Whenever you get a notification from Instagram, it’s tempting to check out which post got a like or comment or even see who messaged you. Sometimes Instagram says you have a new message, but you actually don’t have anything upon checking.
The “Instagram says I have a message, but I don’t” issue is reported by many people on support forums. The fix is usually simple depending on what caused it in the first place. Sometimes, though, some bugs or features can inflate the count of unread messages and give you false ‘read’ notifications.
Are you having problems with Instagram notifications lately? Read this article to find out why.
How to Fix Instagram Notifications That Won’t Go Away
There are many reasons why your Instagram notifications might not be accurate. Regardless of why you’re getting these false notifications, it’s essential to fix the issue. I’ve used a few methods to get rid of these notifications, which I’ll list below in the hope that it might help you.
However, it’s worth bearing in mind that specific workarounds might not work on your app, so it’s best to try each one and see if they’ll work for you.
Check Your Message Requests
Your Instagram notifications are supposed to display messages from people who aren’t following you, but they don’t always show up right away.
You might have to click on the requests icon and scroll through your messages. To view any unread message requests, look at the message icon in the top right of your screen. You should see a number to the right, which indicates how many unread messages you currently have; Tap on them to read your unread messages.
It is essential to check your “General” tab in your messages inbox to clear notifications. There are two tabs: Primary and General; and primary is the default tab and, when opened, displays the inbox message notifications.
In addition to your message requests, check your general messages too. You can get rid of now messages that you no longer need.
Check the Entire Direct Message
If you start a new conversation with someone on Instagram and later deactivate their account, the conversation will be lost.
If they return to Instagram, the message will notify you again. So you’ll see it on your Instagram Direct Messages icon. One way to solve this is to scroll to the bottom of the message until you see the unread message. When you open it, the notification should disappear.
Clear the Instagram Cache
Most Android apps use the cache, which makes the app load faster as it doesn’t have to load assets every time. However, it also has some disadvantages, which may cause the app to function incorrectly.
In the case of Instagram, the number on your messages icon might mean that you still have a cached count for the last time you checked. To avoid this problem, you should consider clearing your cache.
Clearing the data will reset the app and clear the cache. This means that you’ll need to log in again when you next open it. Removing your app data may ensure that this problem does not arise again.
Restart the Instagram App
Sometimes, additional false notifications are the result of minor bugs on Instagram. In this case, restarting the app or, better still, your phone should eliminate all those false notifications.
To restart your Instagram app on Android and iOS, exit the app and go to the home screen. Then, go to the recent apps you’ve used and swipe away from Instagram to remove it from your device’s memory.
Open up the app again to see if the notification is gone. If you’re still getting notifications after closing the app, try restarting your phone.
Update Your Instagram App
Updates to the Instagram app tend to fix bugs and add new features. If the issue is for everyone and no other solution has been found to fix it, then it’s likely that Instagram’s next update will solve the problem.
Unlink Your Facebook Account to Get Rid of Notifications
This sounds like a strange idea, but unlinking your Facebook account from Instagram might remove false notifications.
Reinstall the Instagram app to clear direct message notifications. You might have to delete the Instagram app and reinstall it on your device. This should help clear the notification and prevent the endless DM message from appearing.
Reinstalling the app will delete the cache and update it to the latest version. This can fix some common issues you might be encountering with the app.
Log in to Instagram via the Website
The bug with Instagram’s notifications can be solved by logging out of the app and getting on the website. Once there, go to the DM section and delete messages that show up, which should solve the problem.
