In case you opened Instagram today and wondered, Why are my DMs purple, then you are in the right place.To be fair, Instagram does not generally display a friendly explanation whenever it changes the colors, thus it is easy to be lost. This is the guide that will take you through what that purple message bubble Instagram wants you to know, and how to disable it in case you are not a fan of it.
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What Purple Message Bubble Instagram Means
The crux is as follows: Instagram evokes color in DMs to give some hints about functions such as themes, encryption, or special modes. Instagram is informing you that this chat is using something out of the ordinary when you get a purple message bubble in Instagram as opposed to a blue/gray one.
In most cases, that “extra” is:
- A theme in chat or gradient you (or the other user) switched on.
- Customized or coded chat format associated with new messaging capabilities.
- An experience of privacy/vanish where messages can be deleted upon reading, depending on mode and settings.
The purple bubble is not some mystery, a visual hint.
The 3 Things The Purple Message Bubble Instagram Style Hoaxes
1. The Chat Theme or Gradient Is On
The most frequent explanation as to why you will see a purple message bubble Instagram effect is: a theme is active in that chat.
Instagram lets you change:
- Color/gradient of your message bubbles.
- The background of the chat at times.
- General atmosphere (galaxy, twilight, neon, ev. etc.).
Some of the themes and gradients tend to have a lot of purple and thus the bubbles are purple or blue-purple.
2. You lyse Use Strong-secured / encrypted messaging
Elsewhere and in other accounts a purple DM style is observed when the newer more private or encrypted messaging in Instagram is in use. Instagram view of a purple message bubble in such setups is essentially Instagram telling you, that chat is made under the new secured messaging system.
Various rollouts give it a minor name change, but the concept remains the same: purple = upgraded experience (which is often related to security and personalization).
3. Disappearing or Vanish Style Messages Are Being used
Checking the vanish/disappearing messages option in certain situations may result in purple/dark backgrounds and bubbles in chats. That means:
- The messages can be deleted once viewed or you can close the chat.
- With the purple appearance and a different background, you will see this frequently.
- Swiping up in the chat or adjusting the privacy features might have turned this on.
Therefore, when your purple message bubble Instagram chat also appears darker and your messages disappear, it is likely that you are either in the vanish-style mode or you are using disappearing messages.

The reason this occurs in the first place
Instagram has been blending and adding the features of Messenger to its messaging, introducing gradients and themes and other visual indicators. At the time that update was released, a lot of users were simply surprised to see their DMs change to purple/blue gradients instead of simple gray.
In short:
- Color = hint feature (theme, encryption, vanish-style)
- Purple = this chat is something more than plain default is in use.
The Instagram look of the purple message bubble is more of an indicator of design and features than anything terrifying.
Tutorial: Disabling the Purple Message Bubble
And in case you simply want your DMs to go back to normal, then this is how you can remove the purple message bubble Instagram style.
A. Revert to Change the Chat Theme to Default
- Open Instagram and go to DMs.
- Click on the purple bubble.
- Touch the chat name or the username of the person in the top.
- Theme (or Colors & Gradients).
- Select Default, Classic or other non-purple color.
When the purple is a color of a theme, this immediately transforms the color of the bubbles.
B. Turn Off Vanish-Style/Disappearing Messages
You have a dark chat and the messages are disappearing:
- Open that chat.
- Tap in the bottom part of the screen until the message appears such as Vanish mode off or other similar messages.
- Wait one more second in that chat to make it refresh.
When turned off, the purple-colored message bubble that Instagram uses in vanish mode must revert to normal, and messages will cease to be deleted automatically.
C. Ensure that there is an update on Instagram
In case colors appear glitchy or different than what other people see:
- Visit the Apple Store or Android Store.
- Search the Instagram and tap Update in case present.
- Open your DMs again and see whether the purple bubble is acting normally.
The purple DM style may stick or disappear sometimes due to being on an older or test build.

Rapid Checklist: Instagram Purple Message Bubble
- Making this your at-a-glance guide:
- Purple also shows updated or encrypted chat in certain rollout
- Instagram still has a purple message bubble?
- Check if a chat theme is on.
- Chat is darker and the messages vanish?
- You are in a vanish-/disappearing mode.
- Want normal colors back?
- Switch the theme of chat to Default / Classic.
- Colours appear as bugs or smattering?
- Update the app and reopen DMs.
- Worried about security?
Also Read : How to Fix “Add Mentions Option Not Showing on Instagram”?
Frequently Asked Questions of the Purple Message Bubble Instagram Appearance
1. Is it purple and it is a message bubble that someone blocked me?
No. Instagram has a purple message bubble that is not associated with blocking, and that is themed, mode, or enhanced messaging.
2. Are purple messages an indication that the chat is encrypted?
Purple can be used to denote end-to-end encrypted or upgraded chats in certain areas though it can also be simply a theme. Find lock icons or formal encryption labels as well as color.
3. Do purple bubbles correspond to vanish mode?
Not always. Vanish/disappearing modes tend to alter the appearance, although there are themes of basic purple/gradient which may have normal, non-disappearing messages as well.
4. Is it on account of intentionality that I can select another purple appearance?
Yes. You may go to Theme or Colors and Gradients and select purple-heavy themes (galaxy, violet, twilight, etc.) in the event that you truly enjoy the purple message bubble Instagram aesthetic.
5. Why are not all, not just some of the chats purple?
The settings are per-chat, and some of the options are rolled out. This is why it can happen that one conversation will contain the purple message bubble Instagram style whereas others remain blue or gray.





