https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender
Userscript that allows you to mass unsend all your DMs on Instagram
https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender
instagram privacy-tools userscript
Last synced: 5 months ago
JSON representation
Userscript that allows you to mass unsend all your DMs on Instagram
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender
- Owner: thoughtsunificator
- License: mit
- Created: 2023-06-26T23:11:47.000Z (almost 3 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2025-12-29T12:59:48.000Z (6 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-01-12T19:10:43.247Z (5 months ago)
- Topics: instagram, privacy-tools, userscript
- Language: JavaScript
- Homepage:
- Size: 3.19 MB
- Stars: 159
- Watchers: 4
- Forks: 9
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Contributing: .github/CONTRIBUTING.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE
- Code of conduct: .github/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# instagram-dm-unsender (idmu)
Userscript that allows you to mass unsend all your DMs on Instagram.
In sum, it is a privacy tool that aim to empower Instagram users by giving them more control over their data.
## Why
As of 2023 [instagram.com](https://www.instagram.com) would not allow its users to batch unsend their messages which is why this project came to be.
The userscript allows a user to batch unsend DMs in a thread on the web version of [instagram.com](https://www.instagram.com)
## State of Affairs
⚠️ Only English is supported as of yet so **please set your UI language to English before running the script**.
⚠️ [This might not work](#this-might-not-work)
## Use cases
Individuals seeking to transition to something like Fediverse and want to "remove" their messages from Meta's database.
> ⚠️ While unsending prevents the other party from reading your messages it does not always necessarily mean Instagram has deleted your data so make sure to send a data removal request according to the laws of the country you live in.
## What's the difference between deleting and unsending?
Deleting a thread will only delete messages on your end but the other party will still be able to read your messages.
On the other hand, unsending of a thread will result in the deletion of messages on both ends, rendering the other party unable to read your messages.
## How does it work
This script is meant to be run on the page that lists the message threads.
⚠️ **The UI will only appear once you select a message thread**
> This showcases a very simple case where two users are logged to instagram using two distinct browser windows, the user on the right side is the one that's unsending its messages, as you can see, they are removed as well for the user on the left side.
The way it works is as follow:
1. Load all the pages in the thread.
2. Once the pages are loaded, scroll until a message is visible. This is because Instagram hides messages as you scroll so that those outside of the viewport are actually hidden.
3. Once the first visible message is found, that is once certain steps are met, run the following workflow on the message:
1. Show action menu button:
Dispatch a mouseover for this message so that the three dots button appears.
2. Open action menu:
Click the three dots button to open the message actions.
3. Open unsend confirm modal:
Click the "Unsend" action button, a modal will open with a dialog that asks the user to confirm the intent.
4. Click "confirm":
Click the "confirm" button inside the modal.
> There is no concurrency. Messages are unsent one after the other by using a queue.
> Any of these can go wrong for various reasons, so if you're having an issue make sure to explain the particular of the message thread your trying to unsend is (without divulging any personal information please).
⚠️ Instagram has rate limits. After a certain number of messages, you might get temporarily blocked from unsending another message for a period of time. You can confirm this by manually unsending a message, if it fails then you might have been temporarily blocked.
# How can I use it?
> ⚠️ For this to work the chat should not have been deleted prior to running the script
1. [Install the userscript](#installing)
3. Go to your messages and select a chat
4. There a menu with a button titled "Unsend all DMs" should appear
## Installing
> Don't know what a userscript is? Check out the following introduction: https://github.com/OpenUserJs/OpenUserJS.org/wiki/Userscript-beginners-HOWTO
Install a Userscript manager for your browser :
- [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/violentmonkey/)
- [Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/violentmonkey/jinjaccalgkegednnccohejagnlnfdag?hl=en)
Finally, install the userscript from OpenUserJS :
[Install latest stable release](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/releases/latest/download/idmu.user.js)
[Install development (master) version](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/raw/userscript/idmu.user.js)
[Older releases](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/releases)
## Development
I recommend using [Violentmonkey](https://violentmonkey.github.io/) or something similar and enabling userscript autoreloading as explained here : https://violentmonkey.github.io/posts/how-to-edit-scripts-with-your-favorite-editor/
Install dependencies:
- ``npm install``
To both serve and build with autoreloading:
- ``npm start``
> This will also start an HTTP server and allow autoreloading of the userscript as changes are made.
You can also do a one-time build with:
- ``npm run build``
> The script will build to ``dist/idmu.user.js`` by default.
## This might not work
Instagram web app is serving different UIs, probably based on the user location. [Yours might not be supported](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/issues/1)
Link to the issue : [https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/issues/1](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/issues/1)
## Testing
> Please do set the ``NODE_NO_WARNINGS=1`` to disable ``punycode `` deprecation warnings.
Use the ``DEBUG=idmu:test`` env to enable debug logs while testing.
Lint files:
- ``npm run lint:ecmascript``
Run test with ava:
- ``npm test``
Coverage:
- ``npm run test:coverage``
## 🧒 Contributions
Contributions [are more than welcome](./.github/CONTRIBUTING.md).
## 👾 Bug report
❗Please search [the existing issues](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/labels/bug) and make sure the bug has not already been reported before making a new one.
To report a bug please use [this link](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/issues/new?template=bug_report.md).
## 💡 Feature request
❗Make sure your suggestion is not already on the [TODO.md](TODO.md) and hasn't [already been requested](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/labels/enhancement).
To suggest an idea please use [this link](https://github.com/thoughtsunificator/instagram-dm-unsender/issues/new?template=feature_request.md).