Instagram music not working? 7 ways to troubleshoot
- If Instagram's music library is not working with your Story, It's not out of the ordinary, and it can be a quick fix.
- If the music sticker doesn't work for you, make sure your app is up to date, or try logging out and back in.
- Some users also have success switching from their Professional to Personal account to reactivate music in Instagram.
In recent months, an increasing number of users have found that they've been occasionally unable to add music to Instagram. Specifically, the music sticker in Instagram Stories has not worked as expected. If you try to use the music library in Instagram and find it doesn't work, here are a few simple troubleshooting tips that can often fix the problem and get you up and running again.
Check to see if you have the music sticker
Start by checking to see if the music sticker is available and working for you. Tap the Plus at the top of the screen and then, in the dropdown menu, tap Story. Choose a photo or video to add to your story.
Now you can tap the Music icon or tap Stickers and then select the Music sticker. Either way, you should see an extensive list of music options in Instagram's music library. If you don't, try some of the following troubleshooting steps.
Make sure the Instagram app is up to date
If you haven't updated your Instagram app in a while, it's possible that the version you have installed doesn't yet support music, or it has a bug preventing Instagram Music from working properly.
It's a good idea to leave automatic updates turned on so your apps update automatically, but it's also possible to force an app like Instagram to update manually. Here's how to update the Instagram app manually on Android, and if you have an iPhone, the process is similar:
1. Start the App Store app.
2. Tap the Search icon at the bottom right and search for "Instagram."
3. If the app has an update available, the button will say Update — tap it. Otherwise, it'll say Open, and that indicates you are already up to date.
Switch back to your personal account
Some users have reported that they lost access to music when upgrading to an Instagram Business account. If you're logged into a Professional account, it's easy to switch back to your Personal account to see if that resolves your problem. Don't worry about losing access to your professional account — you can switch back and forth as often as you like.
1. Go to your profile page in the bottom-right corner.
2. Tap the three-line menu at the top right and then, in the pop-up menu, tap Settings.
3. Tap Account.
4. Scroll to the bottom and choose Switch to Personal Account.
It might take some time for the music feature to work again in your personal account.
Log out of Instagram
Another way to troubleshoot your Instagram glitch is to sign out and then sign back in again. It's possible that when you log back in, the music feature will be restored.
1. Go to your profile page in the bottom-right corner.
2. Tap the three-line menu at the top right of the page and then, in the pop-up menu, tap Settings.
3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Log Out.
4. Log back into Instagram using your usual Instagram account credentials.
Reinstall the app
If logging out and back in again didn't resolve the problem, there might be a problem with your installation of the Instagram app, or the app's data cache could be corrupted and prevent the app from working properly. Either way, an easy fix is to simply uninstall the app and then reinstall it. You'll need to log back in with your usual account credentials, but nothing in your Instagram account will be lost.
If you're using an iPhone, here is how to uninstall an app from your iPhone. Similarly, you can uninstall Instagram from your Android device. Afterward, simply install a fresh version from Google Play or the App Store and log back in.
Check to see if Instagram is having service outages
It's possible that parts of the Instagram service are offline, and that may be affecting your ability to use parts of the app, such as the music library. You might want to look at Instagram's status page at DownDetector to see if the service is offline or having a serious outage.
Reach out to Instagram customer support
If none of these troubleshooting tips were able to restore Instagram Music on your device, it might be time to reach out to Instagram customer support. Instagram has a customer support phone number as well as a robust help center with support articles, FAQs and a system for reporting problems. For more information, here are all the details on how to contact Instagram customer support.