InstagramCreator
The brand deal slide-in
A collab offer that starts flattering and ends with 'exposure'.
Use this templateInstagram DM mockupsInterface checked · v442.0.0
Fake Instagram DM & screenshot generator
Build an Instagram direct-message thread with the gradient story ring, the blue send bubble and the Seen caption. Edit every name, message and timestamp straight in the preview.
Open the Instagram DM editorFree · no account · PNG and video
Start from an Instagram DM example
Each one opens in the editor as an editable, fictional scene — names, timings and interface details already set. Change a word, or change everything.
InstagramCreator
The DM that went viral
A reply so good it ended up screenshotted everywhere.
Use this template
InstagramCreator
The collab that actually paid
What a real offer looks like: numbers, deliverables and a date.
Use this templateHow to make an Instagram DM mockup
Pick a scene to start from
The examples above cover the DMs people actually mock up — brand offers, cold pitches, the reply that went viral. Open one and it lands in the editor fully written, ready to be rewritten.
Set the username and badge
Instagram shows the handle, not a display name, and the verified badge sits immediately after it. Add an avatar and the gradient story ring is drawn around it automatically.
Write the DM
Type into any bubble in the preview. Incoming runs carry a small avatar beside their first message, which is what keeps group DMs readable, and it's handled for you as you add messages.
Add the Seen caption
Instagram marks a read thread with a single Seen under the last outgoing message rather than per-message receipts. Set the receipt on that message to make it appear.
Export for wherever it's going
PNG at 1× free, up to 3× on Pro, with or without the phone frame. For a carousel or a thumbnail, export frameless and transparent so it drops onto your own background.
How the Instagram DM interface is put together
Our Instagram DM skin is rebuilt from the real interface in code rather than traced from a screenshot, so the details that make it recognisable survive at export resolution. Here is what those details actually are.
The story ring is a three-stop gradient
Instagram's ring runs yellow through pink to purple, with a background-coloured gap between ring and avatar. Flat orange rings are the giveaway in most mockups.
Bubbles are rounder than most messengers
Instagram rounds its bubbles noticeably harder than iMessage or WhatsApp do. It is a small difference that carries a lot of the brand's feel.
Seen is a caption, not a tick
Instagram puts a small right-aligned Seen under the last outgoing message when it is read. There are no per-message receipts.
The avatar repeats on the incoming side
Each run of incoming messages carries a small round avatar beside the first bubble, which is why group DMs stay readable.
The header carries audio and video call
Back chevron, story-ringed avatar, username with an optional verified badge, then audio and video call icons - no info button.
The composer starts with a camera
A filled blue circle holding a camera sits inside the left of the input pill, followed by mic, gallery, sticker and heart icons.
What people use Instagram DM mockups for
- Creator and influencer content mockups
- Brand collaboration and outreach previews
- Storyboarding a video or reel
- Memes and parody posts
- Social-media case studies and pitches
- Teaching material about DM scams
Questions about Instagram DM mockups
- Can I add the verified badge?
- Yes - toggle Verified in the contact settings and the blue check appears beside the username, exactly where Instagram puts it.
- Does it show the story ring?
- Yes. The avatar carries Instagram's three-stop gradient ring with the correct background gap.
- Can I make a group DM?
- Yes. Switch the chat type to Group and sender names appear above their messages.
- Is this connected to Instagram?
- No. Nothing here touches Instagram or Meta. It renders a picture in your browser and has no access to any account.
- What resolution does it export at?
- 1x free, and up to 3x on Pro - 1074 x 2160 pixels for the phone screen, enough for print and retina displays.
- Can I use these commercially?
- You keep the rights to what you make. Just do not impersonate a real account or pass a mockup off as a genuine screenshot - see our Acceptable Use policy.
Use these responsibly
Everything made here is simulated. SocialMock has no connection to Instagram DM and cannot read, send or alter a real message. Do not use a mockup to impersonate anyone, pass it off as a genuine screenshot, or present it as evidence in any legal, workplace or academic matter — see our Acceptable Use policy. For general information about legal risk, read is it legal to fake a screenshot? If you publish somewhere a viewer might mistake it for real, switch on the “Simulated” label before exporting.
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Browse all 36 appsBuild your Instagram DM mockup now
Click straight into the preview and type. Export when you are done — free at 1×, up to 3× on Pro.
Open the Instagram DM editor