To fix Instagram not working, change your internet connection, restart the app, update to the latest version, clear the app cache, reinstall the Instagram app, or wait for 24 hours, etc.
If you’ve been using Instagram, and suddenly the app is not working and now you’re wondering what must have caused the problem.
Well, no app is without problems, if the Instagram app is not working, there might be a problem with the servers, or the app has a glitch or a technical issue.
In this guide, you learn how to fix Instagram not working on your phone. You’ll also know why the Instagram app is not working on your device.
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What To Do If Instagram Is Not Working?
If you’re having issues with the Instagram app, there might be several issues causing this, one of which could be the Instagram server.
It could also be that there’s a glitch in the app. You may be at the mercy of a bug, or your internet connection may not be working for the app. Yes, I experience this issue too.
So what did I do to fix the Instagram app not working on my phone, it’s simple, follow the guide below.
Uninstall the Instagram app from your device, restart your device and then reinstall the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
This will fix the problem with the Instagram app on your device. If it didn’t work for YOU, it means that there’s a lot more complicated issue.
What can you do? Wait for 1 to 6 hours and the problem should be fixed. This is because the app is partially down for some people, but not everyone.
Before then, you can try using another device to sign in and use Instagram, this may work.
You can also use the Instagram web. Go to your web browser and type instagram.com, you’ll be able to access the site and see the latest from your feed.
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Why Is Instagram Not Working Suddenly?
If you’re not able to use Instagram it’s because the app is having a partial outage for some users, why others can use the app, you can’t.
And this can be caused by different reasons and will stop you from using most of the features in the app, like having a problem logging in, being unable to watch reels, can’t send messages, and more.
If Instagram is not working properly, there are different reasons why the app just decided to stop, crash, or not open again.
Mine didn’t allow me to see the videos and photos, I eventually got it fixed, but why is the error happening on the app?
The first reason could be that your internet connection is not stable, it might be, but the app isn’t even recognizing that you have one.
And this leads to the app having a bug/glitch that’s causing the issue. It can also be that the server is down for your region.
Not so many reasons, but the Instagram app may be partially down for certain users, and if it’s; you can’t do anything about it, you’ll have to wait.
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How To Fix Instagram Not Working
While there are different reasons the Instagram app is not working, there are also ways you can use to fix the problem.
In all, here are the fixes you can try to fix Instagram if you ever experienced issues with the app.
Fix 1: Change Internet Connection
One of the major causes of the Instagram app not working is because of the network provider.
If the app is not working, you may have poor internet speed. And to fix this issue, you’ll need to switch your internet connection.
If you have been using your cellular network before, you’ll need to switch to Wi-Fi or the reverse.
If the app is not loading, what you can do is change your cellular network. Switch to another network.
Fix 2: Restart The App
If Instagram is not working properly, you can restart the app by force-stopping the app and background refreshing.
If you’re using an Android device, you can force stop the app and it will stop it from running in the background. Then open the app again.
The Instagram app must be open for you to be able to tap on the Force Stop button.
For Android: Go to your phone Settings > Tap on Apps & notifications > Tap on App info or See All [Num] apps > Then find WhatsApp app > And then tap on Force Stop.
You can refresh the Instagram app on your iPhone, all you have to do is refresh the app in the background.
For iPhone: Go to your phone Settings > Find the Instagram app > Tap on Background App Refresh > Toggle to turn on background refresh.
After that, you’ll want to close the Instagram app on your Android and iPhone. Then, relaunch the app to see if the problem is resolved.
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Fix 3: Enable Background Data [Android]
If you haven’t enabled background data on your device, you’ll need to turn it on now, this may be why Instagram is not working properly.
For Android: Go to your phone Settings > Tap on Apps & notifications > Tap on App info or See All [Num] apps > Then find WhatsApp app > Mobile data & Wi-Fi > Toggle on Background data.
Fix 4: Clear Instagram Cache
One of the best ways to fix any issue on apps is to clear the app cache without having to log out.
If you’re facing an issue with the Instagram app, which doesn’t even allow you to watch Reels, you can clear the app cache.
To fix Instagram not working, you need to clear the app cache.
For Android: Go to your phone Settings > Tap on Apps & notifications > Tap on App info or See All [Num] apps > And then find the Instagram app > Tap on Storage & Cache > Tap on Clear Cache.
For iPhone users, you can’t directly clear cache on your iPhone app Settings or even from the Instagram app.
This feature isn’t available on iPhone devices, the only thing you can do here is to offload the app from your phone.
Since you can’t directly clear cache on the Instagram app, or from the iPhone Settings, you’ll need to offload the app.
For iPhone: Go to your iPhone Settings > And then tap on General > Tap iPhone Storage > Then find the Instagram app and open it > And tap on Offload App button.
After you’ve offloaded the app from your iPhone, you’ll need to reinstall it back from the Apple App Store.
