Credit: MASHABLE: BOB AL-GREENE
Have you ever sent a message to someone accidentally? Or maybe you’ve had a change of heart after sending a message. If it’s a text message, sadly, there’s little you can do. However, if it’s an Instagram DM, there’s hope. You can actually retract Instagram messages. Curious to know how? Let’s dive in.
First off, let’s take a peek at how I flooded a friend’s Insta DMs with random keyboard smashes and a poop emoji. Believe me, that’s not a message I’d typically intend to send. Usually.
Credit: Screenshot: Instagram
No worries, if you find yourself in a situation like me, bombarding your friend with random emojis. You can, in fact, retract an Instagram message.
- 1 min
- Smartphone
- Instagram app
Step 1:
Tap and hold the message you want to unsend. You’ll see two options: copy and unsend. Tap “Unsend.” A pop-up message will appear, asking if you’re sure you want to unsend the message. (Please note, unsending may not be effective if the recipient has already seen the message. You can retract it from their DMs, but not from their memory.)
Credit: SCREENSHOT: INSTAGRAM
Step 2:
Tap “Unsend” in the pop-up. Another message will inform you that the message has been unsent. You might need to unsend it again after the pop-up disappears. Keep in mind, however, that unsent messages may still be included if the conversation is reported—Instagram aims to prevent misuse of message unsending capabilities.
Credit: SCREENSHOT: INSTAGRAM
After your initial interaction, you’ll be able to unsend messages without encountering further pop-ups. Instagram just wants to ensure you understand how the process works.
And voila! With the message unsent, you can see a cleaner version of the chat—free from random blobs of text and a barrage of poop emojis.
Credit: SCREENSHOT: INSTAGRAM
Both messages have been successfully unsent and have disappeared from the thread. That’s essentially all you need to know about retracting messages.
And that concludes the demonstration—emoji-filled mishaps and all.
Topics
Instagram
Social Media
Andy is a fellow on Mashable’s Culture team. He graduated with a B.S. from the University of North Florida in 2018 and moved to New York to pursue journalism in culture and entertainment. He can (and will) talk for too long about Star Wars and movies in general. His fear of stinging insects and 80+ degree weather will keep him inside forever. He wishes he were shorter.
