Direct Messaging on Instagram has grown (and continues to grow) to become an integral core of the social media platform. With DMs, you can communicate beautifully with your followers and other Instagram users. Even direct messages get downtime, as Instagram sometimes faces loading issues. In this guide, we collect some solutions to problems with DM on Instagram.
All solutions in this guide apply to Android and iPhone. See methods #1, #4, #6, and #7 to fix Direct Message issues on Instagram Web. Let’s jump right into it.
1. Check Internet Connection
Of course, it is impossible to use Instagram without an active internet connection. If you’re unable to view photos and videos on your IG timeline in addition to being unable to send direct messages, the problem is most likely with the connection. Put your phone in Airplane mode and turn it off after a few seconds. This will help refresh your device’s internet connection. If the problem persists, check if your router is working properly. For cellular data, make sure you have an active internet connection and are in an area with strong network strength and reception.
2. Restart Instagram
Close or force stop the app on your smartphone and restart it. If you still can’t DM anyone, you can try logging out of your Instagram account and logging in again. If you’re using an Android smartphone, clearing Instagram’s cache can help.
3. Update Instagram
The block can also be caused by a bug or an in-app glitch. Instagram tries to fix these bugs right away, and sometimes fixes are shipped with a new app version. So, you may need to install the updated Instagram app to fix the error that prevents you from sending direct messages. Update Instagram on your device and check if that fixes the DM issue.
4. You’ve Been Banned, Maybe
If your internet and Instagram app are working properly, there is a possibility that the problem is not caused by you. If you are unable to send a direct message to a specific user, there are two possibilities to consider. First, the user configured their account’s privacy settings to restrict DMs. Second, the person blocked you. When blocked on Instagram, you may not be able to send direct messages. We have a detailed guide explaining how to find out if someone has blocked you on Instagram. You should learn more about what happens when you get blocked on IG.
5. Use a VPN
This trick is for Instagram users who can’t initiate a DM conversation. If it’s your first time trying to DM anyone on Instagram but it doesn’t go through, a VPN can help. Here’s how it works.
First, close Instagram, launch VPN app and turn on VPN connection. Now restart Instagram and try to DM again. VPN doesn’t need to be on all the time. A VPN will help get you through the door. You can continue to talk and send subsequent messages with or without VPN.
It is also worth noting that a free VPN will suffice for this. We’ve compiled and reviewed some great Android VPN apps, as well as for iOS devices. It’s fast, secure, and all offers free plans/subscriptions that are enough to help you DM on Instagram.
6. Check Instagram Server Status
The servers that power Instagram sometimes go offline. So it causes all or some features of the app (e.g. direct messaging) to stop working. This has happened many times in the past and it has to happen now and again. You can use tools like DownDetector to check if Instagram servers are online. The tool also tells you if other users are having any (similar) difficulties with Instagram.
7. Wait
It is common practice for social media apps to limit the rate of use of certain features or services. As a spam prevention measure, Instagram may temporarily restrict you from sending DMs if you’ve messaged too many users in a short period of time, especially people you don’t follow. We’ve seen reports of multiple Instagram users being temporarily restricted from sending direct messages because they’ve DMed too many people.
And since there’s no official Instagram policy or documentation regarding DM limits, it’s kind of hard to know if you’re posting too many messages. However, we discovered that sending between 30 and 100 DMs to users you don’t follow can result in you being banned from research. Therefore, as a guide, we recommend working with this range and not overdoing the number of DMs you send (per day).
As mentioned earlier, the ban is only temporary and usually only lasts 24 hours. If you can’t wait that long and you’re sure you haven’t sent multiple DMs in a spammy-like manner, continue with the troubleshooting solutions below. But if Instagram actually banned you, you have no choice but to wait until the end of the ban.
8. Update the Phone’s Operating System
If you still can’t DM but other Instagram users can, then the problem might be with your device. Check for software updates and make sure your smartphone is running the latest operating system version. This applies to both Android and iOS devices.
DM Style Freely
Restarting your smartphone (or your browser for Instagram Web) is also an effective troubleshooting solution we recommend. Leave a comment below if you need more help.
Next: Do you miss Instagram messages because you don’t get DM notifications on your smartphone? Check the solutions in the post linked below to fix the issue.
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