Solved: How do I fix Instagram “5xx Server Error”?

Problem: Recently Instagram had server issues and showing a 5xx Server Error (500–503), causing problems when loading the Instagram feed, sign up, log in, sharing, etc., users reported Instagram problems on social media platforms or various forums like Quora or Reddit.

• Why does Instagram have 5xx Server Error (500–503)?
• How do I fix the Instagram 5xx server error?
• How do I fix the Instagram server error (5xx)?
• Why does Instagram have a server error?
• What is a 5xx server error on Instagram?
• Why is Instagram down (Instagram is not working)?

Content Summary

Check if Instagram is down globally or just your Instagram app not working
Workaround 1: Search related hashtags to Instagram down on Twitter
Workaround 2: Follow @instagramdownnn Twitter account
Workaround 3: Check update at Outage Detector site
Workaround 4: Check update at Instagram Help Center
5xx Error Explanation
Solution
Solution 1: Google for related Instagram 5xx Server Error (500–503)
Solution 2: Wait for the Server to recover
Solution 3: Check Internet connection
Solution 4: Switch to Wi-fi or restart mobile data
Solution 5: Restart device
Solution 6: Restart the Instagram app
Solution 7: Update Instagram app
Solution 8: Reinstall the Instagram app
Solution 9: Open Instagram using browser
Alternative when Instagram down

Check if Instagram is down globally or just your Instagram app not working

Instagram servers might sometimes crash and stop working, Instagram tries to solve such issues as soon as possible. Most of the time, Instagram problems happen because of an outage on Instagram servers, and the Instagram app goes down. There are sometimes problems with your own device or Internet connection which are not global issues.

Since Instagram problems might be happening only to your Instagram app, Internet connection, or device which are not related to Instagram outage globally. So when you find that Instagram is not working, the first thing is to check whether the problem is from your end or it is down for everyone. Follow the below workaround to check if Instagram is down globally or just your Instagram app not working.

Workaround 1: Search related hashtags to Instagram down on Twitter

If Instagram is down, or it stops working globally, hashtags such as #Instagramdown, #Instagramdownagain, and #instadown will become trending on Twitter because Instagram’s users will use these hashtags in their Tweets to report that Instagram is down when they are facing issues. Search these hashtags on Twitter to see if anybody else is facing Instagram problems or it is just not working for you.

Workaround 2: Follow @instagramdownnn Twitter account

Follow an account on Twitter called @instagramdownnn which is specifically related to updates on whether Instagram is down or not, to keep up with possible Instagram outages.

Workaround 3: Check update at Outage Detector site

There are some sites such as Down Detector and Outage report that will check the status of different websites and report if they are having issues. Such websites give clear answers on whether the problem lies on the Instagram servers or with your device. These sites give exact information when Instagram is down, and they even show which places in the world are having issues with Instagram and what their issues are.

For example below, Down Detector reported 66% of Instagram users are having issues with the Instagram feed to concluded that it is not just you having these issues. Click on the Live Instagram outage map to see exactly in which countries Instagram is down at the moment.

Workaround 4: Check update at Instagram Help Center

Go to Instagram Help Center > Known Issues to check for possible issues of outages on Instagram servers.

5xx Error Explanation

5xx HTTP status codes indicate that the server is aware that it is on error or is incapable of performing the request. The server response usually includes an explanation of the error situation and if it is a temporary or permanent condition. These response codes in this group apply to any request method.

Instagram 5xx server error (500–503) means that there is an error with the Instagram server. For example, the following problem may occur:

• 500 Internal server error: The web server has encountered an unexpected condition, which prevented it from fulfilling the request by the client, such as malfunction of a script, the crash of a process, or resource bottleneck.
• 501 Not implemented: The web server does not support the functionality required to process the request, does not recognize the request method, requirements not met by the server, or not capable of supporting it for any resource.
• 502 Bad Gateway: While acting as a gateway or proxy, the webserver received an invalid response from the upstream server it accessed in attempting to process the request.
• 503 Service Unavailable or 503 Temporarily not available: The web server is currently unable to handle the request due to temporary overloading, maintenance of the server, or is defective. This is a temporary condition that will be alleviated after some delay.
• 504 Gateway Timeout: While acting as a gateway or proxy, the webserver did not receive a timely response from the upstream server specified by the request URL or some other auxiliary server it needed to access in attempting to complete the request.
• 505 HTTP Version Not Supported: The web server does not support, or refuses to support, the HTTP protocol version that was used in the request message.

Solution

Solution 1: Google for related Instagram 5xx Server Error (500–503)

Instagram 5xx Server Error (500–503) shown when opening Instagram is usually a result of the maintenance process, open Google to search for the particular error code to understand what’s wrong. Instagram 5xx Server Error (500–503) is the common error that also appears on other apps.

Solution 2: Wait for the Server to recover

If you have performed the above workaround to check and found that the majority of users are reported the same issues, then be sure there is something wrong with the Instagram servers. You can’t do anything if you get an Instagram 5xx server error (500–503) because the problem isn’t from your device or internet connection but occurs from the Instagram server-side somehow down and it can’t handle requests at that moment. You just need to wait till the Instagram server rectifies its problem, completes its undergoing maintenance or updating procedure. The Instagram app will restart as soon as it back online, after that you may either see a new update of the app or new features.

Solution 3: Check Internet connection

Poor Internet connection will cause slowdowns or failure to load Instagram news feed and sharing posts. Make sure the connection is stable and not interrupted. If you are using a Wi-Fi connection, try to move closer to the router or restarting it.

Solution 4: Switch to Wi-fi or restart mobile data

If the mobile data is on at your device, switch to use Wi-Fi or turn off the mobile data and turn it on again. Additionally, you can try to turn on the airplane modem then turn it back off after few seconds to makes the mobile data reset.

Solution 5: Restart device

Restart your phone or device on which you are running Instagram.

Solution 6: Restart the Instagram app

Close the Instagram app and restart. This might solve any minor issues on the platform since it restarts the app.

Solution 7: Update Instagram app

Check to make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app installed. Lots of Instagram problems happen when you do not have the latest version of the Instagram app Installed because Instagram keeps giving out bug fixes in every update published. Make sure your Instagram app is up to date, if not, proceed to Google Play Store or Apple App Store to update it.

Solution 8: Reinstall the Instagram app

Uninstall and reinstall the Instagram app.

Solution 9: Open Instagram using browser

Use another browser to access Instagram.

Alternative when Instagram down

Based on some analysis found that the best time to post content on Instagram is 3 pm to 4 pm, and exactly at these times Instagram crashes and stops working. You can try to schedule Instagram posts to publish content automatically during this period so that you’ll not lose a chance of posting at the best time to get the most engagement. Below list of Instagram Scheduling Tools or Apps for your reference:

• Sendible
• Agorapulse
• ContentCal
• Tailwind
• Buffer Publish
• Hootsuite
• Later

Question: Are you looking for how to boost Instagram marketing for your business? Feel free to read on this article for tips to optimize Instagram Marketing Strategy.