Have your Instagram app notifications stopped coming through? Users sometimes miss out on their Instagram notifications with changes in device settings or app updates. A simple fix can easily retrieve our notifications like before—you just need to find which one.
If you have encountered this problem, try out these fixes.
1. Enable Push Notifications on Your Phone
If push notifications are disabled for Instagram, you won’t receive these alerts until the app has the right permissions. To check your settings for Instagram, follow these steps.
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Find Instagram by scrolling down.
- Tap Notifications to open the menu.
- Toggle the Allow Notifications tab to give the app permission.
Restart the Instagram app by removing it from the background. Your phone is most likely to receive notifications now.
2. Check if You’ve Paused Notifications on Instagram
If your phone’s push notifications are already on, there is a possibility that alerts are paused from the app itself. Users who do not want to erase their social media presence use the pause notifications feature to reduce screen time.
If you have paused your Instagram notifications in the past, here’s how to undo it:
- Open your Instagram Profile.
- Tap the three horizontal bars on the top-right.
- Go to Settings.
- Select Notifications.
- Toggle the Pause All tab to enable push notifications.
You can also pause specific notifications on Instagram and enable the most important ones.
3. Clear the Instagram App Cache (for Android Users)
A corrupted cache might lead to issues with your Instagram app. If you are an Android user, you can clear the cache by following these steps:
- Go to Settings and navigate to Battery and device care. Then select Storage.
- Choose Apps and search for Instagram.
- Scroll down and tap Storage to see how much space Instagram has used.
- Select Clear Cache to remove all unnecessary files.
4. Check Your Internet Connection
Another possibility why you are not getting any Instagram notifications is bad internet. Your Wi-Fi connection could be faulty, meaning that your app is not syncing new notifications. To ensure that’s not the case, check your internet connection.
Try refreshing the app or loading any video. If it doesn’t work, restart your internet device. Restarting usually solves the issue, but if it doesn’t, use a troubleshooting guide to fix your internet.
If your internet problem persists, contact your internet service provider. Switch to Cellular Data if Wi-Fi doesn’t seem to respond on your phone.
5. Check Background Data Usage
This feature is specifically for Android users. Background data usage allows you to control how much battery and data your phone consumes. Having your phone on low background data might cause a delay in receiving Instagram notifications.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Connections and select Data Usage.
- From there, go to Wi-Fi Data Usage.
- Find Instagram and toggle the Allow background data usage to turn it on.
Since Android models come with a bit of variation in the interface, you might find the same settings differently. Once the restrictions on your data usage are lifted, you can start receiving alerts on Instagram.
6. Update Your Instagram App
An old update can also be a reason why your Instagram is acting up. Go to the Play Store or App Store to check if an update is due. If a newer version is available, you will see the option to update.
An update doesn’t necessarily mean a dramatic change in your app’s interface. Most of them just fix the bugs or get rid of errors.
Maybe a bug is preventing you from receiving Instagram notifications. It’s better to stay updated.
7. Update Your Phone
A new mobile update comes with several features and fixes that you might need for apps to function properly.
The best practice is to update your phone as soon as you receive an update alert. For instance, a notification-based error in older versions can be fixed after your phone is updated.
To update your phone, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Download and install the update if it’s pending.
People with outdated phones should consider upgrading, as older phones also retain security-related issues. Certain warning signs indicate it’s time to change your phone to a newer model.
8. Check Airplane Mode
Airplane Mode is a setting that blocks your phone’s ability to receive messages, make calls, and connect to the internet. People often use it to save their phone’s battery or to temporarily stop receiving text messages.
You might have put your phone on Airplane Mode and now aren’t receiving any alerts. Turn the Airplane Mode off from your phone for it to function properly.
9. Restart Your Phone
Restarting your phone fixes most issues by clearing the memory and improving performance. Reboot your phone at least once a week to give it a fresh start. Then connect to a stable Wi-Fi network. Once done, you should start receiving Instagram notifications on your device.
10. Reinstall Instagram
If every other method fails, you can uninstall and reinstall Instagram. This not only gives you the most recent version but also eliminates any errors. Reinstalling the app clears its cache automatically, giving you a fresh start. Reinstalling the app should solve the issue, but you must keep up with the latest Android or iOS updates for maximum benefits.
Keep Your Instagram Updated at All Times
Instagram is a highly engaging app, but sometimes users stop receiving notifications. It can be quite frustrating when that happens. You can try out different steps, like checking your internet connection and enabling notifications on the app and phone.
If nothing seems to work, restart the device or reinstall Instagram to remove all glitches. Your phone should be updated to the latest operating system for better security and to eliminate any glitches that might prevent you from receiving notifications on your phone.