Instagram is an incredibly popular social media app that is enjoyed by millions of people around the globe.
You can use it to spend your free time checking out images and videos of just about anything, from your favorite sports teams to fashion to hobbies and so much more.
You can also post your own photos and videos for your family, friends, or the general public.
While many popular social media sites have been around for several years and work smoothly most of the time, even the biggest and most popular of them can have issues, and Instagram is no exception.
Are you experiencing issues or errors while accessing the Instagram social network? Here are some insights as to what causes these eight common issues and steps to resolve them.
Instagram Feed Not Refreshing
One of the most common and frustrating issues people experience with Instagram is their feed not refreshing.
In this situation, you’d likely see the message, “Instagram feed could not refresh error” pop up on your app.
If your Instagram feed is not refreshing, here are a few ways to troubleshoot this issue:
- Log out of your account then back in.
- Check the Instagram servers using a reputable third-party status checker site. You can try DownDetector, Down for Everyone Or Just Me, downrightnow, Is It Down Right Now?, or Report.
- Make sure you are using the most current version of the Instagram app, and if you aren’t, update it from your device’s app store.
- Go into your phone’s setting and enable mobile data on iPhone or give unrestricted data usage on Android, then close and restart the app.
Instagram Won’t Let Me Log In
One of the most basic issues people can experience with Instagram is when you simply can’t log in to the app.
If you can’t log in to Instagram, here are a few ways to troubleshoot this issue:
- Restart your phone, then launch Instagram and try to log in to your account.
- Make sure you are using the most current version of the Instagram app, and if you aren’t, update it from your device’s app store.
- From your phone’s Settings, clear the app’s cache and/or data, then relaunch the app and log in to your account.
- Reset your account password from within the app or by using the Get help logging in at the login screen.
- From your app’s Settings, confirm you have the correct date and time on our device.
- Remove the app, then re-install it from your device’s app store.
- Contact the Instagram Help Center.
Instagram says “Try Again Later” when I try to like something or follow someone
You may have encountered the “Try again later. We restrict certain activity to protect our community. Tell us if you think we made a mistake” error when using Instagram.
This issue can be especially frustrating because the “Tell us” button doesn’t help.
You may have gotten the “Try again later” error on Instagram because you either used a third-party app or an automation tool. Another reason might be because you’ve carried out actions too fast, such as liking, commenting, or following.
Or it could simply be an Instagram glitch.
If you receive the “Try again later” error on Instagram, here are a few ways to troubleshoot this issue:
- Wait it out. The “Try again later” error typically lasts for about 24 to 48 hours.
- Log out of your account, use your phone’s settings to clear the app’s cache and/or data, and log in to your account.
- Reset your account password from within the app or by using the Get help logging in at the login screen.
- Remove any links you might have in your bio.
Instagram Keeps Crashing
If your Instagram app is crashing a lot, here are a few ways you can try troubleshooting this for either iOS or Android devices:
- Restart your device by fully powering it off, then back on again.
- Check the Instagram servers using a reputable third-party status checker site. You can try DownDetector, Down for Everyone Or Just Me, downrightnow, Is It Down Right Now?, or Report.
- Make sure you are using the most current version of the Instagram app, and if you aren’t, update it from your device’s app store.
- From your phone’s Settings, clear the app’s cache and/or data, then relaunch the app and log in to your account.
- Make sure you are running the most current version of your phone’s operating system and if you aren’t, update it from your phone’s settings.
- Follow the @Instagram account on Twitter and look for posts related to crashes.
- Factory reset your phone. NOTE: This is the most extreme option, as you will lose all the data on your phone.
Instagram Tells Me “Your Account Has Been Temporarily Locked”
Sometimes you are unable to use Instagram because you have done something to land yourself in “Instagram jail.”
In other words, you have violated Instagram’s Terms of Use resulting in your account being restricted or suspended.
One of the quickest ways to have your Instagram account restricted is if you are using a third-party app or you’re phished.
A third-party app allows you to follow or unfollow users at a faster rate, so Instagram will think that you’re a bot. If you’ve entered your Instagram username and password from a fraudulent website, your account may be compromised.
To unrestrict your Instagram account, here are the steps you can take:
- Submit the “My Instagram account has been deactivated” form to Instagram.
- Send a photo of yourself holding the code that Instagram sends you.
- Wait for Instagram to reactivate your account. It can take 1 to 3 business days to get Instagram’s response.
Why Can’t I Like Anything on Instagram?
Another result of landing yourself in “Instagram jail” is you may not be able to Like anything on Instagram.
If this happens, you’ll likely see the message “Action blocked.”
If this happens, it’s most likely because Instagram thinks you’re a bot for one or more of the following reasons:
- You’ve exceeded Instagram’s Like limit or you’re liking posts too fast, either of which will make Instagram think you’re a bot. As a general rule, you should try to like no more than 350 posts per hour.
- You’ve Followed or Unfollowed too much. This often results in a “Global block,” which also prevents you from unfollowing, liking, or commenting.
- You’ve sent too many Direct Messages too quickly, which will prevent you from direct messaging new people, but you also won’t be able to like or comment.
- You’re commenting too fast, which means you can’t comment and also won’t be able to Like posts.
- You’ve used a third-party app or automation. These allow you to carry out more actions, and faster ones, but will also result in Instagram treating you like a bot.
If you’ve done one or more of the above things and Instagram blocks you, waiting it out is usually the only solution. Blocks typically last a few hours to up to 24 hours or more.
Instagram Doesn’t Let Me Use Filters On My Photos
You may encounter a situation where your Instagram app won’t let you apply filters to your photos. If this happens, here are some ways to troubleshoot the issue:
- Close the app, then restart it.
- Filters use a lot of storage space, so use your phone’s Settings to free up some storage space by deleting unused apps, files, photos, and videos.
- Restart your phone.
- From your phone’s Settings, clear the app’s cache and/or data, then relaunch the app and log in to your account.
Instagram Says I Have a Message When I Don’t
“Ghost notifications” are one of the most annoying issues for Instagram users. They are like a false alarm that sends you into your Direct Messages only to find you don’t have one.
If Instagram says you have a message but you don’t, here are a few ways you can troubleshoot this issue:
- Check your message area for unread messages. Look in general messages, requested messages, and direct messages.
- Check your IGTV notifications.
- Make sure you are using the most current version of the Instagram app, and if you aren’t, update it from your device’s app store.
- Remove the app, then re-install it from your device’s app store.
- Unlink your Facebook account if you have it linked to your Instagram account.
Bonus Tip – Instagram Locked My Brand New Account Before I Even Posted
Here’s an Instagram issue that actually happened to me: I was banned for violating Instagram’s Terms of Use, but even before I posted to the account!
This uncommon Instagram problem required several steps to solve, but I was eventually successful.
This exact situation may not happen to you, but you can read about how I solved the problem here and some of the steps I took might help with an issue you may be having.
I hope you’ve enjoyed and found this information useful.
If you have additional experiences or tips to share related to solving Instagram issues, post in the comments below.
— Sean