Users have reported cases when they see a notification from Instagram that they have new messages, but nothing is found. This question “Why does Instagram say new messages?” arises again and again in users’ minds as there is no new message. Here we have a solution for it.
How to fix this issue?
If you use Instagram a lot, you will be downhearted to see the phantom DM(direct messaging) notification. “Instagram shows new messages but normally it doesn’t have. Some users googled this and we guess that you are one of those “several users”.
If you use Instagram for social media marketing, then you use it on regular basis. I pay out hours on ghost notifications only to notice that the red dot never goes away.
Several users click on DMs to see if there is a message, but they find nothing as there is no new message. If you are also facing this issue, you are in the right place.
I found many ways to fix the Instagram ghost notification issue. By the end of this article, you would be able to resolve the phantom direct message notification issue.
TL; Dr:
Fake Instagram notifications are an immense waste of time, especially if you’re managing a business on Instagram. Your smartphone is already wasting your time and such phantom direct message notifications make it substandard.
The Issue:
Several Instagrammers have complained about the same issue, “Why does Instagram say new messages and when they check or click the notification, nothing appears”.
The issue is that it does not return and vanish. Here are the tried and tested methods to solve this problem and get rid of this issue.
If you are anxious about this situation and need a proper solution, do the following:
- Check the tab for unread messages (get rid of unwanted chats).
- Upgrade the DM.
- Clear Cache.
- Log out and log in once again.
- Again install Instagram.
- Detach your Facebook account from Instagram.
- Inspect the general messages tab.
- Verify the requested message.
- Check your complete list of direct messages.
1. Check the tab for unread messages (get rid of unwanted chats):
This is a problem that several people report that they can’t skip Instagram notifications.
Here we discuss how to filter unread messages on Instagram.
- Open the Instagram site.
- Click the Instagram Direct Message icon (top right of the Instagram app).
- Click the filter icon, then click the unread tab.
- Examine unread messages. Delete undesired chats.
If no one has sent you a message, Instagram will show “You have no unread messages”.
If you’re still receiving direct message notifications, you may need to look out for other methods to troubleshoot Instagram direct messages.
2. Upgrade the DM:
Instantly after opening the app, your smartphone may update slowly and not update.
The same problem can happen on Instagram. There are direct message notifications, but the latest messages may not appear because the app wasn’t capable to download updates on its own. This can be done manually by upgrading the direct message in the Instagram app. Move to the direct messages section and drag down the direct messages menu from the top of the screen.
3. Clear Cache:
Cache files are a bunch of provisional files that are stored by the OS to improve the performance of the app.
If you do not clear the cache of the app from your device, the app may behave differently. To bring everything back to normal, you require to clear your cache. It’s just a soft reset, so take it easy. Clearing the cache does not remove the account.
How to clear the Instagram cache on Android?
- Press and hold for some seconds in the Instagram app.
- From the window that opens, click on the “Program Information” option.
- Click the Clear Data icon.
- On the next screen, click on Clear Cache.
- Click “OK” on the next screen.
How to clear the Instagram cache on your iPhone?
- Click iPhone Settings
- Click on General
- Click on iPhone Storage
- Scroll to discover the Instagram app in the list
- Click on “Uninstall App”. This will remove the Instagram cache. There is no other way to remove the cache.
- Install Instagram from App Store
Now that you’ve cleared your cache, move back to Instagram and examine your direct messages. Choices vary by device. But the current remains the same.
Note: Make sure not to remove your Instagram app data. This will forever delete all data including files, settings, accounts, databases, and cache. Clearing the cache only removes provisional files that apps may have stored.
4. Log out and Log in again:
You can clear out the phantom direct message notification by logging back in. Doing so will upgrade the entire app as if you had reinstalled Instagram.
How to sign out and sign in to Instagram (Android and iOS).
- Open the app, click on your display icon, and go to your profile (below the right corner).
- Click on the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines icon). The icon is at the top right of the screen.
- Click on your phone’s settings.
- On the next page, scroll down to get the logout menu.
- Click “Sign Out” and sign in again (remember your login information may be saved to your phone)
Note: Before signing in, clear the app from your current apps so you don’t have to do it again.
5. Again install Instagram:
If nothing works, reinstallation of Instagram may be helpful. You may have neglected to upgrade the app. We suggest again installing Instagram instead of upgrading. Get the new version of the app from the Google Play Store (or the App Store for iOS).
Clear the cache by default because you will remove the app first.
How to reinstall the Instagram app from an Android:
- Move to your Android device settings.
- Find and click Apps.
- Click on “Manage apps”.
- Find and click on Instagram.
- Click “Clear Data” to clear each thing including the cache
- Click on the “Uninstall” icon.
- Click OK on the next screen.
You can also uninstall apps from the app tray or the home screen.
How to reinstall the Instagram app from your iPhone:
- Find Instagram on your iPhone’s home screen and press and hold until the app begins to vibrate.
- Click X to remove the app. Photos will not be deleted
- Move to your app store, find Instagram, and reinstall it.
Note: You can download the app on your iPhone before uninstalling Instagram. This will remove all provisional files.
Other methods to fix the Instagram Message issue:
Everyone seeks the solution to every problem as per one’s approach and tries different ways so there are also different ways to solve this problem of Instagram. Let’s check out those methods as well.
6. Detach your Facebook account from Instagram:
By removing the likes of your Facebook account from Instagram, you can remove identical notifications. Here’s how to detach it:
- Open Instagram from your home screen and click on your profile icon (below right).
- After logging into your profile, click on the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines in the top right corner).
- Scroll down and click Account Center (you’ll see all your linked accounts).
- Click on “Account” on the next page.
- To unlink your Facebook account, click the “Delete” button.
7. Inspect the general message tab:
If you are online on Instagram, you will receive a lot of DMs. You may want to move back to some of the messages you can add to the General tab. In such cases, we may simply use “Instagram user” instead of a name. If you didn’t remove the chat, just acquire if there is anything important.
You will get a notification when you receive a new message from a profile saved in the public tab.
How to navigate to the General tab:
- Open Instagram and click on the Instagram direct message icon.
- Click on the general tab and mark the message requests as read.
8. Verify the requested messages:
The general tab contains the messages you need to cancel. Message requests, on the other hand, contain messages from people who are not part of your system. Instagram shows
messages from people you don’t show in as requests. Lastly, here’s how to handle message requests.
9. Check your complete list of direct messages:
If you receive many messages, you may need to check your whole list of direct messages to see if there is any unread message.
If anyone messages you and deactivates their Instagram account, the messages will disappear. But when they activate the profile again, the message notification would show up again.
Note: Please examine if your internet connection is working. If it is not working, the messages won’t be marked as read. When you want to remove Instagram messages, you cannot remove them without an active internet connection.
FAQs
Why does Instagram keep saying I have a new message when I don’t?
This can occur for several reasons. You may need to upgrade, reinstall Instagram, or clear your cache to get rid of “phantom” direct message notifications.
What does a number on the Instagram icon mean?
You’ll see a number when someone texts you or when the content you affix is engaged. The numbers designate the number of notifications from the Instagram app.
Why do I have an Instagram notification but no message?
Depending on your device’s operating system (Android/iOS), you may need to restart, clear the cache, or reinstall Instagram to fix this problem.