Instagram says your password is incorrect but it's right: why, and how to log in

An "incorrect password" message from Instagram doesn't always mean that your password is wrong. You can also see it when you log in to a different account than you think. Other causes are a problem in the app or browser, or a login attempt that Instagram doesn't accept. To find out which, log in with the same password on instagram.com in a web browser. If that works, your password is right. If it fails everywhere, tap Forgot password? and get back in with a link.

This guide explains the messages that Instagram shows, the causes that Instagram's own help pages point to, and the steps to try, in order. It also covers what to do if someone else changed your password. Instagram moves its menus from time to time, so the names on your screen can be a little different.

What does each "incorrect" message mean?

Read the exact words on your screen first. iLS signs in to Instagram for its users, and it gets more than one kind of "incorrect" message from Instagram. The messages don't mean the same thing. Instagram's help pages don't explain them, and the words can change between app versions and languages.

Login messages that look like a password problem, and what each one tells you.

The second message is the confusing one. When iLS gets it, iLS tells the user that the password is most likely fine and to try again in a few minutes. Instagram doesn't say why it shows this message, so treat it as a refused attempt, not as proof of a wrong password.

Why does Instagram reject a password that's right?

A password is correct for one account at one time. When Instagram rejects a password that you know, one of these causes can be the reason.

You picked a different account. The login screen can show saved accounts, and Instagram's page about saved login information gives three reasons for them. An account can appear because it logged in on the device before. It can also be in the same Accounts Center, or, on Android, tied to your Google account. If you tap the wrong account, your password is right, but for another account.

Your email address is on more than one account. According to Instagram's page about login info that's already used, one email address can be on up to 5 Instagram accounts. If a reset email comes for the wrong account, Instagram says that the account you want was probably registered with a different email address.

You typed the password of another account. Each Instagram account keeps its own password, also when several accounts share one login, according to Instagram's single login page. A Facebook password works on the Instagram login screen only in one case. Both accounts must be in the same Accounts Center and allowed to log in to each other, according to Instagram's login page.

The phone number has extra characters. If you log in with a phone number, the same login page says not to add zeros before the country code, or any symbols.

The password changed on another device. When you change your password, Instagram logs you out of all other devices. A password manager or browser autofill on your phone can still hold the old password.

The app or the browser has a problem. In a Reddit thread from May 2024, users said that the app rejected their password, but the same password worked on the website. An Apple Support Community thread from April 2025 describes the same problem on an iPhone. In December 2024, the Brave browser had a bug that made Instagram say the password was incorrect when it was correct. Other browsers worked. Brave closed the issue as fixed in January 2025.

Someone else changed it. A person who gets into your account can change the password. The section after the steps explains what to do.

How do you get back into your account?

Do these steps in this order. Stop when one of them works.

1. Type the password by hand. Don't use autofill. Make sure that Caps Lock is off and that the keyboard uses the correct language.
2. Check the account. On the login screen, make sure that the username is the account that you want. If you use a phone number, enter it without extra zeros or symbols. If you use your email address, try your username instead. In a Reddit thread from March 2024, that change stopped the message for one user.
3. Do the browser test. Go to instagram.com in a web browser and log in with the same password. If one browser fails, try a private window or a different browser.
4. If the browser test works, fix the app. Instagram's troubleshooting page says to update the app and your phone's software first. Then restart the phone, try both Wi-Fi and mobile data, and delete and reinstall the app.
5. If your Instagram and Facebook accounts are in the same Accounts Center, log in with your Facebook login information. In the Reddit thread from May 2024, one user got back in this way.
6. If nothing works, tap Forgot password? on the login screen. Enter your username, email address or phone number, then tap Continue. Instagram sends a link to your email or phone.
7. To set a new password, choose the option to reset your password in the email, not the option to log in. If the link doesn't work, request a new email. The old one may have expired.
8. After the reset, update the password in your password manager and on your other devices.

If Instagram asks you to wait a few minutes, stop and wait before you try again. More attempts don't fix a password problem.

What if someone changed your password?

If the password fails everywhere and a reset doesn't work, another person can have control of the account. Instagram's page about hacked accounts gives these steps:

• Look for an email from security@mail.instagram.com that says your email address changed. If you find one, select secure my account in that email to undo the change.
• Request a login link. Tap Forgot password?, enter your details, complete the captcha, choose your email or phone, then tap the link that Instagram sends.
• If the login link doesn't help, tap Can't reset your password? and ask for a security code. If you can't get the code, tap I can't access this email or phone number and follow the steps.
• If the account has photos of you, Instagram can ask for a video selfie to confirm who you are.

You can also start at instagram.com/hacked in a browser, as Instagram's security page says. When you are back in, change your password and turn on two-factor authentication. Check the email address and phone number on the account, and remove apps and linked accounts that you don't know.

To check that a security email is really from Instagram, open Meta Account, then Login and security, then Recent emails. That list shows the official emails from the last 14 days.

Can connecting iLS cause it?

iLS shows when one person you already message on Instagram comes online, if you both have activity status on. It signs in to your account with an automated browser. You type your Instagram password once, on the IG Account page. iLS uses it for that sign-in only and doesn't store it.

When Instagram refuses that sign-in, iLS shows one of two messages:

• "Instagram didn't accept that username or password. Double-check them and try again." Check for a typo, and make sure that you typed your Instagram password, not your iLS password.
• "Instagram wouldn't accept the sign-in from our network just now. Your password is most likely fine — please try again in a few minutes." Instagram refused the sign-in itself. Don't reset your password because of this message.

iLS signs in through a connection in the country where you are now. If you use a VPN, turn it off before you connect.

A password change affects iLS too. Instagram logs you out of all other devices when you change your password, and the session that iLS keeps is one of them. The Tracker then shows Tracking paused. What Tracking paused means and how to reconnect gives the steps to sign in again with the new password.

Using iLS breaks Instagram's Terms of Use, and Instagram can restrict an account that uses it. The risk to your Instagram account explains that risk and the choices that lower it.

What can't the message tell you?

An "incorrect" message doesn't tell you why Instagram refused the login. It can't tell you if the password is wrong, if you chose a different account, or if Instagram refused the attempt. It also can't tell you if another person knows your password.

The browser test is the best check that you can do yourself. If the same password works on instagram.com, the password is right. If it fails everywhere and a reset doesn't help, use the steps for a hacked account.