Check if notifications are actually turned off in your phone settings
Instagram notifications often stop working because your phone's operating system is blocking them, not because Instagram itself is broken. Both iPhone and Android let you turn off notifications for individual apps at the system level, and this setting overrides anything you do inside the Instagram app.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Instagram. Make sure "Allow Notifications" is toggled on. If it says "Allow Notifications" with a toggle that is off, that is your problem — flip it on. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Notifications and make sure notifications are enabled there.
If notifications are already on at the system level, move to the next section. If you just turned them on, wait a few minutes and try sending yourself a test message through Instagram Direct Messages to see if the notification arrives.
Key Takeaways
- Your phone's operating system can block Instagram notifications even when the app itself has them turned on, so check both places.
- Instagram may have permission to send notifications but not permission to use sound or vibration, which makes them straightforward to miss.
- If you turned off notifications during a specific time (like Do Not Disturb on iPhone or Bedtime mode on Android), they stay off until you manually turn them back on.
- Restarting the Instagram app or your phone fixes most notification problems that are not caused by system-level settings.
- If notifications work for some types of activity (like Direct Messages) but not others (like likes), the problem is usually inside the Instagram app itself.
Make sure Instagram has permission to use sound and vibration
Even when notifications are turned on, your phone might be blocking the sound or vibration that makes you notice them. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Instagram and scroll down to "Sounds". Make sure it is not set to "None". Check "Vibration" the same way — it should be set to something other than "Off".
On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Notifications. Look for "Sound" and "Vibration" and make sure neither one is disabled. If both are off, you will get a notification badge on the app icon, but you will not hear or feel anything, so you might miss it entirely.
If you recently changed your phone's volume settings or turned on Do Not Disturb (iPhone) or Bedtime mode (Android), those settings can silence notifications even when the app permissions are correct. Check whether Do Not Disturb is currently active on your iPhone by swiping down from the top right corner — if you see a moon icon, it is on. On Android, swipe down twice from the top to see your full quick settings and look for "Do Not Disturb" or "Bedtime mode".
Check Instagram's notification settings inside the app
Instagram has its own notification controls separate from your phone's system settings. Open Instagram, tap your profile icon in the bottom right, then tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right. Go to Settings and Privacy > Notifications. Here you can turn notifications on or off for specific types of activity: likes, comments, follows, Direct Messages, story replies, and others.
If you want notifications from Instagram but not for every single activity, this is where you choose what matters to you. For example, you might want Direct Message notifications but not notifications every time someone likes your post. Make sure the types of notifications you care about are toggled on.
Some people turn off all notifications inside the Instagram app thinking they are just reducing noise, then forget they did it. If you have not checked this menu in months, it is worth opening now to see what is actually enabled.
Restart the Instagram app and your phone
Notification problems often fix themselves when you close and reopen Instagram. Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone screen (or swipe down from the top on Android) to see your open apps, find Instagram, and swipe it away to close it completely. Wait 10 seconds, then open Instagram again from your home screen.
If restarting the app does not work, restart your phone. This clears out temporary glitches that can prevent notifications from reaching you. Turn your phone off completely, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Once it has finished starting up, open Instagram and wait a minute before testing whether notifications work.
Restarting is especially useful if notifications suddenly stopped working after you updated your phone's operating system or the Instagram app itself.
Update the Instagram app to the latest version
Older versions of Instagram sometimes have bugs that break notifications. Open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android), search for Instagram, and see if an "Update" button appears. If it does, tap it to install the latest version.
If you have automatic updates turned on, Instagram should update itself, but checking manually takes 30 seconds and rules out an outdated app as the problem. After updating, close and reopen Instagram, then test notifications again.
Check if a specific type of notification is broken
Sometimes notifications work for some activities but not others. For example, you might get notifications when someone sends you a Direct Message but not when someone likes your post. This tells you the problem is inside Instagram's settings, not your phone's system settings.
Go back to Instagram Settings and Privacy > Notifications and look at each category individually. If Direct Messages are on but Likes are off, that explains why you are not seeing notifications for likes. Turn on whichever categories you want to hear about.
If one specific type of notification is broken even though it is toggled on in settings, try turning it off, waiting 10 seconds, and turning it back on. This resets that notification channel and often fixes the problem.
Clear Instagram's cache if nothing else works
If you have checked all the settings and restarted your phone but notifications still are not working, clearing Instagram's cache can help. This deletes temporary files the app uses but does not delete your account or messages.
On iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, find Instagram in the list, tap it, and tap "Offload App". Wait a few seconds, then tap "Reinstall App". On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Storage > Clear Cache. Then close and reopen Instagram.
After clearing the cache, go back to your notification settings and turn notifications back on, since clearing the cache sometimes resets them to the default state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I get notifications for some Instagram activities but not others?
Instagram lets you turn notifications on or off for different types of activity separately. Go to Settings and Privacy > Notifications inside the app and check which categories are actually enabled. You might have turned off notifications for likes or follows without realizing it.
Do I need to uninstall and reinstall Instagram to fix notifications?
Uninstalling and reinstalling should be your last resort. Try restarting the app, restarting your phone, and clearing the cache first. If those do not work, uninstalling removes all your local data and forces you to log back in, but it does fix notification problems that nothing else solves.
Can Instagram notifications be blocked by my internet connection?
No. Notifications arrive through your phone's system, not through the Instagram app itself. If you have internet access to use Instagram, you have enough connection for notifications. The problem is almost always a setting on your phone or in the app.
Why did my notifications stop working after I updated my phone?
Phone updates sometimes reset notification permissions for individual apps. After updating your phone's operating system, go to Settings > Notifications > Instagram and turn notifications back on. You may also need to re-enable sound and vibration for the app.
Should I turn on all notification types or just the ones I care about?
Turn on only the types of notifications you actually want to see. If you turn on every notification type, Instagram will interrupt you constantly. The point of checking your settings is to keep notifications useful instead of annoying.