Instagram Says I Have A Message But I Don’t-9 Quick Fixes

Ever happened to you that you opened Instagram to check your messages only to find… nothing? That’s frustrating, right? Those notifications refuse to go away and sometimes drive anyone mad. Someone like me who manages social media platforms daily knows exactly how it feels.

You see the message badge is popping there, but when you tap on it, wooh! there’s nothing. But don’t worry, most of us have been there. This is why we have brought you our research and 9 best easy ways to solve this issue. Well, This problem is referred to as the Instagram unread message bug and we are continuously getting queries from Instagram users saying that “Instagram says i have a message but i don’t”. 

But wait before looking into the fixes let’s first know why Instagram says you have a notification when you don’t because knowing the cause makes resolving the issue much easier.

Why Does Instagram Says I Have A Notification But I Don’t?

This Instagram problem occurs due to various reasons, most of which are technical. One of the most common causes is pending message requests. These pending requests are most likely from the people who are not on your friend list. Those hidden messages keep annoying you until you see them. The common reason is that Instagram’s servers sometimes fail to sync properly with your app. This problem could be due to an outdated app or even minor bugs that creep into the app’s interface. Sometimes a connected Facebook account leads Instagram to think there’s something unread when there’s not.

What to Fix When Instagram Says I Have a Message But I Don’t?

Follow these tested ways to fix “Instagram says I have a message but nothing there” issues. 

Look For Pending Message Requests

Check the message requests you got these aren’t visible in the primary chat inbox, so it’s easy to overlook them.

Open Instagram, go to your inbox and tap on the “Requests” tab. Go through each message if there’s anything new. You can mark them unread after opening and then closing the message. It is quite a simple fix that works most of the time.

Scroll Through Unread Messages

The second fix is to go through your inbox and carefully check for unread messages. There might be some messages buried under older conversations. It’s a common issue that can happen in case you’ve left group chats on mute or accidentally ignored messages from friends or brands. 

All you can do is scroll through each chat and open if you see there are some unread messages. Once you open them, they will be marked as read and no unread message notification will be annoying you. 

Clear Instagram App Cache

Clearing cache is another quick fix, sometimes when we keep using Instagram for a long time, chances are its cache is full of unnecessary data, which can sometimes cause glitches. Follow these steps to clear Instagram cache.

Step 1 Go to your phone’s settings

Step 2 find Instagram in the Apps section

Step 3 Once you find it, click on it and you will see an option saying “Clear Cache.”  select this option. 

Don’t worry about chat or your Instagram account data. It’s like a quick refresh for the app to function better. I’ve personally fixed similar bugs by doing this.

Un-install & Re-Install Instagram App

If clearing the cache is not working for you, you can try uninstalling and then re-installing the Instagram App. When you re-install, It’s a new one and a fresh installation often resolves bugs because it updates the app’s internal settings and you’re using the latest version of the app. Before uninstalling make sure you note your login credentials. Once you have logged back in, check if the message notification has disappeared 

Update Instagram App

Have you checked whether your app is updated? Outdated apps can also sometimes cause such issues. In case you don’t want to completely uninstall the Instagram app or the previous method is not working for you, it’s time to head to the App Store or Google Play Store and update the Instagram app. 

Step 1:Open the App Store or Google Play Store on your phone. 

Step 2: Click on Updates available and look for the Instagram app.

Step 3: Click on the Update button beside the Instagram app.

iPhone users can do the same, if you don’t find updates available, just manually search for Instagram and do the same process.

Check Internet Connection

It happens sometimes that the issue isn’t Instagram at all, it’s your internet connection.

Sometimes slow internet connection prevents Instagram from working properly and it seems like you have unread messages when you don’t. What you can do is switch to a stronger internet connection, Once switched refresh your Instagram and especially your chatbox. 

Log Out & Login

Almost everyone knows how to log in and log out from any account. If none of the above works, try logging out and wait for a minute before logging back in on Instagram and then log back in. Doing this forces the app to refresh its data and clears up minor bugs if any. 

Unlink Facebook Account 

Cross-platform messaging between Instagram and Facebook can create synchronization problems. So, if your Facebook account is connected to your Instagram account then you should unlink them. You can do this by following this simple step-by-step guide below. 

Step 1: Open your Instagram Account

Step 2: Click on three horizontal lines in the top-right corner of your screen

Step 3: Go to settings and privacy and then Accounts Centre. 

Step 4: Scroll to Accounts and tap on your Facebook account.

Step 5: Unlink by using the “remove” option. 

After doing this, refresh your Instagram messages to see if the notification disappears.

Refresh Instagram Messages

The simplest & quickest fix is just refreshing the Instagram messages. All you need to swipe down in your inbox to refresh the page. This forces the app to re-sync with Instagram’s servers and update the notification status. After refreshing check if there is any notification pending. Refreshing your inbox manually can sometimes resolve the issue

Final Thoughts

The Instagram unread message bug is a minor annoyance, but as you’ve seen, it’s fixable. We have researched and found that people who used to ask Instagram says i have a message but i don’t have solved the issue successfully by using some of these methods above explained. Whatever the situation is even if it is a hidden message request, an outdated app, or a connectivity issue, there’s always a solution.

So, When the next time Instagram says you have a message but you don’t, you’ll know exactly what to do. Be patient, try these fixes, and get back to enjoying your Instagram experience.