Are you looking to call someone on Instagram, but want to know if it will show up on your phone bill first?
Or perhaps you’re worried about the direct messages you send being visible to anyone that sees your phone bill.
These are very real concerns, and obviously something we want to avoid.
But do Instagram’s calls or messages appear on the phone bill? What information can be seen?
In this article, we answer these questions and a bunch more!
Will Instagram Calls Show Up On The Phone Bill?
Let’s say that you placed an audio or video call with another Instagram user. Will evidence of that call be present on the bill, and will anyone be able to see who you called?
Currently, the answer for this is no.
Instagram operates entirely over the internet, rather than going through your provider’s phone network. This means that cellular providers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc. will not be able to log details related to the call.
Therefore, you should be able to call whoever you’d like freely without any information related to the call appearing on the bill.
Of course, anyone with access to your Instagram account may be able to see who was called, and when the calls were placed.
I will share more privacy-friendly solutions later on in the article.
What About DMs? Will Instagram Messages Appear On The Phone Bill?
Now that we’ve talked about calls, let’s talk about messages.
Direct messaging is an even more popular feature on Instagram than calling is, and potentially more dangerous too. After all, with direct messages, it’s possible not only to see when messages were sent and who they were sent to, but even the exact contents of the conversation!
So, will direct messages show up on the bill?
Thankfully, the answer is no.
Instagram DMs will not ever show up your phone bill.
Therefore, you can send as many messages as you’d like without ever having to worry about anybody else reading them. Currently, the only way to view the contents of your DMs is if you choose to share them with someone else, or somebody else manages to gain access to your Instagram account.
What If The Instagram Usage Was Done Over Cellular Data?
I mentioned previously that the reason Instagram messages / calls do not show up on your phone bill, is because they happen over the internet.
But, what if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi? What if you call or DM other Instagram users over your phone’s built-in cellular data plan? Will information show up on the phone bill then?
The answer is no – even if using your mobile data.
While actual phone calls made with your carrier’s phone network may be logged, your cellular data is separate.
The cellular data network exists solely to provide you with internet access. Even while connected to your mobile data, calls made on Instagram operate over the internet, on Instagram’s own private servers.
Information is also encrypted in transit, so your cellular provider may not be able to see details about the call even if they wanted to.
Therefore, you can safely send DMs and place video / audio calls on Instagram without having to worry.
Privacy-Friendly Platforms For Calling And Messaging
Although your Instagram usage is safe from your cellular provider (and thus, your phone bill), it’s still important to keep one thing in mind:
If somebody can log into your Instagram account – either through your phone, or remotely, they will be able to view who you called.
This can potentially be a problem. So, it helps to be aware of more privacy-friendly apps to place calls on.
At this time, we recommend apps like Wire, Session, or Wickr for placing calls privately.
Not only are these end-to-end encrypted, but you can sign up with a username, or automatically delete history regarding the call.
In fact, not even the app developers themselves can see who you called, or what was said over the apps.
Therefore, this is considered a much more secure option for those that value their privacy.
How To Place A Instagram Call
Although the direct messaging feature is quite popular on Instagram, many people are unaware that it can also be used for calling!
Instagram is owned by the same company that owns Facebook after all, where calling is a commonly-used feature.
Thankfully, placing a call on Instagram is actually pretty easy.
All you’ve got to do is open up the person you want to call, and start a DM with them.
In the top-right corner, there will be an icon that looks like a video camera. Tap on it, and it will begin a video call with them.
Note that by default, your camera will automatically turn on as soon as you tap on the button.
However, if you want to do an audio-only call, you can tap on the camera icon again once the call has started to turn your camera back off.
So, this can be one workaround to call somebody without the call appearing on your bill!
Conclusion
At this time, nothing you do on Instagram will ever appear on your phone’s bill.
Not only calls, but comments, posts and direct messages will also be unavailable to view. After all, Instagram is a private service that runs entirely over the internet – it really has nothing to do with your cellular provider, even if you typically browse Instagram over cellular data.
So, you really have nothing to worry about!
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful. If you have any other questions about Instagram or your phone bill, please ask them using the comment form below.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister