In this post, I’m gonna show you how to download direct messages (DMs) on Instagram.
Instagram is the place to share your life with the world. This means that comments and likes are public, but sometimes it’s important to share with just one person.
That’s where Instagram Direct comes in. With this feature, you can send photos, videos, and text to a close friend or a small group of friends.
When you send a message using Instagram Direct, you can choose a recipient or a group of recipients from people who follow you. You can also choose a photo or video from your camera roll or capture something new using the camera on your device.
The message will appear in your recipients’ inboxes, which they can see by tapping the paper airplane icon at the top-right corner of the screen while viewing their feeds. These messages never appear on your profile grid, in feed, or hashtag pages.
Well, let us come to the main point of the article…
Is it possible to download direct messages on Instagram?
Instagram does not provide an option to backup or download direct messages. However, you can request an account data export that contains your direct messages if you need to make a copy of your communications.
Let’s see how to do it step by step.
How to Download Direct Messages on Instagram
Step 1: Open Instagram and log in to your account.
Step 2: Click the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen. This will take you to your profile.
Step 3: Click the settings icon at the top right of the screen. This will open a menu with many options related to how your profile interacts with others, among other things.
Step 4: Click ‘Privacy and Security’ in this menu. This will take you to a page where you can change several privacy-related settings, such as who can see your posts and send you messages, as well as block users.
Step 5: Click ‘Data Download’ near the middle of this page. This will bring up a form for requesting your data from Instagram.
Step 6: Type in an email address under ‘Email’ if you are not already logged in to one on Instagram. This is where Instagram will send the link to download your data once it is collected by their servers.
Step 7: Click ‘Request Download’ at the bottom of this form when ready. This will send off an email with a download link to your inbox which is valid for 48 hours (2 days).
Step 8: Go to your email and tap on the ‘Download data’ and it will save as a Zip file.
Use IG DM Archive Viewer to convert messages.json (downloaded data)
Once you have downloaded data of Instagram direct messages, go to IG DM Archive Viewer and upload the messages.json file (downloaded data) there to convert it into readable format.
IG DM Archive Viewer is a tool that allows you to view your Instagram Direct conversation archive, allowing you to search and see the oldest messages in a DM thread.
Only .json files are accepted. All data processing is done right on your computer. Nobody except for you will be able to see your messages.
Wrapping it up: So, this is how you can download direct messages (DMs) on Instagram.
Maybe you’re looking for a privacy issue and don’t want third parties to see your DMs, or maybe you’re just trying to download your DMs for archival purposes so you can keep them.
Either way, it’s what many people want and unfortunately, the functionality isn’t built-in. If you want your DMs, the only way to get them is to take the above route.
Also read:
- Fix: “Sorry, we couldn’t update your profile picture” on Instagram
- How to recover deleted messages from Instagram
- How to Delete Instagram Messages From Both Sides
