Seeing the "Sorry, we couldn‘t complete your request. Please try again" error on Instagram can be incredibly frustrating as a user. You may have tried the usual troubleshooting methods like restarting your device or reinstalling the app, but the pesky error still pops up.
As a social media marketing expert who manages multiple Instagram accounts, I encounter this error from time to time. Through extensive research and trial-and-error, I‘ve discovered the main causes of this error message and reliable solutions to get Instagram working again.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore all the potential triggers and actionable troubleshooting steps you can take to fix the "Sorry, we couldn‘t complete your request" error on Instagram for good.
What Triggers This Error Message on Instagram?
There are a few key technical and account-specific issues that can provoke the "Sorry, we couldn‘t complete your request" error message to appear in the Instagram app:
1. Temporary Outage
The most common root cause is a temporary outage or disruption in Instagram‘s backend services. With over 2 billion monthly active users as of 2022, it‘s not surprising that Instagram‘s servers encounter periodic hiccups.
Usually, these outages last an hour or two at most. Instagram‘s engineering team works around the clock to quickly identify and resolve them. But there is often an annoying waiting period before services are fully restored.
| Year | Reported Outages |
| 2019 | 52 |
| 2020 | 45 |
| 2021 | 63 |
According to data from ToolTester, Instagram has averaged around 50+ service outages per year over the past 3 years.
2. Exceeded Login Attempt Limit
Entering the wrong password too many times in a row when trying to log in can also trigger the error message to appear.
After 5-6 failed login attempts, as a security precaution Instagram will lock access to the account for a period of time. This prevents unauthorized access via brute force password guessing attacks.
If your account gets locked out due to hitting the maximum failed login attempts, the "complete your request" message displays when trying to access your profile during the temporary lockout period.
You‘ll have to wait a few hours before the login attempt limit resets and you can successfully access your account again.
3. Blacklisted IP Address
In rare cases, your device‘s public IP address may end up blacklisted by Instagram‘s servers. This completely blocks any requests originating from that IP.
IP blacklisting can happen if your network was previously associated with spammy activities or security policy violations. For example, if someone on the same WiFi network as you was using bots or scraping data against Instagram‘s terms.
Switching to a new IP address via a different WiFi network or cellular data connection should resolve the issue. The new IP hasn‘t been blackmarked and can access Instagram properly again.
You can also use a trusted VPN app to mask your device‘s public IP address with a different private virtual IP.
4. Outdated App Bug
App updates don‘t just add new features. They also contain vital bug fixes and compatibility improvements required for smooth functioning with Instagram‘s frequently updated servers.
Running an outdated version of the Instagram app makes you more vulnerable to errors caused by bugs that have already been patched in newer app updates.
Always ensure you upgrade Instagram as soon as a new version becomes available in your device‘s app store. The latest updates directly resolve the bugs triggering "complete request" errors and glitches for other users, so you don‘t experience the same problems.
5. Account Security Lockdown
Overly botted activity can sometimes trigger Instagram to completely lockdown accounts as a security precaution until any risks can be investigated.
For example, Instagram may detect your account has liked thousands of posts overnight via an unauthorized automated bot service. Or suspicious login attempts are coming from abnormal foreign IP addresses.
In these cases, as a protective measure, Instagram completely blocks access to the account with the security lockdown active. Trying to log in will trigger the "sorry we couldn‘t complete your request" error message.
You‘ll have to wait for Instagram‘s security team to manually review your account‘s recent activity and lift the lockdown once any red flag behavior has been cleared.
6. Remote Device Wipe
If your Instagram account is connected to your mobile device and the device gets remotely wiped, it will also sign out of your Instagram account.
Trying to log back in from the wiped device before disconnecting it from your account will lead to the error message popping up.
7. Temporary Ban for Violating Policies
In some cases, Instagram will temporarily ban accounts for violating their community guidelines or terms of service.
Trying to access a banned account during the suspension period will trigger the generic "couldn‘t complete request" error message rather than a more detailed notice.
8. Corrupt App Data Cache
Sometimes there‘s nothing wrong on Instagram‘s backend servers at all. The actual issue stems from corrupt cached data on your mobile app that needs to be cleared out.
Reinstalling the Instagram app essentially provides a "clean slate" by wiping all locally cached data to resolve any conflicts.
Now that we‘ve reviewed the main triggers, let‘s go through the step-by-step solutions and troubleshooting methods to fix the error for good.
12 Ways to Troubleshoot and Fix "Sorry, we couldn‘t complete your request" on Instagram
Based on extensive experience managing social media accounts for businesses, here are the most effective troubleshooting techniques I‘d recommend for overcoming the "Sorry, we couldn‘t complete your request" message and restoring access to your Instagram profile:
1. Check Instagram‘s System Status Page
First, check if Instagram is currently experiencing a widespread service outage.
