How to Fix It When Instagram Is Not Working (2024)

Social Media > Instagram

If you are using the right password, then Instagram itself is having problems

Ryan Dube

Writer

University of Maine

Ryan Dube is a freelance contributor to Lifewire and former Managing Editor of MakeUseOf, senior IT Analyst, and an automation engineer.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

Updated on June 23, 2022

Reviewed by

Ryan Perian

Reviewed byRyan Perian

Western Governors University

Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

Cause of Instagram Not Working

Issues with Instagram not working can appear in a number of ways.

The Instagram website might be inaccessible from anywhere, including a web browser or mobile apps.
Only the mobile app may not work which would indicate an app or mobile device issue.
You may not be able to log into Instagram from anywhere.
There might be issues with creating new posts on Instagram.

Errors can occur an any point while you're using Instagram, from the initial login to completing a new post on the platform.

How to Fix Instagram Not Working

The fixes below will work on any OS platform and any device. To resolve issues with Instagram not working, it's important to start with troubleshooting the service itself and then working down from account issues to potential device problems.

Check if Instagram is down. Use a service like Downdetector to check if the Instagram service itself is down. If it is, you'll need to wait until engineers at Instagram get the service back up and running.
Restart the Instagram app. Restarting Instagram will often resolve temporarily occurring errors. To do this, you'll need to close the Instagram app on your Android or close the Instagram app on your iPhone. Then, relaunch the app to see if the problem is finally resolved.
Restart your device. Restarting your mobile device will often clear most problems. So take a moment to reboot your Android or reboot your iOS device to see if it resolves problems with Instagram not working.
Why does a restart often help? When you restart your device, it clears out all the temporary files and working memory and loads up all the information the device and app(s) need. Sometimes these files have become temporarily corrupted and the only way to clear the corruption is with a restart.
Check for Instagram app updates. Check for and install any Instagram app updates on your Android device or app updates on your iPhone. If your Instagram app is ever out of date, it can lead to connection errors and other issues that may lead to Instagram not working on your mobile device.
Check your internet connection. Whether you're using a computer or a mobile device, no internet connection means your browser or your mobile app won't be able to access the Instagram service. If your Wi-Fi connection has dropped, you will see similar problems with connecting to Instagram.
Clear the Instagram app cache on your Android device or clear the cache on an iPhone. While caching improves app performance by saving app information in local memory, it can also lead to issues with your device not receiving the latest information from Instagram. Clearing cached data will force your app to retrieve the latest information from Instagram. It may also help to clear your browser cache if you're having issues with Instagram from your computer's browser.
Check the Instagram app permissions. Instagram requires permissions to use your mobile device's camera, contacts, microphone, photos, and storage. If any of these permissions are not enabled for the Instagram app, it can lead to issues with Instagram not working.
Uninstall and reinstall the Instagram app. If nothing else has worked to this point, take the time to completely uninstall Instagram from your Android or uninstall Instagram on an iPhone. Then reinstall the Instagram app on your device
Unfollow Instagram accounts. If you're having a problem with following new Instagram accounts, make sure you haven't surpassed the limit of 7,500 accounts you can follow. The only way to resolve this issue is to unfollow as many accounts as you can so you can follow more Instagram users.
Disable your VPN service. A VPN is a great service for protecting your privacy and increasing security. Unfortunately, a VPN can also cause connection errors and lead to Instagram not working. To test if this is the case, disable your VPN and check if this resolved the issue.
Make sure background data is not restricted. If Background data is turned off, Instagram may not be able to connect to the internet while it's running in the background. To fix this, open Instagram app settings, find the Mobile data & Wi-Fi menu, and make sure Set the Background data toggle is set to On.
If all else fails, it may be time to report the issue to Instagram. It could be an issue with your account, and Instagram customer support should be able to help you determine if that's the case.

FAQ

How do I fix music on Instagram?

If you're having trouble adding music to your Instagram post or story, you should try some basic fixes first. Log out and back in, check for an update to the app, and try a different account. If none of these work, it may be a problem with the app itself, and you might just have to wait for Instagram to fix it.
How do I fix Instagram notifications?

To fix missing notifications, first make sure you don't have them paused: Select your profile pic > More (three lines) > Notifications and make sure Pause All isn't active. On this screen, you can also check specific kinds of notifications (Posts, Stories, and Comments; Following and Followers; Messages and Calls; etc.) to make sure they're on. Otherwise, check your notification settings on your Android or iOS device.

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