Your Quick Answer:
If you want to delete Instagram messages from both sides, yes you can do this. But the twist is, that you can only delete those messages during a conversation that you have to send to another person. You cannot delete the messages that others have sent you.
To delete/unsend the messages on Instagram, open your Instagram account on the app or web, and click on the ‘Direct Message’ icon, which looks like an airplane symbol, given on the top right corner of the app home screen.
On the direct message tab, you will find all the chats you had with your friends. Open the message you want to delete and tap & hold that particular message for 3 seconds.
An options menu will pop up on the screen at the bottom. From there, select > “Unsend” and that message will disappear, and get deleted instantly from both sides.
On Instagram, there are no such options called ‘Delete’ messages or chat, rather there is an option called ‘Unsend’ messages.
You can unsend the message and it would not appear in the conversation. It will disappear from both sides.
There are similar options for PC to delete messages from both sides. You can also try some apps to delete Instagram messages.
How To Delete Instagram Messages From Both Sides:
Instagram has launched a very interesting feature to ‘unsend’ the sent messages to anyone. You can unsend the message anytime, even after weeks and months after sending it. Once you will unsend the message, it will no longer be visible to the other person. After unsending the message, it gets deleted from the conversation and disappears from both sides. Even if the other person has already seen it, you can unsend it.
Now let us see how to unsend the message or delete the Instagram conversation from both sides. Follow the steps:
Step 1: Open your direct message
To begin with, open the Instagram app on your device and log in to your account. When you will enter your account, on the home screen, towards the top right corner of the screen, you will see an airplane-like icon. That icon is of the “Direct Message”. Tap on it and go to the ‘Direct Message’ tab.

On the Direct Message tab, you will find all the chats and people with who you have chatted. Now, open the chat and the message you want to unsend/delete from both sides.
Step 2: Tap & hold the message for 3 seconds
Next you have to do is, tap and hold the message for 3 seconds that you want to delete from both sides.

When you hold the message for 3 seconds, some option will pop on the screen in the bottom portion. There you will get the option to unsend the message.

Step 3: Tap on “Unsend”
From the appeared option at the bottom, tap on > the “Unsend” button. And, the next moment the message will disappear. The message will get deleted from both sides and then you won’t see that message ever again.

This is how you delete or unsend the message on Instagram from both sides.
How Long do Instagram Direct Messages Last:
The Instagram direct messages last forever, till the time you delete them. Even after years of having that message, it will be there on your direct message list. Only if you will delete your Instagram account, then after 30 days of deleting, the direct message will get deleted automatically, forever. Except for deleting your account, it will delete when you will delete it voluntarily.
In short, the Instagram direct message lasts forever and gets deleted automatically, only if you delete your Instagram account.
What is Instagram’s Unsend Message option:
You people might have noticed that Instagram does not have a ‘Delete Message’ or ‘Delete conversation option on its system. Rather, it has an option, called “Unsend”. The ‘unsend’ message option that Instagram has launched recently, is next to amazing and users are loving it like anything.
The best part about the ‘unsend’ message is, that it does not leave any traces behind. That means no notification is sent to the other person in the conversation regarding the unsend message. So, if you have sent a message and a few minutes later you felt like you do not want to send that message, you can delete it and the person won’t even come to know about that unless he/she has already seen it.
Another best fact about unsend messages or say deleting messages is that you can delete/unsend a particular message anytime, anywhere, even after months and weeks after sending it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. When you delete a DM on Instagram does it delete for the other person?
Yes, the message gets deleted for both sides when you delete a direct message. However, you can only delete or unsend the direct messages that you have typed and send. You cannot delete the direct message that another person in the conversation has sent you.
Instagram has an amazing feature that allows its users to delete/unsend the sent messages any time after sending them. But the only thing is you can delete your message, not the one that another person has sent you. Thus, when you delete a direct message on Instagram, only your send messages can be deleted from both sides.
2. Can the other person delete your Instagram messages?
No. Another person in the conversation cannot delete the Instagram direct messages that you have sent. He/she can only delete/unsends the messages that they have sent and it will get deleted from your side as well. But, your send messages, only you can delete them. No one other than you can delete your messages.
3. If you delete the Instagram app, would it delete the messages?
No. Deleting the Instagram app will not affect your messages, chats, and other things. It will be intact there on your account. When you will reinstall the app or log in on the desktop, you will get all the messages, posts, etc., there themselves. However, if you will delete the Instagram account, then, after 30 days your messages will be deleted automatically. So, you can freely delete the app. It would not delete the direct messages.
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