Top 8 Ways to Fix Unable to Log In to Instagram on Android and iPhone

Signing into your Instagram account may be necessary after switching to a new phone or reinstalling the app. However, the process only sometimes goes smoothly. Sometimes, Instagram won’t let you log in to your account even if you enter the correct username and password.

When you cannot log in to Instagram, you may encounter errors such as ‘Sorry, there was a problem with your request’ or ‘An unknown network error has occurred.’ In this post, we’ll go over eight effective troubleshooting methods for resolving Instagram login errors on your Android and iPhone. So, let’s start.

1. Toggle the Airplane Mode

Your first course of action is to rule out any issues with your network connection. You can toggle the Airplane mode on your Android or iPhone. Doing so will refresh your phone’s network connections and resolve any minor glitches.

To access Airplane mode on your Android, open the Settings app and navigate to Connections. Turn on the toggle next to Airplane mode and then turn it off after a minute or so.

If you’re using iPhone X or higher, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to bring up the Control Center. For older iPhones, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Tap the Airplane icon to turn on Airplane mode and then turn it off after a few seconds.

2. Force Stop the Instagram App and Reopen It

Next, you can restart the Instagram app on your Android or iPhone. This may seem rudimentary, but it can help resolve any temporary app-related issues by giving it a fresh start.

To force close Instagram on Android, long press on its icon and tap the ‘i’ icon from the menu that appears. On the App info page, tap the Force stop option at the bottom.

For those using an iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen or press the Home Screen button twice to bring up the app switcher. Locate the Instagram app card and swipe up on it to close it.

Reopen the Instagram app and try to log into your account.

3. Log in With Facebook

Another thing you can do is sign into your Instagram account using your Facebook credentials. Of course, this is only possible if you’ve previously linked both accounts.

On the Instagram login page, tap on ‘Log in with Facebook.’ If you’re already logged into the Facebook app, you’ll be logged in automatically. If not, you’ll need to enter your Facebook login information.

4. Check Date and Time Settings

Having your phone set to an incorrect time or date could prevent Instagram from communicating with the servers. To avoid discrepancies, it’s best to configure your phone to use the network-provided date and time.

Android

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your phone and tap General management.

Step 2: Tap on Date and time and enable the toggle next to ‘Automatic date and time.’

iPhone

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and tap General.

Step 2: Tap on Date & Time and toggle on the switch next to Set Automatically.

5. Temporarily Disable VPN Connection

Instagram might flag your login attempts as suspicious if it detects unusual network activity. This can happen if you use a VPN service and switch servers frequently. It’s best to turn off your VPN connection if Instagram keeps throwing network errors during login.

Once disabled, try to log in to your Instagram account again.

6. Check Instagram’s Server Status

Instagram’s servers may be having a rough day. If that’s the case, you might run into errors while logging into your Instagram account.

Websites like Downdetector track such service outages for a variety of providers, including Instagram. You can visit Downdetector on your PC or mobile to see if it’s a server-side problem.

Visit Downdetector

7. Clear App Cache (Android)

If you’ve been using the Instagram app for a while, it may have accumulated a significant amount of cache. Although this data helps improve app performance, it can cause issues if corrupted. Hence, purging that old cache is important if the problem persists.

Step 1: Long-press on the Instagram app icon and tap the info icon from the menu that appears.

Step 2: Go to Storage and tap the Clear cache option at the bottom.

Restart the Instagram app after this and try to log in to your account one more time.

8. Update the App

An outdated or buggy Instagram app build could ruin your experience. So, it’s best to keep your apps updated to the latest version.

Head over to Play Store (on Android) or App Store (on iPhone) to update the Instagram app. Once updated, you should be able to log in without any problems.

Instagram for Android

Instagram for iPhone

Start Using Instagram Again

It can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause behind cryptic Instagram login errors. Resolving Instagram login issues on your Android or iPhone should take a little time if you apply the fixes mentioned above. Go through them and let us know which works for you in the comments below.