In recent years, Instagram took the world by storm. This photo-sharing social app has become a go-to social network, with the integration of Snapchat-like Stories, TikTok-like Reels, and IGTV service. However, there are still years-old issues plaguing users, like common reports about Instagram not working on Wi-Fi.
If your Instagram feed won’t load or Direct Messages won’t send messages on Wi-Fi, continue reading below.
Table of contents:
- Check for Instagram service outages on DownDetector
- Thoroughly inspect your internet connection
- Clear Instagram cache and data
- Reinstall the app
- Leave the Beta program or try an older APK
- Access Instagram via the browser
Why is my Instagram not loading on Wi-Fi network?
If your Instagram is not working on Wi-Fi, you can usually fix it with these solutions:
- Make sure that there’s no global outage. The most important thing when dealing with a problem like this is to determine whether the problem is isolated or affects a lot of users. Instagram is an enormous service with 500+ million daily users. Servers crash, server-side updates break things — it’s not unusual for Instagram to be down for some time.
- Restart your phone and try again.
- Try using mobile data and if you have Wi-Fi issues, restart your router.
- Clear local data from Instagram.
- Reinstall Instagram or download an APK version of the app.
Once you are sure that the issue is on your side, try the steps below to get Instagram to work on Wi-Fi again.
Solution 1 – Check for Instagram service outage on DownDetector
Sadly, Facebook and Instagram are not informing users when outages, maintenance, or similar important operations occur. Operations that render the service unusable for many users.
Luckily, there are third-party services that work on peer reports about a variety of services, including Instagram. The go-to website for that is DownDetector. So, navigate to DownDetector and find out whether other people reported Instagram not working on Wi-Fi or similar issues.
If the problem is widespread, you can, for the time being, try using Mobile data, sit tight, and wait. On the other hand, if the problem is not widely acknowledged or even the mobile data doesn’t work, continue with the steps below.
Solution 2 – Thoroughly inspect your internet connection
This is self-explanatory. I had a hard time chatting and sending multimedia via Direct messages a couple of months ago while using my antiquated wireless router. The moment I switch to Mobile Data — everything works seamlessly. Once I replaced the router, the wireless issues were all gone.
Now, there are all other things to consider here. Your router might be fine, but consider temporarily disabling all other devices on that network. If the problem persists, reset your modem and router. Try using different apps on your device that are dependent on a wireless connection, try downloading something, or test the network in your browser by searching for Test network speed.
If all other home devices work without issues and you can single out your Android device as the one with connectivity issues, make sure to reboot it. You can also enable the Airplane mode for a minute or so and then disable it. You can also check our article about Wi-Fi issues on Android for more solutions.
Finally, you can reset the Network settings. Here’s how to do it on basically any Android device:
- Open Settings.
- Choose System or General management.
- Scroll down and open Reset or Reset options.
- Tap Reset network settings.
- Confirm selection.
Solution 3 – Clear Instagram cache and data
The third step requires clearing the cache and data from the Instagram app. We all know how Facebook and Instagram pile up a lot of data. They cache the pages to load faster the next time you start scrolling. An abundance of locally-stored cache might and will eventually lead to app issues. That’s why we recommend clearing it before giving reinstallation a try.
Follow these instructions to clear cache and data from Instagram:
- Open Settings.
- Select Apps.
- Open Instagram from the list of apps.
- Select Storage.
- Clear Cache.
- Now, Clear Data and reboot your device.
Solution 4 – Reinstall the app
In case the problem is persistent, the next thing you can do is reinstall Instagram. We are well aware that this isn’t much different than the previous step, but your troubleshooting options are rather limited. By reinstalling the app, you’ll get the latest version and a clean start.
Follow these steps to reinstall Instagram for Android:
- Open the Play Store and look for Instagram.
- Tap Uninstall.
- Reboot your device and go back to the Play Store.
- Install Instagram again.
Solution 5 – Leave the Beta program or try an older APK
Alternatively, if you have enrolled in the Instagram Beta program, make sure to leave it. There are indeed advantages of having early access to new features but those versions are usually not as stable as the public ones.
Follow these steps to leave the Beta program:
- Open Play Store.
- Search for Instagram.
- Scroll down and, under the You’re a beta tester section, tap Leave.
- Wait until you are excluded from the Beta program and update Instagram in Play Store.
On the other hand, you can go for an older version by downgrading Instagram via APK. These APKs come from third-party sources so many users are skeptical about them. However, if the problem started with a recent update, installing an older version should fix it for you.
Here’s how to install an older Instagram APK:
- Uninstall Instagram.
- Navigate to APK Mirror and download an older version of Instagram.
- Allow your browser to install third-party apps from unrecognized sources. Learn more about APKs and unknown sources.
- Install the APK and look for improvements.
Solution 6 – Access Instagram via the browser
Finally, although it lacks some functionality, you can temporarily use Instagram on the web as an alternative. Have in mind that you’ll need to enable the Desktop mode on Chrome or an alternative browser to avoid being redirected to the Play Store automatically.
Follow these instructions to access Instagram for the Web on your Android:
- Open Chrome on your Android device.
- Tap on the 3-dot menu and check the Desktop site box.
- Navigate to Instagram for the Web and log in with your credentials.
That’s a wrap. Thank you for reading and don’t forget to tell us if these instructions helped you resolve the issue with Instagram on Wi-Fi. You can do so in the comments section below or on Twitter or Facebook.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in November 2019. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
