Instagram Videos Not Playing? 9 Ways to Fix It

Instagram is one of the most prevalent social media platforms with more than 1 billion users. It enables you to share photos and videos with your followers. Typically, Instagram works perfectly most of the time. However, some users recently complained that Instagram videos are not playing on their devices.

Instagram videos might not load or play efficiently because of several reasons. In this article, we are going to show you the possible reasons behind this problem and effective solutions to fix it.

Why Are My Instagram Videos Not Playing?

Some of the common causes behind Instagram videos not playing are as follows:

Weak Internet Connection: In most cases, your Instagram videos are not playing smoothly because the internet connection is not stable. Either the internet connection is weak, or the cellular signal is poor in your area.

Using the Old Version of Instagram: Are you using an outdated version of the Instagram app? This can lead you to various performance issues and bugs, including the video not loading or playing.

Corrupted App Data: Sometimes, the app data of Instagram may get corrupted because of malware attacks or some other issues. This can lead to the video not playing properly.

Insufficient Device Storage: If you are encountering the issue on your Android or iPhone, then the storage in your device may be running low. Because of low storage memory, the video may freeze when you are trying to view it.

Invalid Video: Sometimes, the issue can be with the video itself. It can be corrupted, invalid, or not uploaded correctly.

Ways to Fix Instagram Videos Not Playing on iPhone/Android

1. Check Internet Connection

To watch Instagram videos on your iPhone or Android device, make sure that your internet is working smoothly. Here is what to check:

Checking the Network:

• Check the disabled apps under “Cellular Data Use”.
• Make sure that Instagram is not on the list.
• If you find Instagram there, remove it.

Check Your Router:

• Restart the router. Make sure the cables are okay.
• Restore or reset the router to factory settings.
• If possible, try with a different router and check if the videos play.

Reset the Network:

If you cannot decode the issue, consider resetting the network settings. Here is how to do it:

• For Android: Go to Settings and then Backup & Reset. Open Network Settings Reset and press Reset.
• For iOS: Open Settings and go to General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Enter the passcode and confirm the Reset.

2. Restart Your Device

Restarting can help to fix most of the annoying minor issues of your phone. So, consider restarting the device to get rid of the issue.

If you are using android:

• Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds until the power off option occurs.
• Press the Power Off/Restart option to restart the phone.

If you are using iPhone/iPad device:

• If you are using iPhone X or later, press and hold the side button with either volume button until the slider occurs. For the prior devices, you need to press and hold the side button/power button.
• Drag the slider to Power off the device. Once the device turns off, press and hold the side button again to power it on.

3. Update the Instagram App

If your Instagram app is outdated, it can lead to a variety of issues because of the bugs. As the newer version of the app brings the reported bug fixes, you should be able to use the app smoothly after updating.

• To update the Instagram app on Android: Open the Google Play Store and tap Menu. Find the Instagram app and tap “Update”.

• To Update the Instagram app on iPhone: Open the App Store and search for Instagram, then tap “Update” if a new version is available.

4. Clear Instagram App Data & Cache

Like any other app, Instagram stores app and cache data to assure you a smoother browsing experience. But sometimes, these data can get corrupted and lead you to various issues like videos not playing. In such cases, you will need to clear the app and cache data.

Cleaning the cache data on iPhone/iPad:

• Open Settings and then go to Security.
• Now go to Apps and Websites.
• Find and remove the Instagram app.
• Reinstall it from the App Store.

Cleaning the cache data on Android:

• Open Apps from Settings. Then go to Storage.
• Select Instagram and press on Clear Data and Clear Cache.

5. Disable Autoplay on Instagram

Autoplay is a feature on Instagram that starts playing the video automatically when you browse them. For some users, disabling it helped them to play videos smoothly. Here is how to disable it when you are using Instagram on cellular data:

• Open Instagram and go to profile page.
• Go to Settings > Preferences > Auto-Play Videos and turn it off.

6. Uninstall & Reinstall the Instagram App

If the problem is with the Instagram app, then uninstalling and reinstalling should help to solve the problem. Here is how to do it:

For Android:

• Open Settings and go to Applications/Apps.
• Now go to Manage Applications and find Instagram there.
• Press on Instagram and then delete it.
• Reinstall it from the Play Store.

For iPhone/iPad:

• Press on the Instagram app icon from the apps list.
• Press the X icon when it occurs to delete the app.
• Open the App Store and reinstall Instagram.

7. Force Close All Background Apps

If there are several apps running at the same time, they can consume all the system resources and make the operating system run slow. This can lead to several issues, like Instagram videos not playing. In such cases, you can easily solve the issue by force stopping all the background apps.

How to force close all Android apps:

• Open Settings and go to Apps.
• Press on each app one by one and tap on Force Stop/Force Quit.

How to force close all iOS apps:

• Swipe the screen from the bottom to the middle.
• Now you will find all the open apps.
• Swipe left/right and then swipe up to close each app separately.

8. Disable Power Saving Mode

The power saving feature of your phone limits its performance to offer a longer battery life. Due to the lack of resources, the Instagram videos might not play efficiently. Here is how to turn off the power saving mode:

For Android:

• Open Settings and go to Battery.
• Find and disable the Power saving mode.
• Note that the settings can be a bit different depending on the device’s Android version and it may be also listed as “Battery Saver”.

For iPhone/iPad:

• Open Settings and then go to Battery.
• Now turn the toggle off for Low Power Mode.

9. Update Phone’s OS

If you are using an older OS version, it can lead you to a variety of issues. Updating to the latest version can easily solve these issues and you can enjoy better performance from the phone. Let’s see how to update your phone’s OS.

• For Android: Open Settings and go to About (or About Phone). Find and press on System Updates.
• For iOS: Open Settings and go to General. Tap on Software Update.

Bonus Tip to Download Instagram Videos for Offline Viewing

If the Instagram videos are not playing even after trying all the solutions above, you can consider downloading the videos to enjoy them offline. Apps like ClipDown enable you to easily download any Instagram videos.

ClipDown Video Downloader allows you to download videos at high-quality resolutions from a variety of sites including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. It’s very easy to use. Let’s see how to use ClipDown to download Instagram videos:

Step 1: Download and install the ClipDown app on your Windows/Mac PC. Then launch the app.

Step 2: Now open Instagram and copy the video URL that you are trying to play. Then come back to the ClipDown interface and press on “+Paste URL”.

Step 3: Once you press the icon, the video link will be automatically detected by the app. It will bring a dialog box from where you can pick the preferred video resolution and format. Press Download to start the process.

The video should be downloaded and ready to watch within a while.

Final Verdict

In the above, we have discussed almost all the solutions you can try to fix the Instagram videos not playing problem. By making use of them, you should be able to solve the annoying issue. Don’t worry if none of these work, as you can still download and watch the video using ClipDown Video Downloader. We hope now you will be able to enjoy the Instagram videos smoothly.