Many Instagram users unable to open DMs due to ongoing glitch that also reverted layout

Update 30/10/25 – 09:21 am (IST): For those who are still stuck with the problem, one user shared a neat workaround to send DMs. You’ll have to go to your ‘Following’ list and find the person whom you with to DM. It’s not ideal, but it works.

Meanwhile, another individual claims that they were able to fix the problem with a reinstall. It’s worth pointing out that reinstalling the app didn’t help users yesterday, but it could be worth a shot again.

Original article published on October 29, 2025, follows:

Instagram has thrown users for a loop in the past few hours, with direct messages disappearing behind an unresponsive button and leaving plenty of people wondering if it’s just their account or a widespread bug. Judging from the flood of fresh reports, it’s certainly not isolated.

Scrolling through a few Reddit threads, there’s a real mix of frustration and confusion. For many, the DM button moved — first to the bottom of the screen, then back to the top right — right before the glitch set in. So essentially, they got the new Instagram layout, and then it went back to the old UI, which triggered the unresponsive DM button glitch.

Users tap the icon, swipe left, try accessing messages any way they know, but nothing opens. Oddly, some business accounts and secondary profiles have dodged the issue entirely while main accounts remain locked out. One person even managed to get their messages working after a reinstall, only to have the app break again as soon as they restarted it.

Some folks found luck by clicking message notifications or chatting through individual profiles, but the full inbox stays stubbornly out of reach.

Clearing the app cache, logging out, re-installing—these have all come up short. A handful say the bug fixed itself after a few hours, but new complaints keep surfacing from users who are still stuck.

Judging by the dozens of reports I’ve seen, it seems the bug is only present on Instagram’s Android app. iOS users say they aren’t facing any issues with accessing DMs. That said, I couldn’t replicate the problem on a Pixel 8, and neither could I replicate it on an iPhone 16.

Apart from Reddit, even X is filled with similar complaints from users hoping for a quick fix.

For anyone still locked out, all roads seem to lead to patience and checking for updates. If this is a server-side glitch, it’ll likely be fixed within a matter of hours. However, in case the bug popped up after a recent update, it’s possible that affected users might have to wait for an app update to fix the problem.

Meanwhile, I’d suggest trying to use Instagram in a web browser to access your DMs. We’ll keep an eye out for any further details and will update the article if and when there’s something to share.

We stand out from the tech-media crowd because we break news stories; we mainly bring you stuff that you won’t find anywhere in the mainstream tech media. Our stories have been picked up by some of the world’s most popular websites and media outlets—more info is available here.