[FAQ]

Help everyone!

I was in an Instagram DM chat, and I think I accidentally swiped or tapped something, and now the chat is in Vanish Mode, and the messages are disappearing. I’m not even sure how it happened!

How do I turn this off and get back to the normal chat where messages are saved? I’ve tried swiping around but I’m a bit lost. This is for Instagram in 2025.

Thanks so much for any quick help!

[Jeff Bullas]

Turning off Vanish Mode in an Instagram Direct Message chat is designed to be quite simple. It is a feature you can toggle on or off directly within the individual chat.

The primary way to deactivate it is as follows. First, ensure you are in the specific Instagram DM conversation where Vanish Mode is currently active. You will usually recognise this by a darker chat background and possibly a notification at the top of the screen indicating Vanish Mode is on.

Second, to turn it off, you simply need to swipe up from the bottom of your chat screen. When Vanish Mode is active, a short, deliberate swipe upwards from the message input area, and then releasing your finger, should switch the chat back to the regular mode. The screen background will usually return to its normal appearance.

Third, either person in the one-on-one chat can turn off Vanish Mode by performing this swipe-up gesture. When one person turns it off, it turns off for both people in that specific chat.

Fourth, in some instances or versions of the app, there might also be a “Turn Off Vanish Mode” banner or text visible at the top of the chat screen. If you see this, you can usually tap it to disable the mode.

Alternatively, you can sometimes turn it off through the chat settings. To do this, you would tap on the person’s name or the chat header at the top of the screen, then look for “Privacy and safety” or a similar option, where you might find a toggle for Vanish Mode.

Once Vanish Mode is turned off, any messages sent while it was active will disappear as intended. New messages sent after deactivating Vanish Mode will remain in the chat history as normal.

If you find that swiping up does not immediately work, ensure your Instagram app is updated to the latest version, as bugs in older versions can sometimes affect features. Restarting the app or even your device can also resolve minor temporary glitches. Keep in mind that Vanish Mode is generally only available in one-on-one chats on the mobile app, not in group chats or on Instagram’s web version.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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