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How to Fix Privacy Check on Instagram

Are you getting a “Privacy Checks” error on Instagram?

The error message can happen on both the Instagram mobile app and the PC version of Instagram.

A user reported that they are getting the “Privacy Checks” pop-up each time they open Instagram on their PC.

The message will pop up and open a blank white/black screen where you won’t be able to do anything.

When you close the app or the website and re-open it, the Privacy Check error will appear again.

In this guide, you’ll learn what are “Privacy Checks” on Instagram and how to fix the Privacy Check error.

What are “Privacy Checks” on Instagram?

Privacy Checks Instagram

The “Privacy Checks” error is a bug on Instagram that happened in early 2022.

When you open the Instagram app or the PC version of Instagram, the “Privacy Checks” page will pop up.

The page will be completely blank with “Privacy Checks” shown on the top navigation bar.

You won’t be able to close the page because there isn’t an option to do so.

As a result, you can only close Instagram and re-open it.

However, if you close Instagram and re-open it, the “Privacy Checks” page will pop up again.

As the error message is a glitch, Instagram will probably fix it in an upcoming update.

Hence, it’s highly recommended that you update the app (if there is one) and see whether it fixes the error.

How to fix Privacy Check on Instagram

To fix the Privacy Check error on Instagram, you can either wait it out or uninstall and reinstall Instagram.

If you’re using the PC version of Instagram, you can try opening it from an incognito browser.

An incognito browser means that Instagram won’t be able to track your activity.

This includes your browsing history, cookies, and site data.

This can fix certain bugs and glitches on the Instagram website.

If you’re using the Instagram mobile app, it’s highly recommended that you update the app.

Check if there’s an update for Instagram on the App Store or Google Play Store.

If there is, update the app, re-open it, and check if the “Privacy Checks” error is gone.

Uninstalling and reinstalling Instagram will also update the app to the latest version as well.

Here’s how to fix Privacy Check on Instagram:

1. Wait it out

The first step is to wait it out.

In some cases, the Privacy Check error happens because Instagram is down.

To check if Instagram is down, you need to navigate to the Down Detector website.

Once you’re on the website, search for “Instagram” and take a look at the graph.

If there’s a spike in the graph, it means that Instagram is most likely down.

If Instagram is down, you need to wait until Instagram fixes the issue on their end.

Alternatively, you can head over to Twitter and search for the error message using the search bar.

If there are a bunch of recent tweets about the error message (e.g. Privacy Checks), it means that you’re not the only one experiencing the issue.

Instagram will typically be back up in less than 24 hours.

In the meantime, you need to check if there’s an update for Instagram on the App Store or Google Play Store.

If there is, you need to update the app because it might contain bug fixes.

2. Uninstall and reinstall Instagram

The second method is to uninstall and reinstall Instagram.

Uninstalling Instagram will clear the app’s cache.

Clearing the app’s cache will remove temporary files, which can fix certain issues.

Hence, the next time you open the app, it will be started afresh.

In addition, uninstalling and reinstalling Instagram will update it to the latest version.

If the update contains “bug fixes”, it’ll most likely fix the current error message that you’re experiencing on the app.

After you’ve reinstalled Instagram, the “Privacy Checks” error should be fixed.

3. Use incognito mode on a PC

The final method is to use incognito mode on a PC.

This method applies to people who are using the PC version of Instagram instead of the Instagram mobile app.

If you’re using the PC version of Instagram (www.instagram.com), you need to open an incognito browser.

To do so, right-click the Chrome icon and click on “New Incognito Window”.

After you’ve opened an Incognito window, navigate to the Instagram website and log in to your account.

This time, you shouldn’t get the “Privacy Checks” error.

Incognito mode will prevent Instagram from tracking your activity.

This includes your browsing history, cookies, and site data.

As a result, any temporary blocks or error messages can be fixed.

Conclusion

There are multiple bugs and glitches on Instagram.

The “Privacy Checks” error message is just one of many.

Some of them might appear because of a recent update.

If so, you need to wait for another update to fix the bug.

If Instagram is down, you need to wait until it’s back up.

In most cases, it’ll take no more than 24 hours.

A bonus method that you can try is temporarily deactivating your Instagram account.

After you’ve temporarily deactivated your Instagram account, you need to reactivate it.

You can also try adding your email address and phone number on the Instagram mobile app.

To do so, navigate to your Instagram profile > Edit Profile > Personal Information Settings.

Further reading

How to See Your Liked Posts on Instagram

135+ Good Instagram Comments For Your Friends

240+ Funny Instagram Captions (For Friends & Selfies)

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About the author

Lim How Wei

Lim How Wei is the founder of followchain.org, with 8+ years of experience in Social Media Marketing and 4+ years of experience as an active investor in stocks and cryptocurrencies. He has researched, tested, and written thousands of articles ranging from social media platforms to messaging apps.

Lim has been quoted and referenced by major publications and media companies like WikiHow, Fast Company, HuffPost, Vice, New York Post, The Conversation, and many others. One of his articles about the gig economy was quoted by Joe Rogan who hosts The Joe Rogan Experience (arguably the most popular podcast in the world), in the This Past Weekend podcast by Theo Von.

In his free time, Lim plays multiple games like Genshin Impact, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Hearthstone, RuneScape, and many others. He creates guides, walkthroughs, solutions, and more on games that he plays to help other players with their progression.