Instagram is a versatile and extremely popular social media platform with millions of users. People spend lots of time on the app. They can post photos, videos and connect to other people by sending messages.
However, it’s not always fun. The photo-sharing app has its fair share of technical issues. Whether Instagram won’t let you log in or Instagram is not loading, at some point you’ll find yourself dealing with some kind of technical problems with the app.
In the following guide, we will discuss the possible reasons behind the “Instagram won’t let me log in” issue. We’ll also show you a few helpful troubleshooting tips to help you log in back into your account.
Why Instagram Won’t Let Me Log In
It is not always clear why Instagram won’t let you log in to your account. But there are a few known reasons that are most likely stopping you from accessing your Instagram account. Let’s check them out.
- Entering incorrect password or username.
- Trying to log in to your Instagram account from a new device. This won’t necessarily stop you from logging in but you will have to go through an elaborate verification process. If you fail in that verification, you may get locked out.
- Poor internet connection issue.
- The Instagram server is down.
- Using an outdated version of the Instagram application.
- The date and time on your smartphone is incorrect.
- Your account has been suspended or deleted by Instagram.
- Lack of internal storage memory on your phone.
Now that you know why Instagram won’t let you log in to your account, you’re ready to start troubleshooting the problem. We’ll go through a few tips that will help you fix your Instagram login issues.
What to Do When Instagram Won’t Let You Log In
Here are all the tips that will help you gain access to your Instagram account again.
- Check Instagram servers
- Check your internet Connection
- Restart your smartphone
- Check Date & Time on your smartphone
- Clear Instagram app cache
- Update or re-install Instagram app
- Reset Instagram password
- Check Instagram’s Help Center page
1. Check Instagram Servers
The first thing you want to do is to check whether the Instagram servers are up and running. Sometimes the servers may be down because of maintenance, a configuration issue, or bad connection between datacenters.
Unlike other tech companies, Instagram doesn’t have a dedicated status page that tells you the status of its servers. However, the’re third-party services like Downdetector that let you check the status of Instagram’s servers.
If the servers are down, there’s not much you can other than wait for the servers to go back up online. If the servers are up and running, the problem is probably on your side. Keep reading to learn about the troubleshooting tips.
2. Check Internet Connection
One of the biggest reasons for not being able to access your Instagram account on your smartphone is a poor internet connection.
It is necessary to have a good internet connection to use the Instagram application. Otherwise, the app won’t be able to communicate with the servers. So, if you are having trouble, make sure to check your internet connection.
- First, check if your phone has a valid internet connection. If your internet service is down, contact your internet service provider or wait until you get back online.
- If the internet connection is okay, then check the router. We recommend rebooting the router. Just turn off the switch and then turn it back on again after a few minutes.
- If nothing works, try to use the app using Mobile Data.
These are a few tips to check and verify your internet connection. If everything looks fine, then the problem may have been caused due to some other reasons.
3. Restart Your Smartphone
A simple restart is an easy way to troubleshoot a lot of issues. Nonetheless, it is very effective. A reboot can fix anything from a malfunctioning app to a buggy OS. Initially, it would be the best approach.
For Android phones, hold the Power button and tap on Restart. After the reboot, try to log in to the Instagram account again.
iPhone users can check out this step-by-step guide for instructions on how to restart an iPhone regardless of the model.
4. Check the Date & Time on Your Smartphone
Having the wrong date and time can make certain functions and apps on your phone start to misbehave or stop working. So it’s no surprise for Instagram to not work properly if the date and time are incorrect in your phone.
Instagram servers won’t communicate with the app if they find the date and time on your phone are wrong.
So, check the date and time on your mobile. If they are inaccurate, follow the steps below to fix them.
Steps to Set Date and Time on Android
- Launch the Settings app on your Android mobile and tap on General Management.
- Under General Management, tap on Date and Time.
- At the top, you will find the Automatic date and time option. Toggle the switch beside it.
After enabling this option, the date and time on your Android mobile will correct themselves automatically. If the problem was caused due to incorrect date and time, it should be fixed now.
Steps to Set Date and Time on iPhone
- Launch the Settings app and tap General, then to Date & Time
2. Toggle the switch next to Set Automatically to the ON position. If this option was already set ON, turn it OFF for about 30 seconds, then toggle it back ON to refresh.
3. While you’re there, make sure the Time Zone setting is set properly for your region.
Once you’ve completed these tips, re-open the Instagram app and try to access your Instagram account to check if you can log in to your account.
5. Clear Cache of Instagram App (Only for Android)
The next obvious step is to clear the Instagram app cache. These are temporary files and an app creates new cache files, every time you launch it.
So, the cache files need to be cleaned frequently. Otherwise, the older cache files tend to get corrupted easily which will affect the app’s performance.
- Launch the Settings app on Android and tap on Apps.
- Locate the Instagram app and tap on it.
- Under App Info, select Storage.
- In the following panel, tap on the Clear Cache option at the bottom.
The cache files will be cleared immediately. If corrupted cache files were the root of the problem, then you should be able to access your Instagram account. Try it.
6. Update or Re-Install Instagram App
Using an outdated Instagram app can trigger numerous different issues. So, if you are suddenly unable to access your Instagram account, make sure you’re using the latest version of the app.
Updating the Instagram app is very simple. Just open the Google Play Store app and tap on the Update button under the Instagram app.
For iPhone users, open the App Store and check if there’s an available update for Instagram. If there’s one, go ahead and install the new update.
After navigating to the Google Play Store or the App Store, if you find out that there aren’t any updates available for Instagram and you are already using the latest version of the application, then, a clean reinstallation would be effective.
In order to re-install the app, you have to remove it first. You will be able to do it from the Google Play Store. Search for the Instagram app, tap on it. Then, you will find the Uninstall button. Hit is and the app will be removed.
On iPhone, tap and hold the app. A popup menu will appear on the screen with various options. Tap on Remove App, then Delete App to uninstall the Instagram app from your phone.
After the app is removed from your phone, reboot it. After the reboot, install the Instagram app from the Google Play Store or the App Store again.
7. Reset Your Instagram Password
Entering the wrong password is one of the most common reasons for getting locked out of your Instagram account.
This happens to a lot of users, including myself. Maybe, you are remembering the password wrong or maybe you just forgot it. That’s why it’s important to use a good password manager. Whatever the reason might be, you’ll have to reset your Instagram password.
- Launch the Instagram app on your mobile.
- On the login page, tap on the Get Help Logging In option.
- A new panel will open. You will be asked to provide your username, email address or phone number that is linked to the Instagram account.
- If you choose to provide the email address, then tap Send Mail after entering your email address.
- If you choose to provide your phone number, then tap Next after it.
- After that, you will receive a 6-digit Confirmation code via your email or phone number.
- Type that confirmation code in the respective box.
- Hit the Next button to reset your Instagram account.
If you prefer you can use a web browser to reset your Instagram account. Go to instagram.com to access the login page. Click on Forgot password? underneath the login box. Then, follow the instruction to reset your password.
After accessing your Instagram account, you will be able to change the password from the Security Settings.
7. Check Instagram’s Help Center Page
If you’ve tried all the methods above and you still can’t log in to your Instagram account, we recommend you check Instagram’s help center page. You’ll find plenty of helpful guides that go over common Instagram login issues.
Wrapping It Up
There you have it. We hope you find the tips in this guide useful in helping you log in back to your Instagram account. If you know any tips that have worked for you, we’d love to hear it.
Any questions, comments, or suggestions, please use the comment section below.
