Being one of the most popular apps in today’s time is not an easy task. And no matter how big a platform becomes, it can’t be perfect. The same is the case with Instagram and its feature of Instagram Reels.
Launched back in 2019, Instagram Reels quickly became the talk of the town and grew up as one of the fastest features. So much so that it even made its way globally to Facebook Reels.
Instagram Reels lets users make short videos of up to 60 seconds now and then post them on Instagram. But despite being an interactive and engaging feature, there are still some issues with it that users complain about. One of them is ‘Instagram Reels not working’.
In this article, we will talk about the fixes for ‘Instagram Reels not working’ and also explain methods for a similar issue, ‘Instagram stories not working’. So let’s jump right in!
The feature of Instagram Reels has been in the social media game for quite some time now, and there are millions of users using it. With millions of users using it, it is surely an interesting feature that is pretty engaging.
When it first launched, the time limit to make Instagram Reels was 15 seconds but was later extended to 60 seconds. It garnered huge popularity not long after TikTok was banned in India, and millions of users shifted to Instagram Reels.
The users can interact just as they do in the other Instagram posts with likes, comments, shares, and save. However, there are several reasons why the issue of ‘Instagram Reels not working’ may occur. So let’s have a look at them in the next section.
There could be several reasons why Instagram Reels are not working. We are going to list some of them below:
These were some of the possible reasons which can lead to the issue of ‘Instagram Reels not working.’ So now, let’s talk about the different methods to resolve the ‘Reels not working on Instagram’ issue.
Despite being one of the most popular apps in today’s time and used by over 1 billion users worldwide, Instagram is not an error-free platform. The users sometimes complain about issues they often face on the mega-social media platform, one of which is ‘Instagram Reels not working’. And who would want to miss out on such an interesting feature, right?
So if you are also one of the users who are facing the ‘Instagram Reels not showing’ issue, we have gathered some useful methods which can help you in getting it resolved.
The first thing that you should do before trying any other method is to check that you have a stable and working network connection. It is possible that when you are trying to access the Instagram Reels, you might be in a low connectivity area, hence causing the ‘Instagram Reels to not show’ issue. So you must check your device’s internet connection and its range.
As discussed earlier, another possible reason for causing the ‘Instagram Reels not working’ issue can be an old version of the Instagram app. So, you need to make sure that your app is updated and won’t cause issues with the Instagram Reels feature. The steps for the process are as follows:
Another way is by logging out of your Instagram account and logging back in. This trick has worked for many, and if you want to try it out, follow the steps given below:
Once you have logged out, log back in, and see if the issue of reels not working on Instagram has been resolved or not.
It is possible that the Instagram Reel you are trying to watch has an Instagram Reels glitch or the link to it has been taken down. So you can try going to any other reel and see if it works. Switching to a different Instagram reel or simply refreshing the page can help too.
There is no doubt that anything on social media that contains video content can consume a lot of your internet data. And hence, the same is the case with Instagram Reels. So in case you have the ‘Data Saver’ enabled for Instagram, it can also be why ‘Instagram Reels not working.’
So to turn it off on Instagram, the steps for Android are as given below:
To do the same in iOS, follow the steps given below:
One of the major reasons that contribute to the issue of ‘Instagram Reels are not working’ is the cache that continues to get stored over time. It can cause the app to glitch and function slowly as well. So in order to clear it, follow the steps given below:
| Solution Synopsis: Settings < Apps and Notifications < Instagram < Storage and Cache < Clear Cache < Clear Storage |
| Solution Synopsis: Settings < General < iPhone Storage < Instagram < Offload App |
If your device’s storage remains full most of the time, and you think that it is not able to keep up with the Instagram app, you can try switching to Instagram Lite.
Also, it is possible that there is not enough data to run Instagram Reels smoothly on your device. So that problem also gets resolved if you use Instagram Lite.
