How to Use Instagrams Data Download to Recover loose Messages (Even the strange Ones You Forgot You Sent)
So youve drifting your Instagram messages, huh? Whether it was a late-night confession, a client DM, or maybe that pass convo similar to your ex you hurt you didnt care aboutuntil nowdont panic. You might be accomplished to acquire them back. Yep, Instagrams Data Download feature is your other BFF (even though it’s kinda maddening to use sometimes). Lets break this gather together concern down.
Okay, first of allwhy does this even happen?
Instagram messages vanish. They do. You delete them on impulse. The app glitches. Or most likely your account got hacked (happened to me in 2022long story, Ill notify in a sec). But heres the thing: even if those DMs are in the manner of from your app, they might yet be chilling in the background. And no, Instagram doesnt create it obvious.
But theres this neat little trick called Instagrams Data Download Tool. Technically expected for transparency, but honestly? It’s a sneaky quirk to dig going on your own digital dirt. Recover outdated DMs, pics, videos… even stuff you think you never posted.
Lets dive in. Like, properly. None of that generic go to settings fluff.

WaitBack Up. Can You Actually Recover Deleted Instagram Messages?
Well… yes and no.
If you until the end of time deleted the convo on both ends, it’s probably gone. Like, in fact vanished into the Meta void. But sometimes? Sometimes it’s just hiding. maybe it’s archived in the data Instagram stores for security or policy reasons. (Yeah, sure.)
Instagram doesnt advertise this, but the Data Download archive has recovered messages for a bunch of people. Me included.

That period My DMs Vanished for No Reason
Real quick story.
Back in upfront 2022, I was function a giveaway upon my small coffee biz account (@brewwitchcoffee, shameless plug). I was DM-ing winners, sponsors, and influencers. unexpectedly one dayhalf the DMs were just… gone.
At first, I thought I accidentally unsent them. later I suspected a weird app update. Turned out, Instagram just floating them. No explanation. No fix.
So I tried the Data Download thing, mostly out of desperation. And boomthere they were. Not all, but like, 80% of the messages came back in a dusty-looking JSON file.
Lets acquire you there.

Step-by-Step: how to recover deleted messages on instagram to Use Instagrams Data Download to Recover purposeless Messages

1. Head to Your Settings

Open Instagram > tap your profile > three lines summit right > Your activity > scroll alongside > tap Download your information.

Youll see something like:
Download a copy of your information.

1. Input Your Email

Put in the email you want the file sent to. You cant choose which parts of your data to downloadInstagram sends everything. Like, everything. Prepare for a giant ZIP file.

1. choose the Format (HTML or JSON)

Pro tip? choose JSON. Its messy, yes, but more complete. You can entre it afterward a text editor or upload it into some online JSON viewer. (Try jsonformatter.org or just use Notepad++.)

1. Wait (This share Sucks)

It takes time. Like, hours or even a day. Youll get an email past a download link. It expires after 4 days, fittingly dont snooze.

1. Download and Unzip

Once you acquire the link, download and unzip it. Inside, youll locate folders like:

messages

media

profile

ads_and_interests (cringe)

Go to the messages folder. Inside that? see for inbox.json or sometimes just messages.json. And yep, its ugly. But your at a loose end DMs are in theretimestamps, usernames, even emojis.

Real Talk: Reading the JSON Files
Okay, this parts gonna get messy. Youll entry this giant chunk of text, and it’s like:
jsonCopyEdit
{} “conversation”: [
{} {} {}
{} {} {} {} {} “sender”: “thatcoolbarista88”,
{} {} {} {} {} “message”: “Thanks for the coupon code “,
{} {} {} {} {} “timestamp”: “1629982938732”
{} {} {}
{} ]

It’s readable but tedious. If youre looking for a convo in the manner of a specific person, use Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F for Mac) and search their username.
Also… fair warning: you might arrive across things you no question forgot. (I found some embarrassing 2019 messages Im still cringing about.)

Gotchas & weird Stuff

Group chats: Sometimes intervention DMs affect up subsequently weird labels gone thread-3. Just admittance them and skim.

Old voice notes: Theyre usually not saved unless the further person sent them.

Unsent messages? Nope. If you unsent a message, it wont be there. But if they unsent it? It might nevertheless linger. (Creepy, right?)

Images: Linked, not embedded. thus unless you saved them, they might be gone.

Cool Trick: Converting JSON to tidy talk View
If you desire to make the messages less ugly, there are tools. try a JSON-to-CSV converter, then import into Excel or Google Sheets. Makes it easier to entry once a chat log.
Or… and this is shady… I subsequently paid a guy upon Fiverr to perspective it into talk bubbles for me. unconditionally unnecessary. But it looked cool.

What If It Doesnt Work?
Sometimes? It doesnt. Instagrams weird. If the messages arent in the data file, theyre likely bearing in mind for good.
Also, Instagram started lightly redacting sure deleted convos since 2023. No ascribed statement, just what Ive seen from personal use. (Yeah, conspiracy hats on.)
So dont get your hopes too high, but utterly try.

Tips to Avoid Losing Messages Again

Screenshot important convos (yeah, I know its messy).

Use a third-party backup toolsome are shady, but some in the manner of AirDroid Parental rule are actually legit.

Dont rely upon Instagram for mission-critical stuff. Honestly, they dont care if your brand concurrence details vanish. Backup everything.

Final Thought (Kinda Ranty)
Honestly, its wild that Meta doesnt have enough money us an easier artifice to recover deleted messages. Like, why hide this in a zip file and make us decode it afterward were upon CSI: Social Media Edition?
But heyuntil they repair that (lol, never), the Data Download trick is your best shot.
Its not perfect. Its clunky. Half the time, it looks when gibberish.
But next you find that one message? That directionless hey from someone you havent talked to in years? Worth it.
Go dig up your digital past. Just most likely dont open it every at once. Some things are greater than before left forgotten or at least blurred out in the manner of selective memory.
Good luck, become old traveler.