The easiest way is to visit Instagram‘s System Status page. This offers real-time status updates on any active disruptions across Instagram‘s services.
If you see a red "Degraded Performance" or "Partial Outage" banner, try again later once the issue is resolved. Similarly, check the chart of recent incidents – a spike indicates an outage occurred recently.
If Instagram is down due to an ongoing outage, unfortunately there is no workaround. The only option is to patiently wait for their engineers to get services back up. Extended multi-hour downtime is fortunately very rare.
2. Switch to a Different Network Connection
In some cases, your specific network IP range may be temporarily blocked from accessing Instagram‘s API servers.
This could happen if your mobile carrier or ISP‘s IP addresses were blacklisted after being associated with suspicious activity from another user.
The quick fix is to switch your device to a different WiFi or cellular mobile data connection, which will assign it a fresh IP address.
For example, turn off WiFi and use mobile data instead. Or connect to a different WiFi network like at a friend‘s house or a coffee shop.
This allows you to essentially bypass any IP-level blocks specific to your previous network‘s address range.
3. Try Instagram‘s Mobile Website
As a test, attempt accessing Instagram from the mobile website at https://instagr.am/ rather than through the mobile app.
If the website loads normally, then the issue is likely isolated to the app on your device rather than your account‘s overall access permissions. Reinstalling the app often fixes this type of problem.
However, if the website displays the same error message as the mobile app, then there is likely a broader account access issue or temporary ban at play rather than just an app glitch.
4. Clear Your App Cache and Data
Open your device‘s Settings, go to Apps > Instagram > Storage and tap "Clear Cache" plus "Clear Data".
This erases any corrupt cached data or glitched files that could be preventing the app from making requests properly.
Reopen Instagram after fully clearing the cache and app data. You‘ll have to log back in since it erases your session.
With the corrupt data purged, the app may function normally again. Clearing the cache is one of the simplest fixes I try first when troubleshooting Instagram errors.
5. Reinstall the Instagram App
If clearing the cache alone didn‘t work, the next step is to completely uninstall and reinstall the Instagram app from scratch:
- iOS: Delete Instagram > Go to App Store > Search "Instagram" > Tap Install
- Android: Settings > Apps > Instagram > Uninstall > Open Play Store > Search "Instagram" > Reinstall
Reinstalling deletes all old app data and forces cached files to be freshly downloaded again. This can fix bugs caused by problematic cached data in the previous app version.
6. Update to the Latest Instagram Version
Make sure you‘re running the most up-to-date version of the Instagram app:
- iOS: App Store > Updates tab > Check for Instagram updates
- Android: Play Store > My Apps & Games > Update Instagram
New versions include bug fixes and optimizations to resolve issues triggering "complete request" errors for other users. Updating provides the stability improvements needed to avoid the same glitches.
I make it a point to manually update my apps frequently to always stay on top of bug fixes. Don‘t overlook this simple step.
7. Reset Your Device‘s Network Settings
On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
This will erase all WiFi networks and Bluetooth pairings from the device, resetting networking services to their factory defaults.
Consider resetting networks if Instagram still fails even after switching between different WiFi and mobile data connections. It essentially gives your device a fresh networking "slate".
8. Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off
Turn on your device‘s Airplane Mode for 30 seconds, then turn it off again.
Toggling Airplane Mode briefly cuts all network connectivity before restoring it. When connection comes back, your device gets assigned a new IP address.
This can resolve any issues caused by your previous IP being blocked or blacklisted by Instagram‘s servers.
9. Restart Your Mobile Device
A simple but surprisingly effective resolution is to completely power down your mobile device, wait at least 30 seconds, and restart it again.
Restarting resets network interfaces, releases memory, and clears any glitched app state – providing a clean slate. Apps like Instagram essentially start fresh, allowing issues to disappear.
I find a quick restart of my phone often fixes transient tech issues faster than any other method.
10. Log Out and Back Into Instagram
If you can access Instagram but certain features are glitchy, try fully logging out of the app and logging back in from scratch:
- iOS: Profile > Settings > Log Out
- Android: Profile > Menu > Settings > Log Out
Then force close the app, restart your device, and sign in again with your username and password.
Signing out and signing back in often resolves permission issues between the Instagram app and your account that were preventing key features from working properly.
11. Use Instagram on a Different Device
As a connectivity test, attempt accessing your Instagram account from another device entirely, like a friend‘s phone or a tablet.
If Instagram functions fine on the other device, you can isolate the issue down to your original device‘s hardware, software or network connection.
