The world’s biggest photo-sharing platform, Instagram, is also preferred by many as their primary Instant Messaging app. While it may not be as popular as the IM heavyweights like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, Instagram still enjoys massive popularity among its audience. Instagram DMs are also routinely updated to add new features like ‘Vanish Mode’ and ‘Quiet Mode’, in order to offer something more than its peers. Even with all the cutting-edge features, it is not uncommon for the app to face certain issues from time to time. In this article, we bring you the 6 best working methods to fix the ‘Instagram direct messages not working’ issue on your smartphone.
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Check your Internet Connection
The most likely reason your messages aren’t getting through on Instagram is a faulty connection. Make sure you are connected to an active Wi-Fi network. If not, turn on your mobile data to ensure internet connectivity. Open a web page on Chrome to ensure your internet is working. To further test the signal strength, run a speed test on your phone. If there are no connection issues on your end, the problem likely lies with the app or Instagram servers.
Clear the app cache
Once the cache memory builds up, the temporary files stored in it may get corrupted. This can lead to certain malfunctions within the app. In order to fix this issue, quickly clear the Instagram app cache from your phone’s settings. Here’s how.
Step 1: Go to Settings and select Apps.
Step 2: Scroll down and select Instagram.
Step 3: Tap on Storage.
Step 4: Select ‘Clear Cache’ from the bottom of the screen.
Force stop the app
If clearing the app cache doesn’t work, try forcefully stopping the app. This will suspend any background activity and shut down the app entirely. A forced stop helps in performing a complete reboot of the app. Once you’ve force stopped the Instagram app, tap on its icon in the app drawer to relaunch it. Here’s how you can force-stop Instagram on your smartphone.
Step 1: Go to Settings and select Apps.
Step 2: Scroll down and select Instagram.
Step 3: Select ‘Force Stop’ from the bottom of the screen and confirm your selection in the following popup box.
Update the Instagram app
Instagram rolls out frequent updates to fix any recent bugs and glitches. If your DMs aren’t getting through because of a bug, you will need to update the app to fix it. If you are using a very old version of the Instagram app, chances are that it has been phased out. You will have to update the app in this case as well. In order to update the app, simply go to Google Play Store, search for Instagram, go to the app page and tap on ‘Update’.
Sign out and sign back in
It is also possible that the problem may be specifically related to your account. To reset any account-related glitches, sign out of the Instagram app and sign back in. To sign out of Instagram, go to your profile, tap on the hamburger menu, select Settings, scroll down and select ‘log out’. Once you’re logged out, enter your login credentials (Instagram username and password) to sign back in.
Check if Instagram’s servers are down
It is not uncommon for Instagram’s servers to experience an outage. When the servers are down, all app activity is ceased until the servers are back up and running. You have no other option than to wait it out. To check if Instagram’s servers are down, visit the DownDetector website and search for Instagram.
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Conclusion
These are the 6 best working methods to fix the ‘Instagram direct messages not working issue’ on your smartphone. For further assistance, you can contact Instagram Help. If the issue is account-specific (like a temporary ban), only Instagram can take the appropriate measures to fix it. You can also use Instagram Web to access and send DMs if the app keeps creating trouble. If you found this article helpful, let us know in the comments!
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