How to use Instagram DMs on a computer, or without opening the app (2026)
minulo opens Instagram's website on iPhone with only your DMs and the notifications tab left, using its free Every tab but DMs setting, so you can read and reply without the feed or Reels. On a computer, instagram.com in a browser has DMs too: About Instagram describes clicking Messages on the left, then Compose. The website also has the Reels and Explore tabs, so a browser alone doesn't make Instagram DMs only. To glance at a DM on iPhone without opening the app, set notification previews to Always, though whether the message text shows is up to Instagram.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo. iPhone notification steps come from Apple's iPhone User Guide, checked on 2026-10-26. We could not open the text of Instagram Help that day, so the message steps come from About Instagram, Instagram's official site, and we say where we couldn't confirm something. Facts about minulo's Mac app and extensions come from its privacy policy. Menu names can change with updates.
| Option | DMs | Feed, Reels and Explore | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram app as is | Yes | Always there | Adult accounts have no setting that hides the Reels tab |
| instagram.com in a computer browser | Yes, under Messages on the left | Still there on the website | We couldn't confirm in Instagram Help which message features the website has |
| Notification previews on iPhone | You read the alert without opening the app, if Instagram puts the text in it | Not opened | Apple says not all apps support previews. We couldn't confirm what Instagram's DM alerts show |
| minulo for Mac, Chrome and Safari extensions | In your browser | The Mac app sends pages that are a way into a feed or short videos to a place you choose | This page doesn't cover which Instagram parts each version hides |
| minulo on iPhone | Yes. Every tab but DMs leaves only DMs and the notifications tab | Hidden: Reels, Explore, home feed, suggested posts | Free. Only inside minulo. No voice messages or calls |
Use Instagram DMs on a computer
- Open instagram.com in a browser on your computer and log in.
- Click Messages on the left.
- To start a new chat, click Compose at the top left, choose the people, then click Chat.
- Type your message and click Send.
These click steps come from About Instagram, Instagram's official site. You can also go to someone's profile and click Message. Messages to people who don't follow you are sent as message requests. We could not open the text of Instagram Help on 2026-10-26, so we couldn't confirm there which message features work on the computer website.
Does the computer website show Reels?
Yes. Instagram's website has the Reels and Explore tabs too, which is why apps that open the website, such as minulo, have switches to hide them. Using Instagram on a computer moves you away from the phone, but the feed and Reels are still a click away from your messages.
minulo also runs on a Mac, with Chrome and Safari extensions. Its privacy policy says the Mac app reads only the address of the page open in your browser and, when that page is a way into a feed or short videos, sends you to a place you choose. It needs macOS Automation permission and doesn't read the page itself. This page doesn't cover which Instagram parts the Mac app and each extension hide.
Read a DM on iPhone without opening the app
- Open Settings and tap Notifications.
- Below Notification Style, tap Instagram.
- Tap Show Previews (if it appears) and choose Always or When Unlocked.
Apple says previews can include things like the text of messages, and that not all apps support previews. Whether Instagram puts the message text in a DM alert, we couldn't confirm in Instagram Help. Tapping the alert opens the chat in the Instagram app, feed and Reels included.
Two more shortcuts are on opening Instagram straight to your DMs: touching and holding a notification for quick actions, and the Instagram icon's menu. To make every alert a DM, turn off the other kinds in Instagram, as described on Instagram notifications for messages only.
Use only Instagram DMs on iPhone with minulo
- Install minulo, open Instagram inside it and log in on Instagram's own login page. minulo does not receive or store your password.
- Tap the gear next to Instagram and turn on Every tab but DMs. Reels, Explore, the home feed and suggested posts are hidden; DMs and the notifications tab stay.
- Optional: in the Block tab, lock the official Instagram app with Screen Time, free for up to 2 hours per block. Its Open in minulo button takes you to your DMs.
Group chats work, because they are part of Instagram DMs. Notifications come from the official Instagram app, so if you leave it unlocked, they arrive as usual and you can reply in minulo. minulo Pro adds schedules by day and time, longer blocks, Hard Mode and multiple block lists.
Limits, so you can decide honestly: Reels are hidden only inside minulo, and the official app doesn't change. While minulo blocks an official app, that app's notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends none of its own. Posting Stories, voice messages and calls aren't available. On Instagram, the Reels and Explore tabs share one switch. minulo runs on iPhone and Mac (plus Chrome and Safari extensions), not Android, and it is new, with few ratings. See what minulo can't do.
Can I use Instagram only for DMs without the app?
Yes: minulo opens Instagram's website with only DMs and the notifications tab left, free with its Every tab but DMs setting, though only inside minulo on iPhone. On a computer, instagram.com has DMs too, but the Reels and Explore tabs are still there.
Can you use Instagram DMs on a computer?
Yes. Open instagram.com in a browser, log in and click Messages on the left. About Instagram describes Compose, choosing people, Chat and Send. We couldn't confirm in Instagram Help which message features the computer website has.
Does instagram.com on a computer have Reels?
Yes. The website has the Reels and Explore tabs too, so moving to a computer doesn't make Instagram DMs only.
Can I read Instagram DMs without opening the app?
On iPhone, go to Settings, Notifications, Instagram, and set Show Previews to Always. Apple says not all apps support previews, and we couldn't confirm what Instagram's DM alerts show. Tapping the alert opens the chat in the app.
Is there a minulo for Mac?
Yes. minulo runs on iPhone and Mac, plus Chrome and Safari extensions. Its privacy policy says the Mac app reads only the address of the page you have open and sends ways into a feed or short videos to a place you choose. This page doesn't cover which Instagram parts each version hides.
Will I still get DM notifications if I use minulo?
Yes, from the official Instagram app, as long as minulo isn't locking it. While minulo locks the official app, its notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends none of its own.
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