If you see a "Conversation locked" message in your Inrō inbox and your messages aren't going through, you're dealing with a Thread Ownership error. Here's what it means and how to handle it.
What Thread Ownership is
Instagram's Handover Protocol lets more than one app connect to the same account, with only one app holding control of a conversation (the "thread") at a time. This stops two tools from talking over each other in the same DM.
Inrō works with this protocol, but it does not hold onto your conversations. When Inrō needs to send a message and another app currently controls the thread, it automatically requests control for that single send, then hands it straight back. You don't need to configure anything for this to happen, and it's invisible when it works.
A conversation gets locked when another app holds control and won't release it for Inrō's request. This is an Instagram platform behavior, not an Inrō issue.
What causes it
Another Instagram DM automation tool is connected to the same account and is set as the default app for conversations.
You recently switched to Inrō from another tool and its connection is still active.
A Meta-integrated app (a CRM or support tool) has taken control of that conversation.
Handling a locked conversation
When a conversation is locked, your inbox shows a "Conversation locked" banner with a red exclamation icon, often with a date and time.
Once a thread is locked, Inrō can't force it open. You'll be able to send again from Inrō after the displayed date and time, when the other app's control expires.
⚠️ Removing the other app from your Facebook account won't lift a lock that's already in place. The conversation stays locked until the displayed period ends. Removing the app prevents future locks, not the current one.
Preventing locked conversations
The fix that stops this from happening again is to make sure no other app is set as your default conversation handler.
Go to the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account.
Open Settings → Page setup → Instagram conversation routing.
Make sure there is no default routing app set up.
⚠️ You don't need to set Inrō as your routing app. Inrō doesn't take persistent ownership of conversations and stays fully compatible with other messaging apps. Setting a different app as the default is what causes the locking, so the goal is to leave the default empty, not to switch it to Inrō.
A note on running two automation tools
Running two DM automation tools on the same Instagram account at once isn't supported by Instagram and will cause this error again and again. If you're moving to Inrō, disconnect the other tool first.
⚠️ If the issue persists
Reach out to our support team with a screenshot of the locked conversation, and let us know which other tools you have connected. If your whole account looks disconnected rather than a single locked thread, start with How to fix common Meta & Instagram connection errors instead.