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Instagram has separate tools for sending a message without a normal notification and making new messages temporary. Start a DM with @silent to quiet the notification; use disappearing messages (also called Vanish Mode) for temporary text, or choose a temporary viewing option for a photo or video. Use the iPhone, iPad, or Android app for the full set of features. None of these options guarantees that the recipient cannot save or copy what they see.
Send a silent Instagram DM with @silent
- Open Instagram and tap Messages.
- Open a conversation or start a new one.
- At the beginning of the message field, type
@and select the silent shortcut if it appears. You can also type@silentdirectly. - Continue with your message, then send it normally.
For example: @silent I’ll send the details tomorrow morning. Meta introduced @silent to send a DM without notifying friends in the usual way. The recipient can still find and read the message in the conversation when they open Instagram. Silent does not mean anonymous, automatically deleted, or hidden from the chat. Notification behavior can vary with Instagram’s interface and the recipient’s settings. Meta’s announcement of silent messages explains the feature’s intended behavior.
If the silent shortcut does not appear
Update Instagram, type @ manually and wait for suggestions, and try the command at the very start of the message with no space between @ and silent. Test another ordinary conversation, then close and reopen the app. The shortcut may not be available on every account or in every conversation; there is no setting that guarantees you can enable it. If it remains unavailable, use your own notification settings or another contact method rather than assuming the message will be silent.
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Send disappearing text messages
In the Instagram mobile app, open the chat and swipe up from the bottom of the conversation, starting just above the message field. Release when the app indicates that disappearing messages or Vanish Mode is on, and accept an explanatory prompt if one appears. Look for the mode notice in the chat. If a Change control or timer appears, tap it and choose among the options shown on your account. Documented choices include Once they’re seen, 24 hours, and 7 days; labels and availability can vary by account, region, device, app version, and rollout.
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Send messages normally while the mode is active. The selected setting applies to new messages and reactions sent in that mode; do not assume it converts the entire older conversation into temporary messages. The point at which new content disappears depends on the timer displayed in your chat. To turn the mode off, swipe up from the bottom of the chat again and check that the notice is gone and the conversation has returned to its ordinary appearance. This is a chat-level control, not necessarily an account-wide setting. See Instagram’s Vanish Mode help page for its official guidance.
Send a disappearing photo or video
- Open an eligible conversation in the mobile app.
- Tap the camera control or the camera/media button beside the message field.
- Take a photo or video, or follow the media-selection flow the app presents.
- Before sending, find the temporary-viewing control. Depending on the interface, it may appear as a viewing option or an icon.
- Choose an available option such as View once, Allow replay, or Keep in chat, then send.
These choices apply to that item, not to every text message in the conversation. A photo or video sent through the ordinary media workflow may remain in the chat. Instagram says disappearing photos and videos are available in its Android, iPhone, and iPad apps, not on computers; see its help page on disappearing photos and videos. Instagram also says you can send this temporary media only to people who follow you or have already approved your message. If you are still in a message request, the option may not be available until the recipient accepts; see Instagram’s eligibility guidance.
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Which option should you use?
| Your goal | Tool | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid a normal notification for an ordinary DM | @silent |
Notification behavior; the message remains in the chat. |
| Make new text and reactions temporary | Disappearing messages / Vanish Mode | Retention of content sent while the chat mode is active, according to the selected timer. |
| Send one temporary photo or video | Temporary-media viewing option | Viewing of that particular item, such as once or with replay where offered. |
| Remove a regular message you sent by mistake | Unsend | Removes the message from the chat, but cannot undo prior viewing or copying. |
| Share a spontaneous temporary photo | Instants | A separate sharing format, not a setting for ordinary DMs. |
Sleep mode is different: Instagram’s Sleep mode (previously called Quiet mode) silences notifications for your own account during chosen hours and can send an automatic reply. It does not silence an outgoing DM for its recipient or make that message disappear. Meta’s explanation of Quiet mode describes that feature.
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Do screenshot alerts make disappearing messages private?
Instagram may show a screenshot notice in Vanish Mode or for some disappearing photos and videos. That is not a universal alert for every screenshot anywhere on Instagram, and the exact behavior can depend on the feature and app version. A notice also cannot prevent capture: someone could photograph the screen with another device, copy text, or record what is visible before it disappears.
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Treat these as temporary, not secure or unrecoverable. Do not rely on disappearance for passwords, financial details, intimate images, urgent evidence, or anything that requires guaranteed deletion or confidentiality. If a conversation raises a safety concern, consider restricting, blocking, or reporting the account and using a trusted support channel instead of relying on a timer.
If the option is missing
First confirm that you are using the mobile app, not Instagram on a computer. Update Instagram through the device’s official app store, close and reopen it, and try an accepted conversation rather than a message request. For disappearing text, swipe from the bottom edge just above the message field; a phone’s navigation gesture may interrupt a swipe that starts too low. Check for a banner or timer that confirms the mode is active before sending anything. If needed, restart the device, check your connection, and try another chat to see whether the issue is conversation-specific. Accounts, regions, and app versions may receive features or labels at different times. If the controls are still missing, use Instagram’s in-app help or report-a-problem option. Do not install unofficial clients or third-party tools to add disappearing-message features.
Unsend a message sent by mistake
In the chat, press and hold the message you sent, choose Unsend, and confirm if asked. Instagram says an unsent message is no longer visible to people in the conversation, but the recipient may already have seen it or a notification preview. Unsend is a recovery step, not a way to guarantee the content was never viewed or saved. Instagram also says unsent messages are not included in an account data download. See Instagram’s Unsend guidance.
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What are Instagram Instants?
Meta announced Instants on May 13, 2026 as a separate way to share real-time photos with Close Friends or followers you follow back. An Instant disappears after it is viewed and becomes unavailable after 24 hours. Meta says the feature does not allow screenshots or screen recordings within Instants, but that should not be read as protection against external cameras or every possible way of copying content. Instants are not @silent, temporary media in an ordinary DM, or Vanish Mode. Availability and app rollout can differ. Meta’s Instants announcement has the feature details.
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