else that doesn't follow our Community Guidelines.
You can report abusive photos, videos and messages that are sent to you on Instagram:
- Open the conversation in the Instagram app.
- Tap and hold the individual message you'd like to report.
- Tap Report.
- Select a reason for why you're reporting the message and then tap Submit Report.
If you'd like to report a post from Feed that was sent to you in a message, you can tap the post and report it. If you want to stop someone from sending you messages or message requests, you can block that person or report their profile.
Instagram reviews up to 30 of the most recent messages sent in reported conversations that involve accounts based in the European Union.