Receiving too many messages on Instagram can be annoying. You get random messages from people you don’t know or want to talk to. Even followers that you’d rather not chat with slide into your DMs.
Blocking each person who messages you is time-consuming and excessive. You don’t want to block people; you just want them to stop messaging you.
The good news is – you can turn off Instagram message requests. By adjusting a few privacy settings, you can stop receiving direct messages from anyone who you haven’t approved to message you.
In this post, I’ll explain exactly how to turn off Instagram message requests and stop those annoying messages. You can curb unwanted messages without outright blocking individuals.
Why Random Instagram Messages Are a Problem
Unwanted messages on Instagram can cause several issues:
- They’re a distraction – Random messages from people you don’t know disrupt your experience and cause distraction. You have to waste time deleting them.
- They can be inappropriate – Many random Instagram messages are low-quality comments or straight-up harassment. No one should have to deal with inappropriate or abusive messages.
- It makes your account less secure – Spammers often send messages with sketchy links to steal accounts, data and money. It’s safer to turn off message requests from strangers.
- You can miss messages from friends – When your inbox fills up with unwanted messages, you can miss notifications from friends or family trying to reach you.
For these reasons, stopping random message requests improves your overall Instagram experience. Next, let’s talk about how to actually turn those requests off.
How to Stop Receiving Messages Without Blocking
Below are the steps you can follow to stop receiving messages without blocking
1. Adjust Settings on Your Instagram Profile
The first step is navigating to your account settings to adjust privacy options related to messaging:
- Open the Instagram mobile app and go to your profile page.
- Tap the 3-line menu button in the top-right and choose “Settings”.
- Scroll down and select “Privacy”.
- Tap “Messages”.
This will open your messaging privacy options. From here, you can stop different categories of users from sending you message requests.
2. Stop Message Requests from Followers
By default, any of your Instagram followers can message you. To turn off requests:
- Under “Message Requests”, tap on “Your Followers on Instagram”.
- Select “Don’t Receive Requests”.
This automatically stops all message requests from your current and future Instagram followers.
Existing message requests will stay in your inbox, but new ones can no longer be sent. Pretty neat!
3. Block Messages from People on Facebook
Since Instagram and Facebook are connected, your Facebook friends can also message you on Instagram.
You may not even realize who these people are. To disable messages from Facebook friends:
- Under “Message Requests”, choose “People on Facebook”.
- Select “Don’t Receive Requests”.
Now random Facebook friends can’t slide into your DMs either. Two categories down!
4. Limit Group Chat Invitations
Unwanted invitations to random Instagram group chats are just as annoying as direct messages.
To reduce group message spam:
- Still under “Message Requests”, tap on “Who Can Add You to Groups”.
- Choose “Only People You Follow on Instagram”.
This stops anyone who you don’t already follow from adding you to group message threads.
5. Hide Message Request Notifications
Even though you’ve disabled new message requests, your inbox may still show notifications from past ones.
To completely hide these:
- Go back to the Instagram Settings menu.
- Choose “Hidden Words”.
- Turn on “Hide Message Requests”.
Now your profile shows no trace of message requests at all. It’s like they never happened! 😊
Customize Settings Based on Your Preferences
The steps above stop all message requests from people you don’t already follow. You can also customize settings further:
- Choose only your Close Friends to message you
- Use follower limits, like only followers you’ve approved or have followed you for a certain time period
- Manually approve message requests on a case-by-case basis
Explore all messaging options under the “Messages” privacy settings on your Instagram profile. Set boundaries based on what makes you comfortable!
What About My Existing Message Requests?
Great news – disabling new message requests doesn’t delete existing ones.
You can still read and reply to past messages. Just open your DMs and scroll through requests like before. New ones just can’t be sent according to your updated privacy settings.
Review old requests and have conversations at your own pace. Any you ignore will stay in your message queue until you delete them.
Can People Still View & Comment on My Posts?
Yes! Turning off Instagram message requests only limits who can privately contact you.
- Strangers, friends-of-friends and anyone else can still view your profile, stories and posts.
- They also can comment on public posts just like normal.
You aren’t blocking anyone outright, merely adjusting what kind of interactions you receive privately. Your content remains public unless you were already private.
Conclusion
No one should have to put up with disruptive or abusive Instagram messages. But blocking individuals one-by-one isn’t practical.
By fine-tuning a few simple privacy settings, you can filter unwanted requests before they reach you. Take control and eliminate message spam from strangers, vague acquaintances and even friends you’d rather not hear from.
Focus on DMs from people closest to you. Follow back meaningful conversations instead of random ones. With annoying messages curbed, Instagram becomes a lot more fun!
What strategies do you use to manage messaging? Share your thoughts below!
