Instagram Not Responding? What to Try on iPhone and Android

There's nothing more irritating than tapping the Instagram icon, watching a frozen screen and knowing a client message or a scheduled post is waiting on the other side. I run into this kind of thing often enough with creators and small business owners that I wanted one calm, ordered list of what to try.

Everything below follows Instagram's Help Centre. It doesn't name a list of secret causes for a frozen app, so I won't invent any. What it does give you is a short, sensible order of checks, and a way to tell Instagram when none of them work.

Checking Instagram is up to date before anything else

Instagram's help pages open with the same advice every time: if something isn't working in the app on iPhone, iPad or Android, update to the latest version. They also say to make sure your phone or tablet is running its latest operating system before you work through the other fixes.

Instagram adds that some older versions of the app are no longer supported, which is a very plain reason for an app to stop responding. Open your App Store or Google Play Store, search for Instagram and see whether the button says Update. If you're struggling to download the update, Instagram suggests checking your connection and using Wi-Fi.

Restarting your phone when Instagram freezes

The help page is firm on this one: always try restarting your phone or tablet first if you're having trouble with Instagram. It sounds too simple to matter, but it's the step Instagram puts ahead of everything else, so do it before you start deleting things.

1. Close Instagram.
2. Switch your phone or tablet off completely, then switch it back on.
3. Open Instagram again and give it a moment to load.

Testing Wi-Fi against mobile data for an unresponsive Instagram

If a restart doesn't help, Instagram tells you to try the app on both Wi-Fi and your mobile data connection. The point is to find out whether a weak Wi-Fi signal or a poor mobile connection is the culprit rather than the app itself.

• Turn Wi-Fi off and let Instagram use mobile data for a minute.
• Then do the opposite: switch mobile data off and use only Wi-Fi.
• If Instagram works on one and not the other, the connection is the issue and not your account.

It's a small test, but it saves you reinstalling an app when the real culprit is the router in your office or the signal in your building.

Deleting and reinstalling the Instagram app

This is Instagram's next step if restarting and checking your connection haven't worked. Instagram says your photos and profile info will be saved by Instagram, so reinstalling the app doesn't wipe your account. You will need your username and password afterwards, so make sure you know them first.

On an iPhone or iPad

1. Tap and hold the Instagram icon on your Home screen.
2. Tap Remove App to delete it.
3. Go to the App Store, reinstall Instagram and log in with your username and password.

On an Android phone or tablet

1. Open your device Settings and tap Apps.
2. Tap Instagram, then tap Uninstall.
3. Go to the Google Play Store, reinstall Instagram and log in.

If the app opens but then stalls, or won't open at all, my page on what to do when Instagram is not opening goes through that case in order.

Using Instagram on the web while the app misbehaves

Here's a useful point from the Help Centre: you can always go to Instagram.com in a mobile browser or on a computer. If the app won't respond but you need to answer a message, check a comment or look at your profile, the website gives you a way in while you sort the app out.

It's also a handy test. If Instagram works on the web but not in the app, you've learned the account is fine and the app on that device is the thing to fix.

When an Instagram feature just isn't there for you

Instagram points out something people often miss. After the checks above, if something still isn't loading, it may be down to settings you or someone else set up, or the feature may not be available to everyone yet. Instagram rolls features out gradually, so a button your friend can see might not have reached you.

Before you decide the app is broken, try searching the Help Centre for the exact feature you were using. Sometimes the answer is that it isn't switched on for your account yet.

Sending Instagram a report about the problem

If you've updated, restarted, switched connections and reinstalled, and Instagram still isn't responding, Instagram says it could be a bug or broken feature, and you can report it. The more detail you give, the better. Instagram asks for the kind of phone or tablet you're using, what you were doing when the problem happened, and a screenshot if you can.

Shaking your phone to report

1. Open Instagram and shake your phone to bring up the reporting menu.
2. Tap Report a problem.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Reporting through your settings

1. Tap your profile picture in the bottom right.
2. Tap Menu in the top right.
3. Below More info and support, tap Help.
4. Tap Report a Problem.
5. Choose to go back to where you saw the problem and shake your phone, or tap Report problem without shaking.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Instagram also says you can tap Include Complete Logs and Diagnostics when you send your report. It adds that this includes things like crash logs, and that you shouldn't attach anything unnecessary or irrelevant.

A quick order of play for an unresponsive Instagram

Step	What Instagram says	Why it helps
1	Update the app and your operating system	Older versions can stop being supported
2	Restart your phone or tablet	Instagram puts this first
3	Try Wi-Fi, then mobile data	Rules out a weak connection
4	Delete and reinstall	Photos and profile info are saved
5	Report the problem	Tells Instagram it could be a bug

If you can't log in to Instagram at all

Sometimes the app responds fine but it won't let you in. That's a separate problem, and Instagram has its own help for login trouble. If you think someone else has got into your account, use the steps in Instagram's Help Centre for a hacked account, and don't share codes with, or follow instructions from, anyone offering to get your account back.

Seeing a login screen instead? Work through the common Instagram login problems first.

If you rely on Instagram for your business, it's worth keeping a note of your account's login email somewhere safe, so a stuck app never turns into a locked-out account.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Instagram not responding on my phone?

Instagram's help pages don't name one cause. They suggest updating the app and your operating system, restarting your device, checking Wi-Fi and mobile data, and reinstalling the app.

Will I lose my photos if I reinstall Instagram?

Instagram says your photos and profile info will be saved by Instagram when you delete and reinstall the app. You'll just need to log in again with your username and password.

What should I try first when Instagram freezes?

Instagram's troubleshooting page says to always try restarting your phone or tablet first. After that, test the app on both Wi-Fi and mobile data.

Can I still use Instagram if the app won't respond?

Yes. Instagram says you can always go to Instagram.com in a mobile browser or on a computer.

How do I tell Instagram the app isn't working?

Go to your profile, tap Menu, tap Help below More info and support, then tap Report a Problem. You can also shake your phone to open the reporting menu.