Instagram Unsend Message Not Working: How to Fix?
Updated Jun 20, 2023
Instagram, a popular photo and video-sharing social networking service, has piqued curiosity and garnered attention since its inception. Owned by Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook Inc., the app allows users to upload media, apply filters, and organize their content using hashtags and geographical tags. Users have the option to share their posts publicly or restrict them to preapproved followers. The platform enables users to explore other users' content based on tags and locations, view trending posts, like photos, and follow other accounts to personalize their feeds.
Initially, Instagram stood out by enforcing a square (1:1) aspect ratio for images, matching the display width of the iPhone at that time. However, this restriction was relaxed in 2015, allowing for higher-resolution photos up to 1080 pixels. Over time, Instagram introduced additional features such as messaging, the ability to include multiple images or videos in a single post, and the Stories feature, akin to its competitor Snapchat. Stories allow users to share content in a sequential feed, with each post accessible to others for 24 hours. Impressively, as of January 2019, Stories were being used by a staggering 500 million people daily.
Launched in October 2010 for iOS by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Instagram quickly gained popularity. Within two months, it amassed one million registered users, reached 10 million users within a year, and remarkably crossed the milestone of one billion users by June 2018. Recognizing its potential, Facebook Inc. acquired Instagram in April 2012 for approximately US$1 billion.
The Android version of the app was released the same month, followed by a desktop interface with limited features in November 2012, an app for Amazon's Fire OS in June 2014, and a dedicated app for Windows 10 in October 2016. By October 2015, users had uploaded over 40 billion photos, highlighting the immense scale of content on the platform.
While Instagram has experienced widespread success and influence, it has also faced criticism on various fronts. Concerns have been raised regarding its impact on the mental health of teenagers, changes in policies and interface design that have caused user dissatisfaction, allegations of censorship, and instances of illegal or inappropriate content uploaded by users. Despite the criticisms, Instagram continues to captivate and engage a vast global audience with its visual storytelling and social networking capabilities.
Instagram Unsend Message Not Working
The inability to unsend a message on Instagram can be attributed to a couple of reasons. Firstly, if you are experiencing poor or unstable internet connectivity, it can prevent the action of unsending a message from being executed successfully. It is essential to ensure a stable internet connection to utilize this feature effectively.
Additionally, if you have attempted to unsend a large number of messages consecutively, Instagram may temporarily block your access to this feature. This measure is in place to prevent abuse or misuse of the unsending feature.
It is essential to keep these factors in mind when using Instagram's messaging system and to maintain a stable internet connection to maximize the functionality of the platform
How to Unsend Message on Instagram?
To unsend a message on Instagram, follow these step-by-step instructions
-
Open the Instagram app and go to your Direct Messages (DM).
-
Locate the conversation containing the message you want to remove.
-
Long-press on the specific message you wish to unsend. This action will select the message and display additional options.
-
Tap on the "Unsend" option that appears on the screen.
-
The message will be instantly removed from the conversation, and it will no longer be visible to you and the other conversation members.
-
It's important to note that once you unsend a message, it cannot be retrieved, and it will not be visible in the chat history for any of the participants.
Why is Unsend not Working on Instagram?
When you encounter difficulties in unsending messages on Instagram, it could be due to network issues or ongoing bug fixes by Instagram. Occasionally, you may experience situations where you are unable to unsend messages.
However, it is important to note that you can unsend Instagram messages as long as they are not older than 24 hours. If you are within this time frame and facing issues, a simple solution to try is logging out of your Instagram account and then logging back in. This action may help resolve the problem and allow you to successfully unsend the desired messages.
How to Fix Instagram Unsend Message Not Working?
If you're experiencing issues with Instagram's unsend message feature, there are a few steps you can take to fix it. One option is to try downloading Instagram Lite from the Google Play Store. Instagram Lite is a lighter version of the app that may have different functionality.
Alternatively, you can attempt to download an older version of Instagram and see if that resolves the problem. Another option is to access your Instagram account through the instagram.com website and try to unsend the message from there. These different approaches provide alternative ways to address the issue and regain the ability to unsend messages on Instagram.
Fix 1: Download Instagram Lite (Android only)
- Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.
-
Search for "Instagram Lite" in the search bar.
-
Download and install Instagram Lite.
-
Open Instagram Lite and log in to your Instagram account.
-
Open your direct messages and attempt to unsend a message.
Fix 2: Download an older version of Instagram (Android only)
-
Delete the Instagram app from your device.
-
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 containing the message you want to unsend.
-
Tap on the chat bubble to view the message.
-
Tap on the three dots menu and select "Unsend" to remove the message.
Fix 4: Other troubleshooting methods
-
Update Instagram: Open the App Store (for iOS) or Google Play Store (for Android), search for "Instagram," and select "Update" to install the latest version.
-
Force exit and reopen: Swipe up from the bottom of your screen to access the app switcher, navigate to the Instagram card, and swipe it up or to the side to force close it. Then reopen the Instagram app.
-
Clear Instagram's cache: Force exit Instagram, open the Settings app, go to Apps or Applications, find Instagram, tap on it, and select "Storage." From there, choose "Clear Cache" and "Clear Data." Reopen Instagram and try to unsend a message.
-
Log out and log in: Open the Instagram app, go to your profile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select "Settings," scroll down and choose "Log Out." Then log back in to your Instagram account.
-
Uninstall and reinstall: Tap and hold the Instagram app on your device, select "Delete" or "Uninstall," and then reinstall it from the App Store (for iOS) or Google Play Store (for Android).
-
Wait it out: If Instagram is experiencing server-side issues or is temporarily down, you may need to wait for a few hours until the issue is resolved.
Instagram Unsend Message Not Working - FAQs
The unsend message feature on Instagram may not work due to network issues or bugs in the app.
Try logging out and then logging back into your Instagram account. This can sometimes resolve temporary glitches.
Yes, if your internet connection is poor or unstable, it can prevent the unsend message feature from working properly.
Instagram allows you to unsend messages within a certain time limit, usually 24 hours. If the message is older than that, you won't be able to unsend it.
If you've tried all the troubleshooting methods and the problem persists, you can contact Instagram support for further assistance.