Who doesn’t use Instagram these days? According to Statista’s report, the total number of Instagram monthly active users has grown from 1.4 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach 1.44 billion in 2025. It means that although this social media platform makes up over 28% of the world’s internet users today, it is forecasted to grow to 32% of the world’s internet users, which sounds quite impressive.
People love this social media platform because of its easy-to-navigate UI, which makes online communication even more fascinating, and because it offers end-to-end encryption so that the text messages you share with someone can be achieved by only you two who share these messages. However, this feature can challenge parents who are concerned about their kids’ safety on the platform. If text messages are secured, does that mean secret conversations on Instagram are completely inaccessible? No, it doesn’t.
In this article, we will tell you how to see secret conversations on Instagram so that you, as a concerned parent, will never miss any important detail in your kid’s chats.
What Are Secret Conversations on Instagram?
Many people send text messages daily without realizing that Instagram has a feature that provides extra protection for messages exchanged between users. This feature is called secret conversations or secret messages. So, what are secret conversations on Instagram? Secret conversations on Instagram are text messages that are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be read by anyone except the two people chatting with each other.
Secret conversations are also those that are not displayed in your main box. To sort text messages sent by people you follow from those you do not follow, Instagram sends them into a “Message Requests” folder. Instagram does it to keep your main inbox clean from unwanted messages or spam. By tapping “Message Requests”, you can decide whether you want to read the message, delete it, or leave it without opening it.
Instagram also has a “hidden words” feature that blocks messages with offensive language, helping you avoid seeing negativity. These chats will also be hidden.
The other way to have an Instagram secret conversation with someone is by enabling the Vanish Mode – once you open, read, and close the chat window with a person, the messages between you two will disappear. This feature adds an extra layer of privacy for users who want their conversations to remain temporary.
How Instagram Secret Conversation Works
Instagram secret conversation feature allows users to have private, encrypted chats, ensuring only the participants can read the messages, while Instagram cannot access them. Messages from unknown senders, restricted users, or those containing offensive words may be filtered into the request folder, which helps keep the main inbox clean and protects users from unwanted content.
On Instagram, you can also temporarily mute notifications for specific chats without leaving the conversation. It is very useful when you need to focus on something important and want to reduce distractions. Muting a conversation does not delete it. You can still view messages and respond anytime. Noteworthy, your kid or partner may mute a chat to hide secret conversations and notifications or move it to Archive – this method also doesn’t delete the chat but makes it hidden.
How to Hide Messages on Instagram?
If you want to keep your conversations private or simply reduce visibility, hiding messages on Instagram can help you with it. It will let you manage your inbox and keep certain chats away from prying eyes.
So, how to hide messages on Instagram?
- Filter messages into “Message Requests”: When a person who you do not follow sends you a text message, Instagram automatically moves the DM into a “Message Requests” folder, so they are hidden by default (but it can be changed).
- Use the “Hidden Words” feature: Enable the “Hide message requests” option to automatically filter messages containing offensive words or phrases into the hidden requests folder.
- Select “Mute Messages” or “Mute Notifications”: It will let you stop getting notifications for new messages without deleting the chat.
- Archive chats: This means moving the conversation from the main “Inbox” folder to a separate archive folder. This feature helps you clear Direct Messages (DMs) without deleting your chat history.
How to Find Hidden Messages on Instagram?
Are you in need of finding hidden messages Instagram users send you? To access them, you should follow a few simple steps. So, how to find hidden messages on Instagram? Here you go:
- Open your target Instagram account or log in if needed.
- Go to the appropriate message page (the one you type every time to read new text messages).
- Although you won’t be able to see Instagram hidden messages there, next to Messages, you will notice a button, namely “Requests”. If it is blue, it indicates that you have a new hidden text message that has not been opened yet.
- Tap on it to open the requests page.
- Read the Instagram hidden messages.
Instagram Secret Conversation: Reasons Why Someone Hides Messages
There are many reasons why people may decide to start an Instagram secret conversation with someone. They can be divided into those with positive and negative intentions.
