Instagram bug stopping voice notes from playing

If you’ve been frantically tapping on voice messages in your Instagram DMs only to watch them sit there doing absolutely nothing, you’re not losing your mind. A new bug has hit the app, leaving users unable to play voice notes across both iOS and Android devices.

Reports started flooding in just hours ago, with frustrated users taking to Reddit and X to share their experiences.

According to affected users, voice messages simply won’t play when you tap on them. Some users can still hear their own messages while they’re sending, but once delivered, they become unplayable. Others report that old voice notes work fine, but anything new refuses to cooperate.

One user mentioned they’d just made the latest iOS update and suspected that might be the culprit, though Android users are experiencing identical issues. This rules out platform-specific problems and points firmly at Instagram’s servers or a botched app update.

Interestingly, the desktop version of Instagram still works properly, and some users found success with Instagram Lite. This suggests the main app is specifically at fault. One Redditor tried all the usual fixes: clearing cache, reinstalling the app, restarting their phone, checking permissions. Nothing worked.

Instagram has been on a bit of a rough streak lately. Just last week, the app failed to open for some users while Stories vanished for others. Then, Samsung phone owners dealt with severe battery drain issues caused by the app. The company also recently moved the search bar to the bottom, which didn’t exactly win fans.

For now, your best bet is switching to desktop if you absolutely need to hear those voice messages. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game until Instagram pushes out a fix. Given how widespread the reports are, they’re likely aware and working on it.