Despite Instagram’s popularity, there are sometimes problems with the app on mobile device. Have you ever encountered “Instagram won’t let me post” problem on Instagram? Read on if you’re one of those people who can’t post on Instagram. In this article, we will touch upon how to solve this issue.
There are times when you cannot post on Instagram no matter how hard you try. However, there are numerous ways to fix this unable to post on Instagram problem. Let’s take a look at the ways to fix the issue.
Reasons I’m unable to post on Instagram.
It is possible that there are several other reasons for this problem, in addition to the one listed above. For uploading photos or videos, your internet connection plays a significant role in the reason why you can’t post on Instagram. With a poor internet connection, you may have trouble uploading a high-quality image or video to Instagram. However, this is not the only reason. Some of the possible reasons are:
Poor internet connection.
Heavy traffic.
Uploading copyright content.
Using the outdated Instagram app.
Content may violate Instagram’s terms and conditions.
When Instagram won’t let me post, what should I do?
Restart your phone.
All Instagram caches should be cleared.
Reset your Network Connection.
Update your Instagram App.
Make sure Instagram Server is working properly.
Follow Instagram’s guidelines when posting content.
1. Clear the Instagram Cache
One of the reasons for this problem is the cookies of Instagram. You may have trouble posting on Instagram photos and videos if these cookies are stored on your phone. To fix this situation, you have to clear the Instagram App cache. It is done differently on iOS and Android devices. Let’s see how to do it.
There is a problem with caching in the Instagram app.
Instagram saves every photo you post to a temporary storage area called a “cache”.
It’s usually not a problem to deal with Instagram’s cache files since it’s automatically clearing cache files on a regular basis.
It’s possible that Instagram won’t be able to store photos and videos if you don’t have any memory left on your device.
Solution: If your device runs out of memory, delete some original photos, files or apps you don’t need.
-On Android
To clear the cache on an Android device, here are the steps:
Go to the Settings of your device and then find the ‘Apps’ part.
Find the Instagram app.
Then tap on ‘Storage’ and select ‘Clear Cache.’
That is it.
-On iOS
The steps on iOS are pretty similar to the Android one.
Go to the Settings on your device, then go to General.
Choose iPhone Storage from General settings. Then, search for Instagram.
Clear Instagram’s cache memory by tapping ‘Offload App’.
Ensure that you restart Instagram after you have finished the process so that you can see if you can post.
2. Instagram Data Setting
There is a possibility that you cannot share too many posts on Instagram due to a data set. It is for saving your internet data. You may be unable to post on Instagram due to the limit Instagram sets. You can change the limit for this data set. Here is how to do it:
From your profile page, go to Settings.
Tap on ‘Account.’
Search for ‘Cellular Data Usage.’
You can change the limit from this page.
3. You have enabled the data saver on your phone.
Another common issue why you are unable to post on Instagram is that your phone or tablet may be in data saver mode, which prevents you from posting.
As a way to prevent excessive data consumption, data saving modes can often actively prevent your phone from doing certain activities. This means restricting you from posting photos and videos on Instagram since uploading them can require quite a bit of data.
Most of the time, these data saving modes don’t communicate very well on why they prevent your phone from doing certain things. This leaves you wondering why you can no longer do things on your phone.
How to fix your unable to post on Instagram issue: Deactivate data saving mode or connect to Wi-Fi.
4. Battery-saving features have been enabled
Similar manner to the data saving problem. In this situation, your device is using an aggressive battery optimization feature that limits many device functions, including uploading photos and videos.
The display may be limited to black and white in some extreme cases to conserve battery life.
How to fix your unable to post on Instagram issue: Deactivate your battery saver setting mode.
5. Filled Space on Your Mobile
If your phone storage is full, you might be unable to post on Instagram. If your mobile’s memory is filled with too many documents, you may not post on Instagram. Try to free up some space on your mobile. You can free your phone storage by removing unnecessary files, images, videos, or apps.
6. Your file is too large to post
In order to preserve its bandwidth and storage space, Instagram limits the file size it uploads.
Due to the relatively small size of photos, these limitations mostly affect videos. If you’re unable to post videos, but can post photos and comments just fine, then the most likely cause is that your video file is too big.
Here are the overall Instagram file size limits:
The maximum Instagram file size is 4 GB.
The maximum frame rate is 30fps.
The minimum Instagram vertical video dimensions are 600 x 750.
The minimum Instagram landscape (horizontal) video dimensions are 600 x 315.
In Instagram carousel and square videos, 600 x 600 pixels are the minimum dimensions.
The maximum Instagram video length is 60 seconds. In contrast, it is possible to create a video that lasts up to 10 minutes by posting up to 10, 60-second video clips.
How to fix your unable to post on Instagram issue: Reduce your video’s file size, frame rate, and resolution.
What to do when Instagram won’t allow me post
1. Restart your phone
When you have trouble posting on Instagram, this is the first step you should try. A simple restart of the device once will fix many minor issues. This is the easiest solution to solve this type of problem. Keep holding the power button of your Android smartphone until you see a reboot button appear. Tap on reboot to restart the device. Check whether your Instagram app issue still exists after restarting your device.
