However, some users often face an odd issue — they do not receive direct message notifications. Imagine the trouble of opening the app repeatedly and refreshing the DM screen to check for the latest messages. Is something similar happening to you? Let’s fix it.
Check Notification Settings
Instagram has separate notification settings for likes, comments, live videos, IGTV, video chats, and even messages. Sometimes while playing with settings or due to a bug, the message notification setting might have changed. You need to check if it is turned on or not. To do so, follow these steps: Step 1: Open the Instagram app and go to your profile screen. Here tap on the three-bar icon at the top-right corner. Select Settings. Step 2: Scroll down and tap on Push Notifications under Notifications. Step 3: Look for Instagram Direct and Instagram Direct Requests. Make sure the check mark is next to From Everyone for Instagram Direct. If it is next to Off, tap on From Everyone to select it. Step 4: Restart your device. You should receive message notifications now.
Check Muted Chat
Are you not receiving notifications from a particular message thread? If yes, you need to check that the thread isn’t muted. When you mute a thread (even accidentally), you won’t get notifications from that chat. Here are the steps to check and unmute it. Step 1: Launch the Instagram app and tap on the message icon at the top-right corner. Step 2: Find the thread whose notifications you aren’t getting. Look for the mute icon. If you find it, it means the thread is muted. Step 3: To unmute it, tap and hold the message thread. Then from the menu, select Unmute Messages.
Clear Cache
If you use Instagram on an Android phone, then you can try clearing cache for the Instagram app. Clearing cache is different from clearing data as it will not delete any data on your device. Follow these steps to clear Instagram app’s cache: Step 1: Open device Settings and go to Apps/Apps and notification/Application manager depending on the option available on your device. Step 2: Under All apps, tap on Instagram. Step 3: Then tap on Storage and hit the Clear cache button.
Update App
Instagram rolls out updates regularly to fix most bugs and improve the app’s performance. If you’ve been avoiding them, then you should update the app right away. Open Google Play Store (Android) and App Store (iPhone) and look for the Instagram app. Install the available update, if any. Then restart the device.
Log out from the App
Bugs are weird and sometimes their solutions are weirder. At times, logging out from the Instagram app and logging back in would fix things if you aren’t receiving notifications. Here’s what you need to do. Step 1: Open the Instagram app and go to the profile screen. Tap on the three-bar icon at the top. Step 2: Select Settings. Scroll down and tap on Log Out. You can also consider clearing the Instagram app’s cache to have your bases covered. When you reboot the phone and relaunch the Instagram app, the issue should be fixed.
Safe Mode
While the main purpose of safe mode is to troubleshoot the device, sometimes simply switching to the safe mode also resolves a lot of app issues. To switch to the safe mode, follow these steps: Step 1: Using the power button of your device, switch it off. Step 2: Now hold the power button until you see the manufacturer logo. As soon as you see it, leave the power button and hold the volume down button until the device boots up. You should be taken to the safe mode indicated by the words Safe mode at the bottom-right corner. Step 3: Stay in the safe mode for a couple of minutes, and then restart your device normally. Alternatively, to go to the safe mode, press and hold the power button. You will get the power menu. Tap and hold the Power off option. You will get a pop up asking you to confirm going into the safe mode. Tap on Ok.
Bonus Tip: Mute Posts and Stories
Unfollow someone whose stories and posts you don’t like on your Instagram feed might look like a drastic step. Meet the mute option. When you mute a profile, you won’t see any posts and stories from that profile in your feed. It’s different from block. Instagram provides a separate option for muting stories and posts. So you can allow one and mute another. Here’s how to do it. Step 1: Open the Instagram profile whose posts or stories you want to mute. Tap the three-dot icon at the top-right corner. Step 2: Select Mute. Then choose the mute type. You can go for posts, stories, or both.
Explore Instagram
Instagram is on roll these days. Lately, they have been adding many new features. Few months back, they launched IGTV followed by nametags, close friends, questions and countdown sticker. All of the features are quite cool and keep you glued to Instagram. Now that’s what Instagram wants after all.