But if the error also appears across different devices linked to your account, then it‘s likely an account access issue rather than just a single device‘s problem.
Having the flexibility to access your account from multiple devices can prevent you from being completely shut out if one device ends up with issues.
12. Contact Instagram Support
If you‘ve tried all other troubleshooting tips with no success, reach out directly to the Instagram team via their Help Center.
You can submit account access support tickets or report site issues to get personalized help resolving stubborn errors.
Make sure to provide:
- Your username
- Full error message received
- Troubleshooting steps attempted
- Screenshots of the error
This info helps Instagram Support quickly diagnose the underlying cause and restore your account access.
As you can see, some trial and error is required to pinpoint the exact cause of the "Sorry, we couldn‘t complete your request" message. But in most cases, one of the solutions above should successfully resolve the problem within a few hours or days at most.
Now let‘s explore some common scenarios that trigger this error message in more detail.
Why Does "Sorry, we couldn‘t complete your request" Happen on Instagram?
Beyond temporary outages and app glitches, there are some specific account-related cases that tend to provoke this error message:
Recently Deactivated Account
Did you recently deactivate your Instagram account temporarily, and now can‘t regain access?
Seeing the "complete your request" error when trying to log back in is very common right after a self-imposed deactivation.
Instagram‘s systems need 24-48 hours to fully process account reactivations in the backend. The generic error pops up during this processing period before your account is restored.
Be patient and wait a day or two before trying to log in again. Once Instagram finishes reactivating your account internally, you‘ll be able to access your profile once more.
Exceeded Login Attempt Limit
As mentioned earlier, entering an incorrect password too many times can also trigger the error message as a security precaution.
After 5-6 failed login attempts, Instagram will lock access to your account for 24 hours to prevent unauthorized logins.
If you hit the maximum login attempts, the "complete your request" message displays during the temporary 24 hour lockout period.
You‘ll have to wait it out until the login attempt limit resets before successfully accessing your account again. Be careful not to type the wrong password too many times.
Account Suspension for Violations
In some cases, Instagram will ban accounts that violated their community guidelines or terms of service.
Trying to access a suspended account redirects to the generic "couldn‘t complete request" error message rather than a detailed notice about the ban.
If you think your account may have been suspended, you‘ll need to appeal directly to Instagram Support for help regaining access, rather than trying workarounds.
Remote Device Wipe
If your Instagram account was logged in to your mobile device and the device gets remotely wiped, say by your employer or parent, it will also sign out of your Instagram app.
Attempting to log back into the wiped device before disconnecting your account from it will lead to the frustrating error message popping up.
The fix is to use another device where you‘re still logged in to remove the wiped device association entirely from your Instagram account through the settings.
How Long Does the Instagram Error Typically Last?
Most instances of the "complete your request" error are temporary and resolve in a day or two at most:
- App Outages: 1-2 hours typically
- Login Attempt Limit: 24 hours
- Recent Deactivation: 24-48 hours
- IP Blacklisting: Hours to days
- Account Suspension: Until appeal processed
For widespread app outages, engineers work rapidly to implement fixes across Instagram‘s infrastructure. But account-specific issues like recent deactivations take longer to fully process in the backend.
As a rule of thumb, if the error lasts more than 2-3 days consistently, contact Instagram Support through their Help Center and open a ticket. Provide as many details about your situation as possible.
Can I Retrieve Deleted Instagram Photos If My Account Is Restored?
If your account was temporarily deactivated or suspended, a natural question is whether your deleted Instagram photos can be recovered after you regain access.
Unfortunately, any media, posts, stories or other content removed during the deactivation period is permanently erased from Instagram‘s servers after only 1-3 months typically.
So any of your photos or videos deleted during an account deactivation, suspension or block are almost certainly not recoverable even if you regain access later on.
In the future, be sure to backup your Instagram media before deactivating your account as a precaution against losing the photos forever when the account is disabled.
Conclusion
Dealing with frustrating errors like "Sorry, we couldn‘t complete your request" on Instagram can ruin your day.
But in most cases, some thoughtful troubleshooting and systematically working through the solutions above will clear up the problem within hours or days at most.
To summarize, here are the 12 key troubleshooting tips:
- Check Instagram‘s Status Page
- Switch to a Different Network
- Try Instagram‘s Mobile Website
- Clear Your App Cache and Data
- Reinstall the Instagram App
- Update to the Latest Version
- Reset Network Settings
- Toggle Airplane Mode
- Restart Your Device
- Log Out and Back In to Instagram
- Use a Different Device
- Contact Instagram Support
With targeted persistence and the right fix for your specific situation, you‘ll be back scrolling and interacting on Instagram enjoying content from your friends in no time.
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