Can’t send a normal message in an existing conversation
Instagram gives you a 7-day reply window from the contact’s last message, longer than WhatsApp or Messenger’s 24 hours, but it still closes.
- Check the countdown in the chat header — something like “2 days left to reply.”
- If the window has closed, free-form messaging is blocked until the contact messages you again — Instagram does not currently support an approved-template workaround the way WhatsApp does.
- If the contact reaches out again on the same or a different channel, reply promptly — see Other chats if they’ve messaged on more than one channel.
See Conversation window for the full explanation of window policies across channels.
Because there’s no template fallback on Instagram, treat the 7-day window as a hard deadline rather than a soft guideline — once it closes, you’re waiting on the contact rather than able to force a re-engagement the way you can on WhatsApp.
Message shows as failed
