- Why Instagram keeps logging you out: causes ranked by how often I see them
- Work through these fixes in order
- If none of this fixes it
- Checking your phone's own date and time settings
- What to do if it's happening across every app, not just Instagram
- Keeping this from happening again
- Frequently asked questions
- Where to check the details
The short version: Instagram usually keeps logging you out because it's detected a password change somewhere linked to the account, flagged a login as suspicious, or the app on your phone is out of date and losing its saved session. Update the app first, then check your account's login activity and any linked Facebook account for a recent change.
This one is truly frustrating because it interrupts you constantly and rarely explains itself. There's no big red warning saying exactly why. But it's almost always one of a small set of causes, and each one has a clear fix.
Why Instagram keeps logging you out: causes ranked by how often I see them
| Cause | Typical sign |
|---|---|
| Outdated app version | Logouts happen randomly, not tied to any specific action |
| Password recently changed, on Instagram or a linked Facebook account | You're logged out immediately after changing a password elsewhere |
| Suspicious login flag from Instagram's security system | You get an email or in-app alert about a new login location |
| Cleared app data or storage on Android | Logout happens right after a phone storage clean-up or app cache clear |
| Using Instagram on too many devices or through unofficial apps | Logouts happen after using a third party Instagram tool or old device |
Work through these fixes in order
Step 1: update the Instagram app
This solves it more often than people expect. An outdated app can lose its saved login session every time Instagram pushes a security update on their end, since your old version doesn't recognise the new session format.
- iPhone: open the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top right, scroll down to Instagram, and tap Update if one is available.
- Android: open the Google Play Store, tap your profile icon, go to Manage apps and device, and check if Instagram has a pending update.
- Restart your phone after updating, then log back in and see whether the problem continues.
Step 2: check if your password changed anywhere linked to the account
If your Instagram account is linked to a Facebook account, or you use the same email and password across several sites, a password change in one place can force a logout everywhere else as a security measure.
- Think back to whether you've changed your Instagram password, your linked Facebook password, or your email account password recently.
- If you have, log back into Instagram with the current, correct password rather than an old saved one your phone might be auto-filling.
- If your phone's saved password autofill is out of date, go into your phone's password settings (Settings, Passwords on iPhone, or Google Password Manager on Android) and update the saved Instagram password there too, so it stops filling in the old one.
Step 3: check your account's login activity for a security flag
Instagram monitors for logins from new devices or unusual locations, and can force a logout as a protective measure if something looks off, even if it was truly you.
- Log into Instagram, go to your profile, tap the menu icon, then Settings and privacy.
- Go to Accounts Centre, then Password and security, then Where you're logged in (or Login activity, depending on your app version).
- Check the list of devices and locations. If you see one you don't recognise, tap it and choose Log out, then change your password immediately from Password and security.
- If everything on the list looks like your own devices, this rules out an actual security breach, and points back to the app or password sync issues instead.
Step 4: check for a security email or in-app alert
Instagram sends an email when it detects something it considers worth flagging, and it's easy to miss if it's landed in a spam or promotions folder.
- Check the email address linked to your Instagram account for any message from Instagram about a login attempt, password reset, or suspicious activity.
- If you find one, follow the instructions in it. Usually this means confirming it was you, or resetting your password if it wasn't.
- Also check the app itself. Instagram sometimes shows an in-app prompt asking you to confirm a recent login before letting you back in fully.
Step 5: if you're on Android, check whether app data was cleared
Clearing an app's storage or cache on Android wipes its saved login session completely, which then requires a full log back in, and can sometimes keep repeating if something is set to clear it automatically.
- Go to Settings, Apps, Instagram, Storage.
- If you or a phone cleaning app have been clearing app data or cache regularly, that's very likely your cause.
- Turn off any automatic app cache clearing tools, and avoid manually clearing Instagram's storage unless you're deliberately trying to fix a different problem.
Step 6: stop using third party Instagram tools or very old app versions
Apps that promise to show who unfollowed you, schedule posts outside Instagram's own tools, or similar add ons, often trigger Instagram's security systems, since they access your account in ways Instagram doesn't fully trust.
- Think about whether you've logged into Instagram through any third party website or app recently.
- If so, go to Settings and privacy, Accounts Centre, then Apps and websites, and remove access for anything you don't recognise or no longer use.
- Stick to the official Instagram app going forward if this has been causing repeated logouts.
If none of this fixes it
If you've worked through every step above and it's still logging you out repeatedly, fully uninstall and reinstall the app rather than just updating it, since a reinstall clears out any corrupted local data the update alone won't touch. Log back in fresh afterwards, and turn on two factor authentication while you're in the security settings, since accounts with it enabled tend to see far fewer unexplained logouts overall.
Checking your phone's own date and time settings
This is an easy one to overlook, but a phone with the wrong date or time set can break the secure connection Instagram relies on to keep you logged in, causing repeated, unexplained logouts.
- iPhone: go to Settings, General, Date and Time, and make sure "Set Automatically" is switched on.
- Android: go to Settings, System, Date and time, and check that automatic date and time is turned on there too.
- If either was switched off, turn it back on, restart the phone, and try logging into Instagram again.
What to do if it's happening across every app, not just Instagram
If you're also being logged out of other apps around the same time, such as Facebook or email, the cause is more likely sitting at the phone level rather than inside Instagram specifically. A recent factory reset, a new SIM card, or a VPN app that changes your apparent location frequently can all cause this pattern. Turn off any VPN you're running and test again before assuming Instagram itself is the problem.
Keeping this from happening again
Once you're back in and stable, a few small habits stop this repeating. Keep the app updated rather than ignoring update prompts for weeks. Avoid logging into Instagram through browser extensions or unofficial apps that ask for your password outside the official app or website. And turn on two factor authentication through Settings and privacy, Accounts Centre, Password and security, since accounts with it enabled are logged out for security reasons far less often than accounts without it.
I have written more around this on the site: How to Find the Instagram Posts With the Most Comments, How To Check If You Already Have An Instagram Account, How To Stop Instagram Reels From Showing On Your Feed.
Every fix and how-to I have written for this platform is indexed on the Instagram help guide.
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See also 6 easy ways to get more out of your Instagram, which picks up where this leaves off.
Frequently asked questions
Is it bad that Instagram keeps logging me out?
Not necessarily. Frequent logouts are usually a sign of an outdated app, a password sync issue, or an oversensitive security check, rather than proof that your account has in fact been compromised. Check your login activity to be sure, but don't panic before you've done that.
Why does this happen right after I change my Instagram password?
This is completely normal and expected. Instagram deliberately logs you out of all other sessions when you change your password, as a security step, so you'll need to log back in with the new password on each device separately.
Can using Instagram on two phones cause repeated logouts?
It shouldn't on its own, since Instagram generally allows multiple active sessions on official devices. If logouts started after adding a second device, check that device's login activity to be sure it isn't triggering a security flag.
Does two factor authentication stop this from happening?
It won't stop every cause, such as an outdated app, but it does reduce security related logouts, since Instagram trusts a login it can verify with a second step far more than a plain password alone.
Should I change my password if I keep getting logged out?
Only if you've checked your login activity and found something you don't recognise, or you suspect the password may have been guessed or reused elsewhere. If your login activity looks clean, focus on updating the app and checking password autofill first.
