Fix: Instagram videos not playing on iPhone

Over the years, Instagram became so much more than a simple photo-sharing social network. With Stories and Reels (rivaling Snapchat and TikTok), and Instagram Live, Instagram is these days the jack of all trades. Sadly, some users report that Instagram videos are not playing on the iPhone for some reason. If that’s the case with you check the steps we listed below.

Table of contents:

1. Check the network
2. Enable Cellular data usage
3. Disable Low Power Mode
4. Reinstall Instagram

Why are the videos not playing on Instagram?

1. Check the network

Firstly, restart your iPhone. You wouldn’t believe how many issues are solved by a simple reboot. Also, check if Instagram isn’t down. Worldwide outages are not common but they happen from time to time.

If that doesn’t help and Instagram is not down, the most probable culprit for Instagram videos not playing on your iPhone is the network. Offline Instagram is not good Instagram. So, make sure that you are connected to a stable Wi-Fi or mobile data network.

In case you have any connectivity issues, check this article to sort them out in no time. If you can’t be bothered, just reset the network settings immediately.

Here’s how to Reset Network Settings on your iPhone:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Tap Reset Network Settings.
6. Confirm by entering your PIN or password.

2. Enable Cellular data usage

If you use mobile data to browse Instagram, make sure that Instagram has permission to use it. If not allowed, Instagram will wait for Wi-Fi to load the content. You can find the setting in System Settings.

Here’s how to allow Instagram to use cellular data on your iPhone:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Instagram.
3. Enable Cellular.
4. Check for improvements.

And, in case Instagram videos are playing but not automatically, you probably want to disable Data Saver in Instagram Settings. To disable Data Saver, open Instagram > Your Profile > tap on the hamburger menu and open Settings. Once there, tap Account and open Data Usage. Make sure that the Use less mobile data option is disabled.

3. Disable Low Power Mode

The Low Power Mode can limit certain functionality in apps and that’s why we suggest disabling it. However, it’s even better to charge your iPhone above 20% and the Low Power Mode will disable on its own. On the other hand, if you want to disable it manually, here’s how to do it:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Turn Off the Low Power Mode.
4. Open Instagram and check for improvements.

4. Reinstall Instagram

Finally, if none of the previous steps worked, you can reinstall Instagram and check for improvements. Data corruption is a rarity but Instagram does tend to pile up a lot of data and that might be a reason why certain in-app features work slower than usual.

Here’s how to reinstall Instagram on your iPhone:

1. Tap and hold on to the Instagram icon on the Home Screen or in the App Library.
2. From the contextual menu, tap Remove App.
3. After that select Delete App.
4. Restart your iPhone.
5. Open App Store and install Instagram again.
6. Sign in with your credentials and check for improvements.

And, on that note, we can conclude this article. Were you able to fix the issues with the solutions we provided here? Tell us in the comments section below or reach us on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2017. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.