It has happened to all of us: sending the wrong message to the right person, or sending the right message to the wrong person. Well, did you know you can actually “unsend” messages on Instagram Direct?
You’re upset, cocky, pressed with time, or maybe just incredibly clumsy with your messages. For your information, it happens to the best of us. Who has never sent a message to the wrong person? Or who has never sent a message to someone, and then immediately regretting it? Yes, I thought so.
Don’t panic. The good news is that it is straightforward to “unsend” a message on Instagram Direct. Retracting a message that has been sent, is actually a very straightforward – yet underused – feature on Instagram; mostly because people have no idea it even exists.
To “unsend” a message on Instagram Direct, simply press down on the message in the app. A pop-up menu appears that lets you either “Copy” or “Unsend.” Choosing the later will retract the message from the conversation. It’s like it was never sent. Instagram does warn you, however, that if a user has already seen your message, then it will not erase it from their memory; just from their app.
Yup. What has been seen, cannot be unseen.

Unsend any messages on Instagram Direct, with one tap
Still, this can be a very useful feature, if the recipient has not yet seen your message. Or for when they did see it and would want to use it as proof against you.
You might also like
More from Experts Talk
Does Custom Alt Text Improve Reach On Instagram?
In this month's experiment, we set out to find out whether adding custom alt text on Instagram posts improves reach.
Does Cross-Posting YouTube Links On Other Platforms Result In Lower Reach?
In this month’s social media experiment, we set out to find out whether posting YouTube links on other platforms results …
Do LinkedIn Pods Work? Performance Insights And Key Learnings
In this month’s social media experiment, we set out to find out what LinkedIn pods are and whether they actually …
Instagram Reels: Do Longer Captions Lead To More Engagement?
Do longer Instagram Reels captions generate more engagement? Amanda Wood, Senior Social Marketing Manager at Hootsuite, and her team find …
Does Boosting Instagram Posts Increase Profile Reach And Engagement?
Does boosting your Instagram posts lead to increased profile reach and engagement? This month, Amanda Wood, Senior Social Marketing Manager …
TikTok’s 7-Second Challenge: Performance Insights And Key Learnings
Does TikTok’s 7-second challenge generate more engagement? Hootsuite's Senior Social Marketing Manager and her team seek the answer.
What Is The Best Time To Post On Instagram?
What's the best time to post on Instagram? Hootsuite's Senior Social Marketing Manager, Amanda Wood, and her team seek the …
Shutterstock Reveals Key Color Trends 2022
Shutterstock's Color Trends for 2022 sheds light on global preferences to help marketers catch viewers' attention and align brand messages …