If you think the methods explained so far won’t work for you, reinstalling the Instagram app might help. Sometimes there are glitches or bugs in the app that remain the same even after updating it. So reinstalling it can remove the issues with the app as you start afresh. The steps for it are as follows:
If you are an Android user, you can also try signing up for the Instagram Beta version, as it is only available for Android. All you have to do is follow the steps given below:
Once you are done, check if the Instagram Reels are working fine in the Instagram Beta version. If they aren’t, you can move on to the other methods and try them out.
Before jumping to conclusions, it is important to note that the fault could be from our end too, rather than just Instagram’s. It is possible that the software of your device is out of date or there is a software app available which is pending to get downloaded and installed by you. So now, maybe it is about time that you consider doing so, and the steps for it are as follows:
| Solution Synopsis: Settings < System < System Update |
| Solution Synopsis: Settings < General < Software Update < Download and Install |
One of the essential points to be noted is whether the Instagram Reels is launched in your country or not and if it has been made available. Even though the feature is available in 150 countries and still rolling out in more, not everyone has access to it. And as it has been globally provided to Facebook, if you are not a Facebook user, and the feature is not available to Instagram for your region either, you may not be able to access it at all.
So before trying to use it, you must check and confirm whether it has been made available in your country or region yet or not.
If none of the methods discussed so far worked for you, there is one last way to go and it might help. Even though reporting directly to Instagram and waiting for a reply can be a time taking process, you can consider giving it a shot. The steps are as follows:
Apart from the ‘Instagram Reels not working’ issue, the users have also reported issues related to Instagram stories like can’t share posts to Instagram stories. And one of those issues is ‘Instagram stories not working’. So if you are also facing this issue, you can follow the methods given below.
Related: How to Secretly View Instagram Stories
The first and most common way to start resolving any such issues is by checking whether you have a working network connection with stable and good strength.
Another method is to update the Instagram app. There can be bugs or glitches in the app, causing the Instagram Reels to not function properly.
If updating the app doesn’t help, you can try to log in to your account after logging out. This is a quick way to refresh everything, and now the Instagram stories might start working back just fine.
It can also be the case that the particular Instagram Reel or story may not be working and the rest are. This can be due to any broken link or denied access by the reel owner. So you can check this to confirm and see if playing different reels helps.
Since Instagram uses a lot of data for loading pictures and videos, many people prefer to keep the data saver on, so there is less use of it. However, this could also be why Instagram Reels aren’t working for you. So turning it off might help you out.
As cache often gets collected in the devices and apps, the same can be in the case of Instagram. If the issue is because of the app, you have to clear the cache, and this may help you in getting rid of the issue of ‘why are stories not showing on Instagram?’
Since using Instagram and watching Instagram Reels or stories requires a good amount of internet data, and in case you don’t have it, there is an alternative. If you think that the issue of ‘Instagram stories not working’ can be due to this, you can install Instagram Lite.
If you think that there is some issue with the Instagram app, then another possible fix can be reinstalling it. This will clear the app of bugs and other glitches which might be causing the issue.
The Instagram Beta version is only for android users and also helps to get access to new features quickly. So if you are missing out on using the Instagram Stories or Instagram Reels features, using the Instagram Beta version might help.
Since many people don’t pay attention to software updates, there is a possibility that it can cause issues in apps. So if the methods so far did not work for you, you can check whether there is any pending update and do the software update.
If you think that the problem lies on Instagram’s end, you can try reporting the issue directly to them. Even though addressing ‘Instagram Stories not working’ issue with Instagram can be a time taking process, you can expect a reply from them in 24-48 hours or more.
As discussed earlier, it is important to check whether the Instagram Reels feature is available in the country or region that you are in or not. If it is not available, this could be the reason for the ‘Instagram Reels not working’ issue.
Using the methods explained in the article, you will hopefully be able to resolve the issue of ‘Instagram stories not loading’ and ‘Instagram Reels not working’.
It has been a while since Instagram Reels was launched, and it had its own number of issues at first. But, even though most of the issues have been solved by Instagram’s end, the users still face some. One of them is ‘Instagram Reels and Stories not Working’ and we have covered it in this article.
Being unable to enjoy such an interesting feature of Instagram can be annoying, so if you are also facing this issue, this article will help you in getting rid of it.
