We will go through the basics first and move to advanced tricks to fix notification sound not working on Instagram. Without further ado, let’s get started.

1. Check Notification Volume

The first order of business is to check the default app notification volume on iPhone and Android. You should maximize the notification volume to miss any new Instagram alerts.

iPhone

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Select Sounds & Haptics.
  3. Use the volume slider to increase the ringtone and alert volume. You can also use volume buttons on iPhone to increase notification alert sound.

Android

  1. Open Settings on your Android phone.
  2. Select Sound & vibration.
  3. Use the slider to level up the Ring & notification volume.

2. Disable Mute

If your phone is on vibrate or mute, you won’t get an app notification sound on iPhone or Android. While the former offers a dedicated mute switch, you must use volume buttons to change the ringer profile on Android. You might have enabled mute on your phone in a business meeting or theatre and forgot to set it back to general. On your iPhone, use the mute switch on the side and enable Ringer mode. Android users can press any volume key to enable the volume menu from the sides. Tap the notification icon and select ringer profile to enable calls and notification sound. There are many ways to turn off silent mode on Samsung Galaxy phones.

3. Check Sound Settings for Instagram

If the Instagram notification sound is silent, you won’t hear any alert on your phone.

iPhone

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone and scroll to Instagram.
  2. Select Notifications.
  3. Enable the Sounds toggle.

Android

  1. Long-tap on the Instagram app icon to open the info menu.
  2. Select Notifications.
  3. Select a notification type.
  4. Tap Default. You can open the Sound menu to set a custom Instagram alert too.

4. Unmute Conversations

When you mute annoying conversations on Instagram, you won’t get notifications or any sound in the app. The messages will only appear when you check the app’s DM (direct messages) menu. You must unmute important conversations on Instagram. Note: Instagram for iPhone and Android uses an identical UI. We will use the Instagram iOS app in the screenshots below. You can follow the same steps on Android to unmute conversations.

  1. Open Instagram on your phone.
  2. Move to the messages inbox.
  3. Select a conversation.
  4. Tap the recipient’s name at the top.
  5. Disable Mute messages, Mute calls, and Mute chat activity notification toggles.

5. Disable Focus and Do Not Disturb

When you keep your iPhone and Android on Focus or Do Not Disturb, you won’t get notifications and alert sounds. Even when you disable Focus or DND, the system will share all notifications without sound. On iPhone, you can swipe down from the top right corner and disable Focus. Android users can swipe down from the top to turn off DND mode. If you want to work without interruptions, you can keep using Focus or DND and add Instagram as an exception to receive real-time notifications with sound.   

iPhone

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Select Focus.
  3. Open your preferred focus profile.
  4. Select Apps and tap + icon to open the installed apps menu.
  5. Select Instagram from the following menu and tap Done at the top. From now on, you will continue to receive Instagram notifications with sound during an active Focus mode.

Android

  1. Open Sound & vibration on your Android phone (refer to the steps above). 2.  Tap Do Not Disturb and select Apps from the following menu.
  2. Tap Add apps and select Instagram from the list.
  3. Enable Allow all notifications toggle.

6. Remove Instagram from Scheduled Summary (iPhone)

Announced with iOS 15, Scheduled Summary allows you to schedule irrelevant app notifications at a convenient time. If you have added Instagram to Scheduled Summary, you will receive app notifications at set times without sound. You must remove Instagram from Scheduled Summary on iPhone.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll to Notifications.
  3. Select Scheduled Summary.
  4. Disable the Instagram toggle from the following menu.

7. Update Instagram

A recent bug in the Instagram app build might leave you with silent notifications on your phone. Head to the Google Play Store or App Store to install the latest Instagram update.

Never Miss an Instagram Alert

While Instagram is feature-rich, the app failing at basics like notification sound not working may leave you with a sour taste. Instead of reinstalling the app, use the tricks above and fix the problem in no time.