Short answer: to analyze your Instagram DMs, download your messages from Accounts Center in JSON format, unzip the file, and upload the message_1.json file of one conversation to The Cringe. You see who texts first and how fast each person replies, and the AI report rates how interested each person seems. Facebook Messenger chats work the same way, with the same kind of download.
What an Instagram DM analyzer does
Instagram never shows you the big picture: who starts most conversations, who replies in seconds, and who leaves the other person waiting for hours. An Instagram chat analyzer reads the whole conversation and counts. Then the AI part reads the tone and tells you what the patterns might mean.
The Cringe started as a WhatsApp chat analyzer. It now also reads Instagram and Messenger downloads, Telegram exports and LINE chats. It works with 1-on-1 chats only. The Cringe is not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook or Meta.
Step 1: request your Instagram messages
Instagram has no "export chat" button. Instead, you ask Meta for a copy of your messages, in the app or on instagram.com.
- Open Instagram and go to your profile. Tap the menu (three lines) in the top right. On a computer, click More, then Settings.
- Open Accounts Center.
- Tap Your information and permissions.
- Tap Download your information. In some versions this is called "Export your information".
- Tap Download or transfer information and choose your Instagram account.
- Choose Some of your information, tick only Messages, and tap Next.
- Choose Download to device.
- Set Date range to All time, so the report gets the real first message date.
- Set Format to JSON. The HTML format will not work with the analyzer.
- Set Media quality to Low. You don't need the photos, and the file stays smaller.
- Tap Create files. Instagram may ask for your password.
Meta changes these menus now and then. If a label looks a little different on your screen, pick the closest one.
Step 2: wait for the email and download
Meta prepares the file in the background. It can take from a few minutes to a few days, depending on how many messages you have.
When it is ready, you get an email. Go back to Download your information in Accounts Center, find your file under Available downloads and tap Download. It only stays there for a few days, so download it soon.
Step 3: find message_1.json
This part is easiest on a computer.
- Unzip the file (double-click it on a Mac, or right-click and choose "Extract All" on Windows).
- Open the folders your_instagram_activity, then messages, then inbox.
- Look for the folder named after the person. It is usually their username followed by a long number, like sam_1234567890.
- Inside it, you will find message_1.json. That file is your chat.
If your folders look different, search the unzipped folder for "message_1.json" and pick the one in the person's folder.
Long chats: the folder may also have message_2.json, message_3.json and more. Zip that one folder and upload the zip, so every part is read.
Upload one conversation, not the whole download
Meta's download has a folder for every person you ever messaged. The Cringe reads one 1-on-1 chat at a time, so a zip with all your chats is refused.
| What you have | What to do |
|---|---|
| The full zip from Meta | Unzip it and pick one conversation |
| message_1.json of one person | Upload it as it is |
| One person's folder with message_1.json, message_2.json and more | Zip that folder and upload the zip |
| A download in HTML format | Request a new download with format JSON |
| A group chat | Not supported, only 1-on-1 chats work |
Facebook Messenger: the same steps
Messenger chats come from the same Accounts Center download, just with your Facebook profile.
- In the Facebook app or on facebook.com, open Settings & privacy, then Settings, then Accounts Center.
- Tap Your information and permissions, then Download your information, then Download or transfer information.
- Choose your Facebook profile, then Some of your information. Tick only Messages and tap Next.
- Choose Download to device. Set Date range to All time, Format to JSON and Media quality to Low.
- Tap Create files, wait for the email, then download the file from Available downloads and unzip it.
- Open your_facebook_activity, then messages, then inbox. Find the folder named after the person and upload the message_1.json inside it.
If you can't find the person in inbox, look in the other folders inside messages.
Encrypted Messenger chats: many personal Messenger chats are now end-to-end encrypted. These chats are not part of the regular "Download your information" file, so a chat can be missing or stop at an older date. Messenger has a separate download for them (Privacy & safety, End-to-end encrypted chats, Message storage), but The Cringe is built for the message_1.json files from the regular download.
What the report shows
The report puts both people side by side. For each person, you see:
- Messages sent: the total count for each side
- First message date: when the chat started
- Average reply time: how long each person usually takes to answer
- Who texts first: who starts conversations more often
- Longest message: the biggest wall of text each person sent
- Top words: the words each person uses most
- Unsent messages: how many messages each person unsent, when Meta's file marks them
The AI report goes deeper. It gives an interest level for each person, their attachment styles, red flags with real quotes from your chat, and a final verdict. The AI relationship analyzer page explains how it reads a chat.
How to read your Instagram message statistics
- Reactions are not replies. The analyzer skips hearts, likes and reactions, so they don't count as messages.
- Shared reels can make a chat look busy. Check who writes real messages too.
- Fast replies are not the whole story. Some people answer in seconds but never start a conversation. Read what it means when you always text first.
- Silence has many reasons. If you are often left on read, look at the pattern over weeks, not one evening.
What your Instagram chat can show you
Your chat can't read anyone's mind. But it can show patterns that are hard to see when feelings are involved. You might see that you start almost every conversation, or that their replies got slower. Or that things are more equal than you thought.
The AI interest level and verdict give you a calm second opinion based on real messages. Use it as one piece of the picture, and talk to the person if something feels off.
Other chats you can analyze
- Telegram: export the chat as JSON from Telegram Desktop. The Telegram chat analyzer page has the exact steps.
- WhatsApp: follow our WhatsApp export guide, then upload the file on The Cringe home page. The Chrome extension works on WhatsApp Web only.
FAQ
How long does it take to download Instagram messages?
From a few minutes to a few days, depending on how much data you have. Meta emails you when the file is ready, and it stays available for a few days only.
Can I upload my whole Instagram download?
No. The full zip has every chat you ever had, and The Cringe reads one 1-on-1 chat at a time. Upload the message_1.json from one person's folder, or zip that one folder if the chat is long.
Does the Instagram DM analyzer work with group chats?
No. The Cringe only analyzes 1-on-1 chats. If the file has more than two people writing, you will see a message that it is a group chat.
Why are some of my Messenger messages missing?
Most likely the chat is end-to-end encrypted. Encrypted Messenger chats are not included in the regular "Download your information" file, so they can be missing or end at an older date.
Is the Instagram chat analyzer free?
Uploading your chat and getting the instant preview is free, with no sign-up. The stats and the AI report are blurred until you get Premium, which costs $4.99 per week or $19 per year, and you can cancel anytime.