Instagram Direct Messages (DMs) enable users to chat with friends through text, photos, and more.
It offers ways to express yourself, like message effects, custom reactions, stickers, gifs, and polls.
You can also unsend messages you’ve sent in a chat to delete them from both sides.
However, some users reported that the “Unsend” option is missing when they tap and hold a message.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix Instagram unsend message not working on Instagram and why can’t you unsend a message.
Why can’t I unsend a message on Instagram?
You can’t unsend a message on Instagram because your internet connection is poor or unstable.
If you unsent too many messages at one go, you may be temporarily blocked from using the feature.
The duration of the block ranges from a few minutes to a few hours.
In other cases, the feature might be bugged or glitched due to a recent update or Instagram is down.
How to fix Instagram unsend message not working
To fix Instagram unsend message not working, try downloading Instagram Lite from the Google Play Store.
Alternatively, you can try downloading an older version of Instagram (APK) or unsending the message on instagram.com.
Fix 1: Download Instagram Lite (Android only)
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Search for “Instagram Lite”.
- Download Instagram Lite.
- Open Instagram Lite.
- Log in to your Instagram account.
- Open your direct messages and try to unsend a message.
Fix 2: Download an older version of Instagram (Android only)
- Delete the Instagram app from your device.
- Go to https://instagram.en.uptodown.com/android.
- Select “Older versions” and install an older version of Instagram.
- Open your direct messages and try to unsend a message.
Fix 3: Unsend the message on instagram.com
- Go to instagram.com on a desktop or mobile browser.
- Log in to your Instagram account and open your direct messages.
- Open the chat and tap on the chat bubble.
- Tap on the three dots and tap on “Unsend”.
Fix 4: Other troubleshooting methods
If you still can’t unsend a message on Instagram, try these troubleshooting methods:
- Update Instagram: Open the App Store/Google Play Store, search for “Instagram”, and select “Update”.
- Force exit and reopen: Swipe up from the bottom of your screen, navigate to the Instagram card, and swipe up.
- Clear Instagram’s cache: Force exit Instagram > open the Settings app > Apps > Instagram > Storage > Clear Cache > Clear Data > re-open Instagram.
- Log out and log in: Open the Instagram app > Profile > Menu > Settings > Log out > Log back in.
- Uninstall and reinstall: Tap and hold the Instagram app, delete it, and reinstall it from the App Store or Google Play Store.
- Wait it out: If Instagram is down, you need to wait for a few hours for the server-side issue(s) to be fixed.
Further reading
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