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Fix 5: Clear Instagram Data [Android]
For Android users, clearing app data can make any problem go away without uninstalling the app from your phone.
If you own an Android device, and your Instagram app is not working, you can clear the data and everything including your account will be removed from the app.
You’ll need to sign in back to your account, and then you’ll be able to use the app again.
For Android: Go to your phone Settings > Tap on Apps & notifications > Tap on App info or See All [Num] apps > And then find the Instagram app > Tap on Storage & Cache > Tap on Clear Storage.
Fix 6: Restart Your Device
You can easily fix the Instagram app issue by just restarting your phone. If you’re not able to see videos or log in, you can reboot your device to fix it.
Once you restart your device and open the Instagram app, the problem will be fixed, and you’ll be to watch the latest Instagram trend.
For Android: Tap on the power button and tap on the restart option. You can power it off and wait for a few minutes before turning it on.
For iPhone: You can soft or force restart your device, this will clear glitches and stop running apps in the background.
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Fix 7: Update The Instagram App
If you haven’t updated the Instagram app in a long time, updating the app now is a good time to fix the issue.
The old version of the Instagram app may not be working properly, causing the app not to glitch.
To update the Instagram app on your device, go to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, once you see an update, click on it to update.
Fix 8: Uninstall And Reinstall Instagram
If you’ve cleared the app cache, and do other fixes but Instagram isn’t working, your next fix is to delete and redownload the app.
You’ll need to uninstall the app from your device and restart your device before reinstalling the app again.
This will fix the Instagram issue, and you’ll be able to use the app again. To uninstall the app from your phone;
For Android: Tap and hold the Instagram app, and you’ll see the uninstall option at the top, drag and drop and the app will be deleted, for Android.
For iPhone: Tap and hold the Instagram, and on the small pop-up menu, tap on Delete App. The app will be removed from your device.
Once you’ve deleted the app from your phone, you’ll need to restart your phone before reinstalling the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
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Fix 9: Use Another Device
To check if the problem is from your device, use another phone and login into your account, then see if you can use Instagram properly.
If you’ve tried everything and nothing works, try using another device to login into your account.
After logging in, use Instagram as you would normally do and see if you’ll experience any problems while on the app.
Fix 10: Try Instagram.com
If you’re having trouble with the mobile app, you can try using the Instagram web version and see if you’ll experience any issues.
Head over to your favorite browser, then go to Instagram.com and log in to your account. You should be able to do what you do on the app.
If the app isn’t working, you can use the web for the time being before a fixed update. And if the web isn’t working too, report the problem to Instagram.
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Fix 11: Report A Bug
If you’re still having trouble using the Instagram app or other features on your phone, it could a bug.
You can send a report from the Instagram app, by going to your profile page, and then tap on the three lines > Tap on Settings > Help > Report a Problem > Report a problem > And type your words based on the on-screen instructions.
And now, you’ll need to reach out to their support team to fix the Instagram app not working issue.
Fix 12: Wait For The Issue To Be Resolved
If Instagram is not working on your account, this can be an app-wide problem, or just for a specific region.
And since it’s a technical problem, there’s nothing you can do to solve the problem. All you can do is just wait.
If you are experiencing this issue, this could mean that Instagram may be down for that particular location, and you’ll not be able to do anything to fix it.
What you can do is wait for the Instagram team to resolve the issue and release an update for the app. This should be less than 6 hours from when the problem started.
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Conclusion
Every app has its issue, and Instagram has a lot of them, but it is not always its fault. A glitch can appear anytime, and soon enough it’ll get fixed.
If the Instagram app is not working, and you’re not able to load stories, see the latest post, can’t log in to your account or Reels not working, you can fix, or find other means to use the app.
To fix this issue on your phone, delete the Instagram app, restart your phone and reinstall the app again from the Google Store or Apple Store.
If you’ve done everything on this guide and it’s still not working, you’ll need to wait for at least 6 hours, and the problem will get fixed.
You can also report the bug to Instagram or follow the step above to see how you can send a bug report to Instagram. Still, you can use the web version of Instagram before the app gets fixed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why today my Instagram not working?
If you’re not able to use Instagram it’s because the app is having a partial outage for some users, why others can use the app, you can’t.
Why did my Instagram stop working suddenly?
The first reason could be that your internet connection is not stable, it might be, but the app isn’t even recognizing that you have one. And this leads to the app having a bug/glitch that’s causing the issue. It can also be that the server is down for your region.
Why Instagram won’t open on Android?
Your Instagram app is not opening on Android because you have low storage on your device. If you don’t enough space, you’ll not be able to load the app properly, and sometimes it will just keep crashing until you free some space.
Why is my Instagram Music Not Working?
If the Instagram music sticker isn’t working for you, it means that you’re using a business account. It could also be that you’re using an outdated Instagram app.
