Instagram down updates — Thousands of social media users report issues as Meta suffers major outage

Meta reached for comment

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Meta for more information on the reported global outage.

However, we have not yet heard back from the company.

Chaos erupts

Meta users are unleashing as they are learning of the outage.

"IG and FB DOWN!!!! Aaaahhh!" one wrote on Downdetector.

Another commented, "Whole meta down, ig, fb, messenger, for me gmail to."

Elon Musk throws jab at Threads

Tech competitor Elon Musk recently tweeted about Threads and wrote: “It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter, than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram.”

Everyone is talking about the new app, and “Threads” became the top trending word on Twitter today.

Can you delete a Threads account without deleting Instagram?

Millions have joined Mark Zuckerberg’s brand new social network Threads.

Chances are, some people merely downloaded it out of curiosity and now want out.

But it’s not quite as straightforward as that.

It turns out there’s currently no way to delete your Threads account only.

That’s because it’s tied to your Instagram account.

According to Meta‘s help guide, the only way you can purge your Threads account entirely is by deleting your Instagram account too.

“Your Threads profile is part of your Instagram account, and may be deleted at any time by deleting your Instagram account,” it reads.

Other ways to refresh your feed

Instagrammers can also clear the Instagram cache from Storage settings by finding Instagram on list of apps in Settings and pressing “Clear Cache.”

The error also may have appeared because IG thinks you are a bot. To prove you are real, you can link your Facebook account:

1. Click on three lines at the top right corner of your profile page on Instagram
2. Open “Settings” and select “Account”
3. Click “Sharing to other apps” and then press “Facebook”
4. Sign in with Facebook login details.

What to do if Instagram is down

The best thing to do is relaunch the app.

Force quit Instagram by sliding up and then dismissing the app so it closes entirely.

See if it then reloads.

It could also be a problem with your connection, so see if something else like a web page loads for you – if that doesn’t load, it’s an issue with your internet.

And if you’re still having problems after all this, it’s time to work out whether you’re alone in all this.

Do a search on Twitter to see if others are complaining about the same thing.

Should you see a load of tweets about Instagram being down, then you have your answer.

In which case, the only thing you can do is wait for it to be fixed and check the options above for updates.

Do you need Instagram for Threads? 

Threads is an offshoot of Instagram and only Insta users can create an account.

Users are allowed to post up to 500 characters of text and up to five minutes of video and links, as well as pictures.

The app is linked directly to Instagram and lets you import your profile and friends list.

However deleting your Threads profile also means getting rid of your Instagram account, which has caused frustration among early users.

And although the app is linked to Instagram, it offers Twitter-like microblogging. 

Can I use Instagram without an account?

No – due to an Instagram update in 2020, you can no longer browse Instagram without having signed up to the platform.

If you try to view profiles, posts, or Stories, you will be automatically sent to a log-in page when you try to view Instagram profiles, posts and stories.

How to delete an Instagram account

You can only get rid of your account for good by accessing Instagram through a web browser.

You cannot delete your account through the Instagram app.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to do it…

1. Sign in to Instagram.com.
2. Click ‘Help’ on the right-hand side of the page, underneath the ‘Suggestions For You’ list.
3. Click ‘Managing Your Account’.
4. Click ‘Delete Your Account’.
5. Click ‘How do I delete my Instagram account’, followed by the ‘Delete Your Account’ hyperlink that appears under that.
6. A drop-down menu will appear asking you to select your reason for deleting your account.
7. To continue, re-enter your password.
8. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click ‘permanently delete my account’.

What Threads is - explained

Meta’s Threads app is billed as a “text-based conversation app” by Meta, which also owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” the app’s description reads.

The app is linked to Instagram and has components of a Twitter-like microblogging aspect.

Users will be allowed to post up to 500 characters of text and up to five minutes of video and links, as well as pictures.

How to check if Instagram is down

First, you can visit the Instagram Help page.

