How to Make a Fake Instagram DM Screenshot

Make a fake Instagram DM screenshot by editing the contact, writing the conversation, setting its appearance, and exporting a PNG. This fictional audition mix-up gives you a complete scene to start with: a dramatic message turns out to be a line someone is rehearsing.

1. Leo: I have waited ten years to say this.
2. You: We met on Tuesday.
3. Leo: Sorry. Audition lines.
4. You: Did I get the part?

How to create the Instagram DM screenshot

1. Load the example. Choose Edit this script above. It opens the Instagram conversation in dark mode with both sides already assigned. You can also open the Instagram DM generator.
2. Edit the contact. Open Contact Info and change the contact name and profile picture. Use a fictional handle or an identity approved for your project. Keep the name short enough to fit in the header.
3. Rewrite the conversation. In Messages, replace the text. Click the sender name beside a message to choose the incoming or outgoing side. In the starter, the incoming person sends the dramatic line and explains the audition; the outgoing person misunderstands it and asks about getting the part.
4. Set timestamps and seen status. Click a timestamp to open Edit date & time. Use the message status control to choose a supported delivery or read state. Check that the times and seen state agree with the order of the replies.
5. Add a reaction if it helps. Open a message’s reaction control and choose an emoji. A laugh on the audition explanation reinforces the joke. Check its placement in the preview, and remove it through the reaction picker if it distracts from the dialogue.
6. Choose light or dark chat appearance. Use the appearance controls, then check the message background and bubbles in the preview. You can change the chat’s appearance independently of the website theme.
7. Download the PNG. Open Export and choose Download PNG screenshot. Open the exported file and inspect the contact name, final line, reaction, and seen state at the size you plan to use.

PNG screenshots are free without an account. Video export requires Pro.

Make a group variation

1. Select Group in the contact settings.
2. Open Group Info, name the thread, and add the incoming participants.
3. Use each message’s sender control to assign it to the right person.
4. Read the conversation again and check that every speaker is easy to identify.

Give the extra person a reason to speak. A third voice should change the misunderstanding, not simply repeat another reply.

Keep the joke clear

Preserve the starter’s message order while learning the controls. Then change the setting to a rehearsal, a voice-acting audition, or someone practicing a speech. The specific misunderstanding makes the scene work.

Use seen status when waiting or silence matters. A PNG only shows the visible state; use timestamps or animation to communicate a longer wait. The writing guide explains how to shorten a scene without losing its setup.

For a Story composition, follow the Instagram Story templates guide. For moving messages, use the text-message video guide.

Before you share

Keep the skit or mockup context clear in the caption or surrounding composition. The editor does not connect to Instagram, verify accounts, or modify real DMs.

Build the DM around the last line

Try the audition starter, then change the voices and the setting.

Open Instagram DM Generator