Instagram message requests not showing: what to check

If Instagram says you have message requests but you cannot find them, first check the account and message folders. Then review your filters and who can send you requests to see whether a setting explains what you see.

You need to be able to open the right account in the Instagram app. Filters that hide unwanted requests and comments are on automatically for Teen Accounts. If you are under 16, you need permission from a parent or guardian to change them.

Check Chats, Requests, and Spam

Messages from accounts you follow appear in your chat list. Requests from other people must be accepted before they move to that list. Open your chats, then check Message requests. Instagram explains how message requests are handled.

If Hide unwanted message requests is on, also look for the Spam folder. Instagram says requests that may contain scams or offensive words can appear there. Not every request you cannot see is necessarily in Spam. Instagram Help about hidden requests.

Check who can send you requests

In Instagram, go to Profile → Menu → Messages and story replies → Message requests. Check whether requests from people on Instagram go to the folder or whether your setting says you do not want to receive them.

This setting helps you understand how new requests are handled; it does not recover older messages or fix a counter that does not match your folders. Instagram Help says messages from people you follow go to Chats and other requests must be accepted before they appear there. Review Instagram’s official steps.

Check Spam and Hidden Words

Under Profile → Menu → Messages and story replies → Message requests, check whether Hide unwanted message requests is on. If it is, requests Instagram filters may appear in Spam. Some filters are on by default for Teen Accounts; do not change parental controls just to test a fix.

You can also check Profile → Menu → How others can interact with you → Hidden Words for words, phrases, numbers, or emojis you added. Instagram says these can hide requests. The custom words setting for requests is available in the app, not in web browsers. Review Instagram’s hidden request and Hidden Words settings.

Remove a filter only if you recognize the word and want requests containing it to appear. Turning that filter off restores requests it had hidden, according to Meta. This differs from the control for who can send you new requests, so decide whether you want to see those messages before changing it.

If the counter remains and the folders are empty

If Chats, Requests, and Spam have no messages but the counter remains, Instagram Help does not describe a setting that repairs this mismatch. Save a screenshot, the date, and the app version, then use the help options Instagram shows in your account to describe what you see.

If you identified the filter that hid a request, Meta says turning it off restores what it had hidden. If no folder or filter explains the alert, these checks cannot guarantee finding a request or correcting the counter.