Positive:
- Kids’ protection
- Emergency cases
- Finding a missing person
- Planning a surprise or gift
- Private consultation with a doctor
- Discussing personal issues
- Supporting someone in a time of crisis confidentially
- Sharing personal medical information
- Talking about relationship problems
- Consulting with experts to navigate specific life events
Negative:
- Cheating partner
- Illegal dealings
- Hiding something from a spouse or partner
- Planning revenge or harm
- Bullying, blackmailing, catfishing, and other Instagram scam types
- Sharing sensitive data without permission
- Manipulation
- Online threats
- Malicious intentions that should not be traced are frequently caused by online predators, pedophiles, psychics, etc.
- Sharing the company’s sensitive data with competitors discretely
How to See Secret Conversations on Instagram? 3 Working Methods
If you suspect your kid may be chatting with strangers or your loved one is in danger, how can you access their secret conversations on Instagram? Here are the best and the most effective solutions on how to see someone’s Instagram messages without them knowing.
See Instagram Secret Comversations with uMobix
uMobix is the best cell phone tracker, which provides access to the target’s location, media files, internet usage, and text messages shared through the most popular social media platforms, dating apps, and instant messaging apps. Once the app is installed on your kid’s Android or iOS device, you can monitor over 40 online activities of your child. Although each feature is unique and useful, we are here to help you with the Instagram spy feature.
The Instagram spy feature from uMobix will let you:
- view hidden messages on Instagram if they are muted, moved to Archive, or are in the “Requests” folder
- get full access to your kid’s IG account if it runs on iOS
- 10-second screenshot reporting for Android
- manage your child’s account, as well as block harmful content
- read all their sent/received and even deleted text messages
- view media files they share with the other users
- get information about the contacts they chat with most often as well as the period of their highest online activity
How to see someone’s Instagram messages without them knowing with uMobix?
- Visit the uMobix website and create an account.
- Choose the target’s device OS.
- Select a preferred subscription plan (you can also ask their support team for a $1 trial app version – this will enable you to test the app for two days and analyze its efficacy and reliability).
- Take your kid’s cell phone and follow the on-screen instructions sent in your email.
- Log into your user space.
- Get access to their Instagram secret conversation and read all their hidden messages on Instagram.
Use Keylogger to Read Hidden Text Messages on Instagram Remotely
Don’t have access to your kid’s Instagram account but still want to read their text messages? Well, another solution is to use a Keylogger stuffed in uMobix to see what they type on their device’s keyboard, including their credentials.
Using the keylogger, you will be able to:
- Monitor and log all keystrokes your kid types, even if they do it in real-time
- View all passwords along with files they share with other people.
- Get info each time a new keystroke appears on their device.
- Get timestamps and applications from which those keystrokes were recorded.
- Obtain detailed and regular reports in your user account.
How to access your kid’s Instagram account credentials using a keylogger?
- Follow steps 1-5 as listed above.
- Once you log into your user space, navigate to “Keylogger” using the left-side navigation panel.
- Get the information about your kid’s Instagram credentials.
How to see secret conversations on Instagram now?
- Take your phone and log into your kid’s IG account.
- Tap on the messages button.
- Next, choose “Requests” and see their Instagram hidden messages.
Unlock Hidden Conversations on Instagram Using a Web Browser
Let’s say you have your kid’s IG account login credentials, but you do not have the Instagram app installed on your phone or tablet (and are not going to do it). So, what should you do? How to see secret conversations on Instagram in this case? You can use your web browser to open the Instagram app on it.
Here’s what you have to do:
- Open any web browser you want and go to https://www.instagram.com/.
- Log in.
- Click “Messages”, “Requests”, and “Hidden Requests”. That’s it.
Note: Once you log into your kid’s account, they will get a notification saying someone is trying to log into their Instagram account. So, if you want to do it discretely, you better opt for uMobix.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering how to track someone on Instagram, there are many methods, but not all are discreet. To read your kid’s secret messages without them knowing, uMobix is a reliable choice. This app gives you full access to their Instagram account, provides accurate information about their online activities, and regularly sends screenshot reports of their screen activities, ensuring no important data will go unnoticed!