Check out these troubleshooting tips if you’re unable to send Direct Messages on Instagram from your iPhone.
You might be unable to send Instagram messages due to system glitches, temporary server issues, an outdated app version, or being blocked by the recipient. Here’s more on understanding the problem and how to fix it.
When you visit a public or private Instagram profile and don’t see the Message button, tap the three dots icon in the top right and choose Send message. Now, type your message and hit the send button.
Important: If you can’t reply to someone’s Instagram story with a message, it means they have turned off replies to their stories.
2. Check your internet connection
Before proceeding further, ensure you have a working Wi-Fi or cellular data connection. To do that, open the Safari browser and try visiting a website.
If it works, and you’re on cellular data, open the iPhone Settings app, tap Cellular, and make sure the switch next to Instagram is green, implying the app is allowed to use mobile data when your phone is not connected to Wi-Fi.
3. Force Quit and reopen the Instagram app
A glitch may prevent certain parts or features of the app from working. Simply close and reopen the Instagram app to resolve the issue.
4. Restart your iPhone
It’s possible that your phone has developed some temporary issues or a system glitch, causing it to malfunction. Just turn off your iPhone, wait a minute, and turn it back on.
5. Update the app
Bugs in the app may prevent you from sending messages or cause other related issues. Tap this App Store link to update the Instagram app on your iPhone.
6. You have hit your Instagram message sending limit
While Instagram doesn’t give a clear number, they do say this:
“Instagram has limits in place to stop direct messages that people may not want to get, like spam.”
Unofficial sites claim you can message around 50 to 100 new people daily. However, this number may be significantly lower for new or recently created accounts. Larger accounts may not have such restrictions.
7. Maybe it’s a celebrity account with DM limit exceeded
In exceptional cases or during major events (like a World Cup win), the celebrity account you’re trying to message may be overloaded with a wave of messages, and Instagram could put temporary restrictions in place to manage the barrage or prevent bot activity. In this case, try messaging again after a while.
8. Follow that account to get messaging privileges
In some situations, you may not see the “Message” button unless you follow that account. So, do that and see if it helps.
9. The person blocked you
It’s possible that the account you’re trying to message has blocked you. In this case, you can’t send them messages.
Usually, when you’re blocked and still visit the account’s profile page through a direct link, you’ll notice that the number of posts says zero (0) even though they have posted content. This is one of the signs that you’ve been blocked.
10. The account no longer exists
If you were already talking with an Instagram account but suddenly can’t send a message, it could be because the account was deleted by the user or suspended by Instagram. It’s also possible that the user temporarily deactivated their account or blocked you.
11. Check if Instagram is down globally or in your area
Sometimes, Instagram servers may be down globally or in your region because of technical outage. Google “Is Instagram down in your city/country name,” and sites like DownDetector will give you more info.
12. Wait for a short while
If you can’t send a message after following the above steps, I recommend waiting an hour or more before trying the remaining solutions. The problem might fix itself by then.
13. Log out of Instagram and log in again
Before you do that, make sure you remember its password, or check if it’s saved to your Apple Passwords app. If not, make sure the correct recovery email and phone number are added to your account, and be ready to reset the forgotten password.
Here’s how to log out of the Instagram app on your iPhone and log back in:
- Open the app and tap your profile picture in the bottom right.
- Tap the menu icon from the top.
- Scroll to the bottom and hit Log out.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Open the Instagram app and log back in.
14. Delete the app and reinstall it
In some rare cases, the problem you face in the Instagram app can only be fixed by uninstalling it and downloading it again.
15. Use Instagram in a web browser
If you have tried everything and still can’t send messages using the iOS app, try logging in to instagram.com in a web browser.
16. Try group chat
If you can’t send a direct message (DM) to a particular Instagram user, create a group chat with them and at least one other person or account. After that, send a message to this group chat, and the concerned person may get to see it.
17. Leave a comment on their post
Lastly, if nothing works and you still want to send a message, you can leave a comment on one of their posts. But remember, this is only effective if the account is small, as large Instagram accounts receive hundreds of comments per hour, making the chances of your comment being seen and answered very low.
Other Instagram tips: