Are you getting the “An unknown network error has occurred” error on Instagram?
If so, you won’t be able to log in to your Instagram account.
You can only dismiss the message by tapping on “Dismiss”.
In addition, there aren’t any articles about it in the Instagram Help Center.
The error has been happening since many years ago.
Even though your internet connection is fine, Instagram just won’t let you log in.
In this guide, you’ll learn why does it say “An unknown error has occurred” on Instagram and how to fix it.
- Why does it say unknown network error when I try to log into Instagram?
- How to fix “An unknown network error has occurred” on Instagram
Why does it say unknown network error when I try to log into Instagram?
It says an unknown network error when you try to log in to Instagram because Instagram is most likely down.
If Instagram is not down, it means that your IP address has been temporarily blocked.
The first thing that you should do is check if Instagram is down.
You can do this by going to https://downdetector.com/status/instagram/ and viewing the graph.
If there are a lot of reports, it means that Instagram is probably down for everyone.
The website states that a problem is most likely occurring if the reports are higher than the baseline.
Instagram will temporarily block your IP address if you make too many login attempts.
This is done to mitigate DDoS attacks, hackers, and bots.
In some cases, your IP address might be mistakenly blocked.
If so, you can try switching from mobile data to Wi-Fi (and vice-versa) or using a VPN and see if it fixes the issue.
How to fix “An unknown network error has occurred” on Instagram
To fix “An unknown network error has occurred” on Instagram, you can try updating Instagram or uninstalling and reinstalling it.
You can also try resetting your password on Instagram Web and try logging into your account on the Instagram app.
Unfortunately, if Instagram is down, there is nothing that you can do on your end to fix it.
Instead, you need to wait for 24 to 48 hours for the error message to disappear.
Most error messages on Instagram will be automatically lifted after some time.
Hence, you shouldn’t panic because your account is not hacked.
1. Update Instagram
The first method is to update Instagram to the latest version.
Some Instagram updates come with bug fixes and performance improvements.
Those updates might be introduced to fix the current issues on the app.
Hence, you need to make sure that you have the latest version of Instagram.
To do so, open the App Store or Google Play Store, search for “Instagram”, and tap on “Update”.
After you’ve updated Instagram to the latest version, try logging into your account again.
2. Uninstall and reinstall Instagram
Uninstalling and reinstalling Instagram does a couple of things.
Firstly, it will clear the app’s cache—which can fix certain issues on the app.
Secondly, it will update Instagram to the latest version.
Uninstalling and reinstalling Instagram is also recommended in the Instagram Help Center.
The help article recommends doing it if restarting your device and checking your connection does not help.
3. Reset your password on Instagram
Some users on Reddit claimed that they were able to fix the “An unknown network error has occurred” error by resetting their Instagram password.
Resetting your Instagram password can be done on the Instagram app.
- Open the Instagram app.
- Navigate to the login screen.
- Tap on “Forgotten password?”.
- Enter your username, phone number, or email address.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your password.
If you have issues with resetting your password on the Instagram app, you can use Instagram Web instead.
- Go to Instagram.com using a browser.
- Click on “Forgot password?”.
- Enter your email address, phone number, or username.
- Click on “Send Login Link”.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your password.
4. Wait for 24 to 48 hours
In the event that Instagram is down, you need to wait for 24 to 48 hours for it to be back up.
Even if Instagram is not down, waiting for some time is highly recommended.
The “An unknown error has occurred” error is a temporary error.
Hence, it will be automatically lifted after some time even if you do nothing.
According to multiple reports, the majority of Instagram users encountering the error managed to log in to their account eventually.
DownDetector is a great way to check if Instagram is down.
Alternatively, you can search for the error message that you’re facing on Twitter.
After you’ve searched for it, check if anyone tweeted about it recently.
If there are a lot of tweets about the error message, it means that you’re not the only one encountering it and that it’s most likely a global issue.
Conclusion
Most errors on Instagram will be eventually lifted after some time.
The “An unknown network error has occurred” error is no exception.
In the event that you’re still facing it after several days, it means that there’s something wrong with your internet connection.
Otherwise, you might have accidentally restricted the data usage for Instagram.
To fix this, you need to ensure that you’ve enabled Wi-Fi and mobile data for Instagram in your settings.
Further reading
5 Best Private Instagram Viewer