As for iOS, hold down the power and home buttons until you see the Apple logo on your phone. Then restart the iPhone and check the issue.
2. Re-login after logging out
You may be able to solve the problem by simply logging out and logging back in again if Instagram is refusing to post content.
If your Instagram account somehow gets desynced from the Instagram servers, you can’t post on Instagram or use some features of the app.
3. Reset your Network Connection
Poor network connections could also be a cause of “Instagram Won’t Let Me Post”. Bad network is one of the most common reasons for this type of issue. The internet connection you use on Instagram needs to be stable and robust in order to upload high-quality content. If your internet connection is giving poor performance, then reset the internet connection once and check. Put your device in flight mode for some time. After some time, disable the flight mode on your device. It will reset your internet connection. Your problem of unable to post on Instagram using your Instagram app will be resolved after your internet connection has been restored.
4. Update your Instagram App
When you use an outdated Instagram version on your smartphone, you may face uploading issues which cause you unable to post on Instagram. An obsolete version might cause many problems on your app and prevent you from using some new features. So, you should use the latest version of any app on your device. Check your Instagram app to see if it has the latest version. Go to the App store and search for Instagram. There you will be able to see if any update is available or not. If the update option is available, then update your Instagram.
5. The Instagram app on your phone is outdated.
Instagram updates its app regularly, and sometimes these updates change the way it posts photos, videos, comments, etc.
You cannot post on Instagram if your Instagram app is out of date.
How to fix your unable to post on Instagram issue: Just update your Instagram app.
6. Make sure Instagram’s server is working correctly.
Instagram may be temporarily unavailable due to heavy traffic. At that time, you will unable to post on Instagram. It is rare to see this type of server problem on the Instagram app, but it does happen from time to time. Due to security updates or server maintenance, the Instagram app can go down for a few hours. It is possible that Instagram will not function at that particular time. Instagram won’t let you post anything at that period. As soon as the server restarts, the “Unable to post on Instagram” issue will be solved.
7. Cross-Check the Permissions
This is a long shot, but it is totally worth the try. On the first run, Instagram asks to allow certain permissions. In the event that any of these permissions aren’t allowed by you, you will have trouble posting on Instagram. By allowing those permissions, why “Instagram won’t let me post” issue will be fixed.
You can check the permissions by going to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Permission. Tap on Storage and make sure it is on ‘Allow’. Also, check the Camera permission. Make sure it is allowed as well.
Instagram can’t access your photos on your smartphone if you deny the Storage permission, making posting pictures or videos on Instagram difficult.
8. Follow Instagram’s policies when posting content.
Some types of content can’t be uploaded to Instagram due to its policy. It has strict terms about what kind of content you can post. In case your content violates Instagram policies, they can identify it quickly and restrict it. If your post violates Instagram terms and conditions, then Instagram won’t allow you to post them on your account. Therefore, you must adhere to all Instagram’s terms and conditions.
9. Having a new account and posting too much is not a good idea.
Like most social networks, Instagram is plagued by bots.
A malicious marketer creates fake Instagram users in order to boost their clients’ likes, followers, and engagement.
For this reason, Instagram limits the number of likes, followers, comments, and posts a brand-new account can make.
You may have reached your account’s limit if you just started an Instagram account and can’t post anything anymore.
How to fix your Unable to post on Instagram issue: Wait and do nothing. New accounts on Instagram are usually limited for a few days to a week. They also get reset every day, so wait and try again tomorrow to see if you can post comments, photos or videos.
10. The word or image you used may have been banned.
Lawmakers and citizens alike are calling on Instagram and other social media platforms to regulate the type of content they show, resulting in strict policies.
Examples of inappropriate content can include copyrighted materials, pornographic images, and politically charged opinions.
Using artificial intelligence systems and complex filters, Instagram will be able to block explicit content in Instagram posts.
It’s possible Instagram has blocked your photo, video, or comment from posting due to its algorithm recognizing it as inappropriate.
How to fix your Unable to post on Instagram issue: Try posting a different picture, comment, or video if you suspect this is the case. Something super harmless. If you are successful in publishing the post in your subsequent attempt, this indicates that there might have been something wrong with the initial post.
However, if that does not work, it is possible that your account was shadow-banned as spammy or problematic. The solution in this case is to do nothing and wait a few days for the shadow-ban expires.
11. Posting on Instagram with third-party application
You may know that Instagram users can connect their accounts to a number of websites and apps through which they can upload photos and videos to their accounts on Instagram.
A good example of this is Buffer or Hootsuite.
It is important to note that Instagram has very strict policies in place regarding the use of these kinds of tools, because the company doesn’t want them to be misused on its platform in order to post junk and spam in mass quantities, which would violate Instagram’s terms and conditions.
If Instagram suspects you have used any tool stated above, your account may be restricted to prevent spam.
Many apps request permission to connect to your Instagram account. So even if you don’t recall giving authorisation for the specific ones mentioned, it is possible that you may have approved one in the past and simply forgotten.
How to fix your Unable to post on Instagram issue: Ensure that your Instagram account is not linked to a third-party application.
