To update Instagram, open the App Store on an iPhone or Google Play on an Android phone, find Instagram and tap Update. On a good connection it takes about a minute, and you keep your posts, messages and settings. When it finishes, open the app as normal and carry on where you left off.
You may not need to do anything at all. Most phones update apps on their own in the background, so the copy on your phone could already be the newest one. The quick check below tells you in a few seconds, and the rest of this guide covers what to do when an update won’t install or a new feature still doesn’t show up.
| The One-Search Check Search for Instagram in the App Store or Google Play and look at the button next to it. Update means a new version is waiting. Open means you already have the latest one. |
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How To Update Instagram on Your Phone
Both app stores keep a list of apps with updates waiting, so you don’t have to search for Instagram every time. The steps below follow the current layout of each store. If your screen looks a little different, start from your profile picture at the top, because both stores keep their update lists behind it.
On iPhone or iPad
- Open the App Store.
- Tap the My Account button or your photo at the top of the screen.
- Tap App Updates to see the apps with new versions waiting.
- Tap Update next to Instagram, or tap Update All to update every app on the list.
When the download finishes, Instagram moves to the Updated Recently list on the same screen. If Instagram isn’t in the list of waiting updates, there’s no new version for your phone right now. You can confirm it by searching for Instagram, where the button will say Open.
On Android
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap your profile picture at the top right.
- Tap Manage apps & device.
- Under Updates available, tap See details.
- Tap Update next to Instagram, or tap Update all to install every waiting update at once.
You can also search for Instagram in Google Play and open its page. The Update button only shows there when a new version is available. If you see Open instead, your app is already up to date and there’s nothing to install.
Turn On Automatic Updates
Automatic updates save you from checking at all. On an iPhone, apps from the App Store update on their own by default, so this is mostly about making sure nobody switched it off. Open Settings, tap Apps, tap App Store and turn on App Updates. This one switch covers every app from the App Store, so an iPhone can’t auto-update Instagram on its own while leaving the rest alone.
Android gives you more control. To set every app to update by itself, open Google Play, tap your profile picture, then tap Settings › Network Preferences › Auto-update apps. You can choose to update over Wi-Fi or mobile data, update with a limited amount of mobile data, update over Wi-Fi only, or not auto-update at all. Wi-Fi only is a sensible pick if your data plan is small.
To auto-update just Instagram on Android, use the app’s own page instead. It takes four taps and leaves your other apps on whatever setting you chose above.
- Open Google Play and tap your profile picture.
- Tap Manage apps & device, then tap Manage.
- Find Instagram and tap it to open its Details page.
- Tap More (the three dots) and turn on Enable auto update.
One thing can quietly stop this from working. If any account on the phone has a sign-in error, apps may not update automatically. Open Google Play and fix any account it asks you to sign back in to.
When Instagram Won’t Update
Sometimes the Update button spins, stops or does nothing. Start with the fixes that work on both phones, in this order, because the first ones are the quickest:
- Connect to strong Wi-Fi, or switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data to test the connection.
- Free up storage by deleting old videos, files or apps you don’t use.
- Restart your phone, then try the update again.
- Install any waiting software update for the phone itself.
If the update is still stuck, try the extra steps for your phone below. Each store has a couple of snags that are specific to it.
On iPhone
The App Store can ask for a valid payment method before it updates apps, even free ones like Instagram. If you see a message about a billing problem, fix the payment details in your Apple account first, and the update should go through. In some regions you may also be asked to confirm your age before you can download apps.
If Instagram shows as waiting or paused on your Home Screen, touch and hold the app icon and choose Prioritize Download. That moves it to the front of the queue. To update the phone itself, go to Settings › General › Software Update.
On Android
Google Play needs room to unpack the update, and less than 1 GB of free storage may be too little. Check that your phone’s date and time are set automatically, because the wrong time can cause connection problems with the store. Then close Google Play completely and open it again.
To update the phone itself, go to Settings › System › Software update › System update. The exact names can change a little from one phone maker to another, but the path usually starts under System.
As a last resort on either phone, delete Instagram and install it again from the store. On an iPhone, touch and hold the app and tap Remove App. On Android, go to Settings › Apps › Instagram › Uninstall. Your photos and profile info are saved by Instagram, so they’ll be there when you log back in. Drafts you never posted may be stored only on the phone, so post or save anything important before you delete the app.
Updated but the Feature Isn’t There
This is the most common reason people go looking for an update. A friend has a new sticker, layout or button, so you update the app, and it still isn’t there. That’s usually not a problem with your phone. New Instagram features often reach people in stages, and the help pages for them often say the feature may not be available to you yet.
That means two people on the same newest version can see different things. Close Instagram fully and open it again, and make sure your phone’s software is current too. If the feature still isn’t there, give it some time, because it will often appear without any further update. Message reactions are a good example, and our guide on how to react to messages on Instagram shows where they should appear once your app is current.
Still Not Working After the Update
Sometimes the update installs fine and the app still misbehaves. If the app still freezes or shows old content, clear the Instagram cache next, and our guide explains why that means deleting the app on an iPhone. That removes stored files that can stay broken from one version to the next.
When a problem keeps coming back, tell Instagram about it from inside the app. Go to your profile, tap the menu, and under More info and support tap Help, then Report a Problem. You can shake your phone on the screen where the problem happens, or tap Report problem without shaking and describe it in writing.
While you wait for a fix, there are two other ways in. Instagram.com works in any mobile or desktop browser, so you can check messages or post from there. On Android, Instagram Lite is a smaller version of the app that uses less data, which helps on a slow connection.
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See our Instagram servicesInstagram Update Questions
Will updating Instagram delete my photos or messages?
No. Updating only replaces the app, not your account. Your posts, messages, followers and settings are stored by Instagram, so they’re all there when the new version opens. Even deleting and reinstalling the app keeps them, although unposted drafts may be lost.
Can I go back to an older version of Instagram?
Not in any normal way. The App Store and Google Play only offer the current version, and some older versions of Instagram stop working because they’re no longer supported. Sites that offer old app files to download aren’t a safe fix, because those files can be altered and may put your phone and account at risk.
How do I update Instagram on a computer?
There’s nothing to install if you use Instagram.com in a browser. The site always loads the latest version, so the only step is to keep your browser up to date. If a page looks broken, refresh it or sign out and back in before trying anything else.
Update First, Then Check the Feature
Most Instagram problems that send people looking for an update are solved in a minute. Check the button in your app store, tap Update if it’s there, reopen the app and then look for the feature. If the button says Open, you already have the newest version, and a missing feature is most likely still on its way to you.
Turning on automatic updates means you won’t have to check again. When something is still broken after that, the fixes in this guide go from quickest to slowest, so you’ll rarely need the reinstall. If you’re getting your account ready for a fresh start, you can also add Instagram followers to give your profile a stronger first impression.
