Sound Not Working in Instagram – What to Do

Instagram is an excellent platform for posting video content. However, users occasionally encounter an issue where their sound isn’t working on Instagram, even if they try the volume keys, tap the crossed-out speaker, and open the video. This situation can be frustrating as it prevents you from enjoying the content on your Instagram feed.

Fortunately, this is a pretty easy issue to fix in most cases. If you’re having problems with the Instagram sound not working, let’s look at the steps you can take to fix it.

Keep in mind that specific videos or stories don’t include any sound. In this case, you’ll see the “Video Has No Sound” marker at the bottom left.

How to Fix the Sound Not Working on Instagram

1. Check Bluetooth Headphones/Earbuds to Ensure They Work

Not getting any sound on Instagram might be related to your Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, even if you are not wearing them. For example, if Apple AirPods have “Automatic Ear Detection” turned off, the sound will go to the earbuds, whether in your ear or not, as long as they are paired with your iPhone.

A similar problem occurs with many wireless speakers. The speaker’s volume is turned down, you forget to unpair it from your smartphone, or the sound goes to another device.

Here’s how to fix this:

1. Go to the Bluetooth menu of your smartphone, check for paired speakers/headphones,
   
   
   
2. and tap on a device to disconnect it.
   
   

2. Restart the Device

Simply rebooting your device can often reload any processes that weren’t running correctly. This action may fix your audio issues.

To determine if this is the case, restart your smartphone to eliminate the bugs and junk files that might prevent sound from playing.

Hold one of the volume rockers and the Side button simultaneously for iPhone X and later until you see the Power slider. Move the slider to power off the phone, then press and hold the Side button and release it when the Apple logo appears.

For older iPhones (iPhone 8 and earlier): hold the Side/Top button to bring up the Power slider. After turning off the smartphone, press the Side/Top button again to power it back on.

For Android: Press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power options appear, then tap on reboot or restart. If you’re using a newer Android phone, you may need to hold the volume and power buttons to restart the device.

3. Update Instagram

Instagram frequently releases updates and bug fixes that address various in-app problems. In the past, many users reported issues with playing music on stories or playing sound altogether. This situation is why you need to check if there’s an update.

1. Launch the App Store or Play Store, navigate to Updates or My Apps & Games, and swipe the list to find Instagram.
   
   
   
2. Hit the Update button next to the app, and Instagram will confirm that the latest version is installed.

4. Update iOS/Android OS

If your phone’s Operating System (OS) software isn’t current, you may encounter problems using various apps, including Instagram. Here is a quick guide for software updates on iOS/Android.

For iOS:

1. Launch Settings, tap on General, and select Software Update.
   
   
   
2. Tap Download and install and wait a few minutes for the iPhone to update. You might be prompted to confirm that you want to install the software. In this case, tap on Install or OK in the pop-up window.
   
   
   

For Android:

1. Hit the gear icon to access Settings, enter the System menu, and select About phone.
   
   

If you use Samsung Galaxy, you should look for Software updates instead of the System. On Pixel smartphones, you need to tap Advances instead of About phone. Either way, you should easily find the Download and install option.

5. Check Down Detector for Instagram Outages

Several users responded to our article during the same time frame, stating they had a sound issue that lasted several days. Although it didn’t affect everyone, a massive outage is easy to spot using Down Detector.

1. Visit the site and type Instagram into the search box.
   
   

This step will tell you if other people have the same issue as you and cut your troubleshooting time short. If there is a massive problem, you can report it to Instagram or wait it out. If not, continue troubleshooting or report it to Instagram.

6. Check the Hardware

Has your smartphone recently been submerged in liquid? Did you drop it? If yes, a hardware issue might prevent your phone from playing sound.

To test things out, try playing sound with other apps, such as YouTube, SoundCloud, or Spotify, and make sure the volume is up to the max. Hopefully, you’ll be able to hear the sound from the built-in speakers.

If not, try cleaning your speakers with a toothbrush or soft-bristled brush. Assuming this doesn’t work, you may need to take your phone to a repair shop to have the speakers replaced.

8. Clear Instagram Cache

Clearing the Instagram app may fix the problem. Essentially, this wipes out stored data, similar to an app restoral. You can always choose to delete and reinstall the application on your phone, but clearing the Cache is a simple solution to try:

For Android:

1. Access your phone’s Settings and tap on Apps, Application Manager, or Apps & notifications, depending on your Android version.
   
   
   
2. Scroll down and tap on Instagram.
   
   
   
3. Tap on Clear Cache.
   
   
   

The steps above won’t delete any of your information in the app, although you may need to log back in once you’ve cleared the Cache.

For iPhone:

Unfortunately, iPhone users must delete the app to clear the Cache. You can either long-press the app icon until it jiggles and click on the X to confirm or go through the settings.

1. Go to your iPhone’s Settings menu and tap on General.
   
   
   
2. Tap on Storage or iPhone Storage, depending on your iOS version.
   
   
   
3. Scroll down and select the Instagram app.
   
   
   
4. Then, tap on Delete App. You’ll need to confirm the deletion.
   
   

Once the above process is done, you can return to the App Store and reinstall the application. Ensure you have your iCloud password to download and your Instagram login credentials.

9. Check Your Phone’s Settings

Lastly, there’s one other thing you can check—your Sounds. Both iOS and Android have separate settings for how your phone distributes sound. Of course, you’ve probably tried turning the volume up, but it isn’t unheard of (especially after a system update) that your sounds could route to the wrong speaker. For example, if your phone is routed to the earpiece, you aren’t likely to hear it.

1. Open Settings on your phone and type Sounds into the search box (iOS users need to open Settings and scroll down slightly for this box to appear).
   
   
   
2. Once you’ve pulled up the selections, go through the applicable ones. For example, Accessibility on both operating systems can mess up your sound. Be sure that all sounds are turned on.
   
   
   

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Unfortunately, there are many reasons why the sound might stop working on Instagram. Thankfully, you now know the best solutions if the sound is not working on Instagram.