To lock a chat on Instagram, open the conversation in Messages, tap the chat name at the top, tap Privacy and safety, then switch on Lock and hide chat and confirm with your phone's face, fingerprint or passcode check. The chat then moves to a hidden folder only you can open.
Some conversations aren't for anyone who happens to pick up your phone. Locking a chat tucks it away behind your phone's own security check, so it doesn't sit in your main inbox or pop up in a notification on the lock screen. Here's how to switch it on, and what happens to the chat once you have.
Before you start: switch on your phone's own lock
Locking a chat leans on the security your phone already has. You'll need device authentication turned on, which means a passcode, fingerprint or face check set up on the phone itself. If your phone has none of those, there's nothing for the lock to use, so set one up first and then come back to Instagram.
Locking a conversation from inside the chat
- Tap Messages at the bottom.
- Tap the conversation in your inbox.
- Tap the chat name at the top.
- Tap Privacy and safety.
- Tap next to Lock and hide chat.
- Complete the lock with your face, fingerprint or passcode.
There's a quicker route from the inbox too, and it depends on your phone. On iPhone, swipe left on the conversation and tap Hide chat. On Android, tap and hold the conversation, then tap Lock chat.
What happens once a chat is locked
| When you lock it | What changes |
|---|---|
| The chat leaves your main inbox | It moves to a folder in your inbox that only you can see. |
| A new message arrives | The message content stays out of your notifications. |
| You search your messages | Content from the locked chat won't show up in search. |
| You want to read it | You confirm it's you with your passcode, fingerprint or face. |
| Someone sends you something abusive | You can still report photos, videos and messages that break the Community Guidelines. |
To get back to a locked chat, swipe down from the top of your inbox and tap Locked chats. You'll be asked for your device check every time you open that folder, which is the whole point: a quick glance at your phone won't reveal it.
Who the lock covers, and who it doesn't
The lock is yours alone. It hides the chat on your account, and the other people in the conversation see no change on their side. If you want a chat kept private on both ends, that's a conversation to have with them, not a setting you can switch on for them.
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One more catch worth knowing. If you delete a locked chat and later start a new conversation with the same people, the new chat isn't locked. You'll need to lock it again. If your inbox is busy with business messages as well as personal ones, the round-up of tools for handling Instagram DMs at volume is worth a look, so the private chats aren't fighting for space with enquiries.
My advice on locked chats
Lock the conversations you'd be uncomfortable seeing on a lock screen, and leave the rest alone. Remember it protects your phone, not the other person's, so it's a privacy screen rather than a secret. And if you ever clear out a locked chat and start fresh with the same person, lock the new one straight away. If you're keeping your messages tidy because you're growing your account, the guide to getting people to engage with your Instagram profile covers the public side of that work.
Frequently asked questions
Does locking a chat lock it for the other person too?
No. It locks and hides the chat for your account only, and the others in the conversation see no change.
What happens if I delete a locked chat and message the same person again?
The new conversation isn't locked, so you'd need to lock it again.