There, you’ll find various options available in the panel on the left of the page.

Select “Known Issues.”

Any problems that Instagram may be encountered should be displayed ther

Make sure your app is updated

It is always good to check if you are running the latest version of the app.

Android users should visit the Google Play Store and tap on the three lines in the upper left corner.

In the menu, select “My Apps & Games>Updates” and then see if there are newer versions available.

If Instagram is there, be sure to tap the “Update” button to the right of its name.

iPhone users will need to open the App Store and tap on the “Updates” tab at the bottom of the page.

What issues are users dealing with?

In both the US and UK, users are facing issues with the app.

Social media users have been asking if the issue is affecting everyone.

One said: “Is Instagram down for everyone?”

A second asked: “Anyone else having issues with Insta?”

People are realizing they made a massive Threads app mistake

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta released the rival Twitter app called Threads which accumulated hundreds of thousands of downloads within days.

However, it has a familiar icon with other apps and some have mistakenly been downloading the wrong app.

Read all about it below so you don't do the same mistake as others.

Threads accounts now tied to Instagram

Millions have joined Mark Zuckerberg’s brand new social network Threads.

Chances are, some people merely downloaded it out of curiosity and now want out.

But it’s not quite as straightforward as that.

It turns out there’s currently no way to delete your Threads account only.

That’s because it’s tied to your Instagram account.

According to Meta‘s help guide, the only way you can purge your Threads account entirely is by deleting your Instagram account too.

“Your Threads profile is part of your Instagram account, and may be deleted at any time by deleting your Instagram account,” it reads.

Customizing ads

While users cannot completely escape Instagram ads, they can customize their content to an extent.

By going into the edit profile section of Instagram and then selecting “Personal information settings” users are brought to an option for “Ad preferences.”

By selecting that option, users can denote topics of ads they want more or less of.

More on disabled accounts

Instagram can disable users’ accounts if they don’t follow community guidelines.

If your account is disabled, you’ll receive an error message when trying to log in to the app.

You can dispute this by following the instructions when you try to log in.

If your account was deleted there is no way of recovering it.

Error messages explained

If you’re receiving an error message when trying to follow someone, it could be because you’ve exceeded the follower limit.

Instagram has a limit of 7,500 for following to reduce spam accounts.

If someone follows more than 7,500 people, they did so before the change was made, according to Instagram.

Adding user pronouns

Instagram recently introduced an option for users to input their pronouns in their bio.

To do so, users just have to go to their profile and select “edit profile” and then click on the pronoun field.

From there, users can add multiple pronouns ranging from traditional options to neo-pronouns.

Emoji pronouns are not available for use at this time.

What to do if Instagram is down

The best thing to do is relaunch the app.

Force quit Instagram by sliding up and then dismissing the app so it closes entirely.

See if it then reloads.

It could also be a problem with your connection, so see if something else like a web page loads for you – if that doesn’t load, it’s an issue with your internet.

Reports fall once more in the UK

Reports of issues have fallen once again in the UK.

According to Downdetector under 80 UK users are reporting issues with the social media platform.

Meanwhile, over 200 US users are also experiencing issues with the app.

Some users share their Instagram down ‘for days’

One Instagram user shared via Twitter: “My instagram been down for days.”

Another added: “My instagram being down two days in a row is not it but I guess I’m in IG detox right now.”

“So I really gotta delete and reinstall IG to get it to work on my phone?? FAIL,” wrote a third.

Tips for troubleshooting, concluded

If restarting your phone, checking your connection, and reinstalling the app doesn’t work, you may need to reach out to Instagram’s Help Center.

To report a problem with the app, tap your profile picture and select Settings and Privacy.

Next, click on More Info and Support, tap Help, and Report a Problem.

From here you can report a problem with the app to Instagram’s Help Center.

Reports continue to rise

According to Downdetector, users are continuing to report issues in the UK.

More than 350 users were experiencing problems according to the latest data.