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9 Best Fixes for Instagram Effects and Filters Not Working

by Mehvish

Instagram has a huge collection of filters and effects that can be added to your photos and stories. These bring charm to your stories and make them look exciting. But what to do if the filters suddenly stop working in the Instagram app? OMG! If you are going through the same misfortune, don’t worry. It’s easy to bring back filters on Instagram. Let’s check various ways to fix effects and filters not working in Instagram on Android and iPhone.

1. Restart Phone

The first thing you must do if Instagram effects or filters aren’t working is to restart your phone. Rebooting the device will fix minor issues in the app that could be causing problems with filters or effects. To restart your Android phone or iPhone, switch off the phone first. Then, turn it on again.

2. Update Instagram App

If restarting the Instagram app doesn’t bring back the filters, you should try updating the app. Often, the filters or effects might not work due to a bug in the Instagram app itself. Updating the app should fix such issues.

Open Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone) and search for Instagram. Tap on the Update button next to the Instagram app to update it. Once updated, restart your phone. Hopefully, you should see the filters back on Instagram.

3. Clear Cache (Android)

If Instagram filters and effects aren’t working on your Android phone, you can try clearing the cache for the Instagram app. Clearing the cache will only remove temporary files without affecting your Instagram data or personal files on your phone. It’s completely safe.

To clear the cache for the Instagram app, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings on your phone.

2. Go to Apps followed by Instagram.

3. Tap on Storage and hit the Clear cache button.

4. Restart the phone.

4. Log Out From App

Another simple fix is to log out from your Instagram account. Doing so has also helped many Instagram users fix the filters not working issue.

To log out from your Instagram account, follow these steps:

1. In the Instagram app, tap on the profile picture icon at the bottom-right corner to go to the profile screen.

2. Tap on the three-bar icon at the top and select Settings.

Unmute Instagram Settings

3. Scroll down and tap on Log out.

Instagram App Settings Log Out

4. Restart the phone. Then, log in again to your account.

5. Check Location Permission

Many Instagram effects are location-based. So, they might not work at a particular location or when there is an issue with getting your accurate location. A potential fix is to turn on location if it’s disabled or to revoke permission if it is already enabled.

Change Instagram Location Permission on Android

1. Open the Settings app on your phone.

2. Go to Apps followed by Instagram.

Instagram-App-Phone-Settings

3. Tap on Permissions and press the Location option.

Instagram-App-Clear-Cache

4. Choose Don’t allow if the location is allowed or select Allow only while using the app if Don’t allow was previously selected.

Instagram Android Location Permission Change

5. Restart your Android phone.

Change Instagram location permission on iOS

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Go to Instagram followed by Location.

3. Select Never if While using the app is selected or choose While using the app if Never is selected. Restart your iPhone.

Instagram iPhone Location Permission Change

Note: Instagram filters were recently disabled in Texas and Illinois due to facial recognition laws. A temporary fix in such situations is to use VPN to connect to the internet on your phone if merely disabling location permission for the Instagram app doesn’t help.

6. Grant Face and Hand Effects Permission

In the latest versions of the Instagram app, you might need to grant face and hand effects permission to use Instagram effects properly, in case you haven’t done it already.

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile screen.

2. Tap on the three-bar bar and select Settings > Privacy.

3. Scroll down and tap on Face and hand effects. Enable the toggle next to Allow face and hand effect.

Instagram Hand Effect Permision

7. Add Filter from Someone Else’s Profile

If you are facing an issue with a particular filter or effect on Instagram, you can try adding it from someone else’s profile.

1. Open a story that is using the effect that you want to use in your story.

2. Tap on the effect name present just below the username. You will get various options like save effect, try it, or view effect page. Tap on Try it to use it in your Instagram story or hit the Save effect option to store it for later use.

Instagram Save Effect

Tip: To see the Instagram effects gallery that comprises a large collection of effects swipe to the far left of the effects section in stories at the bottom and tap on the magnifying glass icon.

8. Free up Storage Space on Your Phone

Often, Instagram effects might not work properly due to the lack of storage space on your phone. You should try to free up storage space by uninstalling the least used apps, clearing Trash, storing photos and videos in cloud services, and similar methods.

9. Re-install Instagram App

If the above methods fail to make the Instagram effects and filters work properly, you should re-install the Instagram app. For that, you must first uninstall the app. Then, install it back.

To uninstall the Instagram app from your Android phone, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram. Tap on Uninstall.

Instagram Uninstall Android

Similarly, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage on iPhone. Tap on Instagram and hit the Delete app button.

Instagram Uninstall iPhone

Pro Tip: You can also touch and hold the Instagram app icon in the App Drawer (Android) or App Library (iPhone) and hit the Uninstall button.

Add Filters and Effects

Once filters and effects start working in the Instagram app, you must check out the best Instagram filters. If filters on Instagram don’t make you happy, you can always use Snapchat filters and add the image or video on Instagram. You should also take a look at the best face swap apps.

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