12. There is a possibility that you are using a proxy or VPN.
Using VPNs and proxy servers masks your Internet activity, location, and any other information that could lead to your identity being revealed.
Instagram has its own ways to block incoming VPN traffic, or restrict what users with VPNs can do despite this.
How to fix your Unable to post on Instagram issue: If you are using a VPN and cannot post on Instagram, try deactivating your VPN or proxy service. Your problem of can’t post on Instagram should be resolved soon.
13. The Instagram server may be down.
The event is rare, but it can happen, and server outages of Instagram have actually happened several times. Sometimes, due to server overload, server security updates or server maintenance, Instagram or say whole Meta Platform (including Facebook) can go down for a few minutes to hours (rarest). Attempting to post on Instagram at that time won’t work.
To check Instagram downtime, there are a lot of online tools. Open Google Search Page and search for “Is Instagram Down”. Otherwise, go to isitdownrightnow.com and enter instagram.com to check if Instagram is down or working.
14. Instagram is down
It is not uncommon for Instagram to experience outages where the entire social network or some features are unavailable.
In most cases, it takes down the entire Instagram site when it happens.
How to fix your Unable to post on Instagram issue: Use sites such as downdetector.com to check if Instagram is down right now. When it does, you don’t have much of a choice but to wait for the service to fix its problems and return to normal.
Types of Instagram issues that prevent you from posting
I’m unable to post to Instagram. Why is this happening? Listed below are the most common cases you might encounter when “Instagram won’t let me post”. In the following section, you will likely find the answer to your question “why can’t I post more than one photo on Instagram?”
1. Instagram won’t let me post:
The first and most common type is when you can’t post on Instagram of any type, which has a wide range of reasons that I talked about above. Please refer to the previous paragraph if you still do not understand why you cannot put up an Instagram post.
2. I am unable to post stories on Instagram:
Another type of “Instagram won’t let me post” is about stories, so you should look for the answer to “why can’t I post on my Instagram story”, and the possible reasons are:
When you lose your Internet connection.
Your story doesn’t allow you to share posts from private accounts.
A broken or not compatible software
Old app version
As a result of violating Instagram’s terms and conditions, you have been banned from posting stories on the platform.
An Instagram technical issue
3. I am unable to post multiple photos or videos on my Instagram account:
No need to worry if you ask, “why can’t I post multiple photos on Instagram”, because finding the answer is easy. Like the previous cases, many users face this error because of technical issues, a bug, a huge load of caches, using a third-party app, and so on. It is possible that you have just reached your daily limits or uploaded a long video from your multiple options.
4. There is a problem with uploading music to Instagram stories:
Instagram music is available in most countries, so you should be able to use the MUSIC sticker easily. Clearly, when you are here, you want to know “why can’t I post music on Instagram story”. Generally speaking, that can happen due to different reasons, such as:
Using an old version app and need to update it.
Logging in with a business account.
Sharing a branded content ad.
5. I’m unable to comment on Instagram:
My last point about the “Instagram won’t let me post” error is why Instagram won’t let me post a comment, and you can find the answer to this question by checking the following.
Out-of-date app
Mentioning more than five accounts in your comment
Using more than 30 hashtags in a comment
A repeated comment
Exceeding the daily comment limit
Being blocked by that one you want to comment for
A comment that contains filtered words
6. Make sure your photo has the right size and aspect ratio
As far as Instagram is concerned, there are certain sizes and resolutions that are supported. Anything beyond that will create problems for you. You will run into the “Instagram won’t let me post” issue if you upload a video longer than 60 seconds in high-resolution.
Instagram offers another app called IGTV for videos longer than 60 seconds. With the poor network, Instagram will take a lot of time to process it. Therefore, ensure the resolution and size of your image are Instagram-friendly.
Recommended Instagram Video Size & Resolution
In Instagram videos, the aspect ratio should be between 1.91:1 and 4:5. Anything more or less is not recommended. For horizontal video aspect ratio is 16:9, and Instagram is totally fine with that.
The video should not be more than 4 GB in size. Make sure you have high-speed Internet if you are uploading 2-3 GB video. If not, it will take a long time to process and upload.
The duration of the video must be less than 60 seconds. For long videos, upload using IGTV.
Recommended Instagram Photo Size & Resolution
For Square 1:1 photos, the resolution should be 1080px x 1080px.
In order to upload a landscape-oriented photo, it must be 1080 x 566 pixels, with a 1.91:1 aspect ratio.
The ratio of vertical images should be 4:5. The resolution should be 1080px x 1350px.
Contact Instagram Support
By now, “Instagram won’t let me post” issues should be fixed. However, if it is still there, Instagram support might help you out. The Instagram helpline does not have a dedicated phone number, so if someone gives you one, please beware.
You can contact Instagram through their dedicated contact page if you have any issues.
To Sum Up the Issue
There may be several reasons why you can’t post to Instagram. We have included some of the most common reasons. Cache problems, Instagram Data Settings, or full mobile space can cause this.
For more information and solutions to Instagram‘s problems, check out our other articles.