Instagram keeps logging me out: why it happens and how to stop it

Why does Instagram keep logging me out?

• Someone else changed your password or logged in, so Instagram ended your session.
• An old version of the app has a login bug.
• Too many accounts are added to one app.
• A third-party app or website connected to your account triggered a security check.
• A VPN makes your login look like it comes from a new place each time.
• Corrupted app data on the phone.

How to stop Instagram from logging you out

Is it a hack or a glitch? How to tell

Start by asking when it began. If Instagram started signing you out right after you installed an update, changed phones or used a VPN, a glitch is likely. If it began after a strange email, a login alert you did not expect, or a friend saying you sent them an odd message, treat it as a security problem first. A real hack often comes with other signs: your password stops working, your email or phone number on the account has changed, or you see posts and follows you did not make.

• Likely a glitch: you get logged out at random but your password still works, and Where you're logged in shows only your own devices.
• Likely a security reset: Instagram sends an email saying your password was changed, or asks you to confirm it is you.
• Likely a hack: your email or password changed without you, or unknown devices appear in Accounts Center.

If you suspect a hack, change your password at once, as shown in our guide to changing your Instagram password, and turn on two-factor authentication. Use an authentication app instead of text messages when you can, because texts can be intercepted if a SIM is swapped.

How Instagram decides to end your session

Instagram keeps you signed in with a small token stored on your phone. When the token is missing, expired or flagged, the app asks for your password again. Tokens disappear when the app's data is cleared, when you reinstall, or when Instagram's security system sees something odd, such as a login from a different country, a changed device ID or many accounts opened from the same phone. Changing your password also ends every other session on purpose. That is why changing your password fixes a hacked account but can also look like a random logout on a second phone.

Fix it on iPhone

• Update Instagram in the App Store and update iOS in Settings › General › Software Update.
• Open Settings › General › iPhone Storage › Instagram and tap Offload App, then Reinstall App. Offloading keeps your data but resets the app's internal files.
• If that fails, delete the app, restart the iPhone and download Instagram again. Make sure you know your password first.
• Turn off Low Data Mode and Low Power Mode and test again, since both can interrupt background activity.
• Check Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy Restrictions to be sure nothing blocks the app.

Fix it on Android

• Open Settings › Apps › Instagram › Storage and tap Clear cache. Only clear storage as a last resort, because that signs you out.
• Check Settings › Battery › Instagram and set it to Unrestricted so the system does not kill the app and its session.
• On Samsung, look in Settings › Battery › Background usage limits and remove Instagram from Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps.
• Update the app in Google Play and update Android under Settings › System › Software update.
• Check that the date and time are set automatically, because an off clock can break secure logins.

Our guide to clearing app cache on Android shows the menus on Samsung, Pixel and other brands.

Too many accounts and shared devices

Instagram lets you add up to five accounts to one app. People who juggle business, personal and hobby profiles often hit odd logouts because one account triggers a security check and the app signs them all out. Try keeping only the account you use daily on the phone, and log in to the others on a laptop. Also avoid using the same account on more than two or three devices at once. If you share a phone or a tablet with family, log out when you finish. Shared devices and public Wi-Fi networks are a common reason Instagram asks you to prove who you are again.

Third-party apps, auto-likers and follower trackers

Apps that promise free followers, show who unfollowed you or post for you often ask for your Instagram password. Instagram's systems see that as unusual activity and may log you out or lock you. Open Accounts Center › Password and security and look for connected apps and websites, then remove everything you do not recognize. Change your password afterward, because anything that held it may have copied it.

VPNs, proxies and travel

A VPN makes it look as if you log in from a new city every time. If you travel, use a work VPN or switch networks often, Instagram may sign you out and ask for a code each time. Turn the VPN off for Instagram, or choose a fixed location. After a trip, the app can take a day or two to trust the new place. Do not try to log in many times in a row, because this raises the alert level.

If you cannot log back in

• Tap Forgot password on the login screen and use the email or phone number tied to the account.
• If the email or phone is no longer yours, use the Need more help option and follow the steps. Instagram may ask for a selfie video.
• Check for a login code. If it never arrives, read Instagram not sending a code.
• Wait a few hours before you try again if you were locked out for too many attempts.

If the app crashes instead of logging you out, see Instagram keeps crashing. Both problems share some fixes, but the crash guide covers memory and update problems in more depth.

Keep a record so you can show it to support

If none of the fixes help, write down what happens: the date, your phone model, the app version, whether you were on Wi-Fi or cellular data and what the screen said. Instagram support and its Help Center can use that detail. Screenshots of the login screen also help.