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3 Ways to Fix Videos Not Playing on Instagram

Quick Tips
  • Ensure your internet connection is working, and try restarting the Instagram app on your phone.
  • Try disabling data and using battery-saving mode to see if that helps.
  • Consider clearing the Instagram app cache on your phone if the problem persists.

Try Basic Fixes

  • Update the Instagram app: Running an older version of Instagram can lead to such problems. Hence, it’s a good idea to update the Instagram app from the Play Store or App Store.
  • Check if Instagram is down: It’s worth checking Instagram’s server status before proceeding to the more advanced solutions on the list. Check Instagram’s server status on Downdetector to see if others face similar issues.

Fix 1: Turn off Battery Saver Mode

The battery saver on your phone can restrict an app’s ability to work at full capacity. As a result, you may encounter issues while playing videos or loading other content on Instagram.

To turn off the battery saver on Android, head to the Settings app and tap on Battery. Then, turn off the Power saving option.

If you have an iPhone, head to Settings > Battery and toggle off Low Power Mode.

Fix 2: Turn off Data Saver

Another reason Instagram may appear slow to load content or fail to do so entirely is if you’ve enabled the data saver option in the app. Here’s how to disable it.

Step 1: Open Instagram and switch to the profile tab. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top right corner to access the Settings and activity page.

Step 2: Go to Data usage and media quality and turn off the Data Saver toggle.

Additionally, you must ensure you haven’t enabled data saver on your phone. For that, use these steps:

On Android

Step 1: Open the Settings app and go to Connections > Data usage.

Step 2: Turn off the Data Saver mode.

On iPhone

To disable Low Data Mode on Wi-Fi, launch the Settings app > select Wi-Fi > tap the info icon next to your Wi-Fi network > turn off the Low Data Mode toggle.

If you use Instagram on cellular data, go to Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options and disable the Low Data Mode toggle.

Fix 3: Clear App Cache (Android)

Overwhelming cache data can also cause Instagram to misbehave and stop playing videos. So, clearing the Instagram app cache should help.

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

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

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Last updated on 03 July, 2024

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