If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to slide into your crush’s DMs, now might not be the time. Unfortunately, the gods of Instagram can work in mysterious ways. People are reporting that their Instagram DMs aren’t working. According to HITC, the issue began on July 5, when users began reporting that their DMs were failing to load or send, and others have even noted their DMs disappearing completely. If you’ve found yourself in this strange technical difficulty limbo, you might be wondering how to get your Instagram DMs to work again.
According to Down Detector, it appears that most user reports of issues with Instagram have gone down since June 6, but there is still an uptick in current reports. As of right now, there isn’t a clear cause of the glitch. Bustle reached out to Instagram for comment, and we’ll update this story when we hear back.
Maybe you’re dying to tell your acquaintance that you also love that song they shared to their story. Or, you got a hilarious reply from your BFF on your most recent poll that you need to acknowledge. Whatever your reason, sometimes you just can’t wait until Instagram bugs mysteriously fix themselves. If this is the case for you, here are some troubleshooting tips while Instagram DMs are down.
Troubleshooting Tips While Instagram DMs Are Down
Unfortunately, like most Instagram bugs, sometimes the only solution is to wait it out. Typically, Instagram will update the app with a solution to the issue, like it did recently with its repeating app bug.
Until that happens, However, there are some tried and true troubleshooting techniques that can sometimes offer a quick fix. First and foremost, your best move is to check if your app is up to date. Since the DM bug will often be resolved through an update, keeping your app up to speed is crucial. Head to the app store and search for Instagram. If you see an option to update the app, tap this button. If the only option is the open the app, then your Instagram is up to date.
Some other options that HITC recommends are closing the app or deleting it and re-downloading it. To completely close an app on iOS, swipe up on your screen and swipe up on the app again to remove it from your screen. On Android, you can do this by swiping up on an app, holding your finger down, and then letting go.
To delete Instagram on iPhone, hold down on the app on your home screen and tap “Remove App” in red. On Android, you can delete the app by opening your Google Play store, heading to your profile, and tapping “Manage apps & devices.” Select Instagram and tap “Uninstall.” Once you’ve removed the app, head back to your app store and re-download it.
If none of these solutions work, then your best bet is to wait and hope Instagram developers can find a solution soon. Luckily, if your DM inquiry is particularly urgent, you can always slide into their text messages.
