Are you having trouble tagging your friends in a photo or video? And no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get the app to tag your friends, right?
Or maybe you’ve tagged them, but it isn’t showing up on the post? Regardless of the situation, you’ve come to the right place to find solutions.
Instagram has been a popular app for years and probably will be in the future. Tagging someone on Instagram means you want to notify or share something with the other person. If you’re unable to tag, then there’s definitely something wrong.
In this article, I’ll be going through the possible mistakes and reasons why your tagging is not working and possible fixes for you to work through.
Let’s get on with it.
Why is Tap to Tag on Instagram Not Working?
The main reason could be the server being down. Other than that, not writing the names correctly or getting the syntax of tagging wrong are also common. Make sure you’re not making these mistakes before going to the fixes.
Here are the reasons for Tap to Tag on Instagram Not Working:
1. Instagram Server being Offline
The Instagram server may be down and needs to be fixed. This may disable tagging for a while. You can check with your friends, or you can check in the Down Detector if the server is working or not.
If it’s alright, check for other mistakes.
2. Missing the @
This is a basic rule of tagging someone on Instagram. If you want to tag someone, you have to type @ symbol before typing their name, and they will be tagged. Forgetting to type is an elementary mistake and is often forgettable.
So, confirm if you have put the @ or not.
Find out how to fix Instagram not letting me post.
3. Poor Internet Connection
It might sound silly, but this is the most plausible reason. People often tend to forget that their data or internet connectivity can play a significant role in such abnormality.
You cannot tag, comment, or post anything if your network is unstable.
4. Misspelled Username
Every account is distinct on Instagram. You cannot tag someone else and expect to tag your friend. It’s a typical mistake because Instagram is so popular that any name you search for it’s there.
Check and confirm that you typed in the correct spelling
5. Tagging Private Accounts
Instagram has private accounts that only let followers see what they’re posting and not the average public. You cannot tag private accounts. That’s why they’re private. You cannot even tag or mention them in the comments.
If you want to do it, first send the following request; if they accept it, you can tag them.
Read more on Instagram sound not working.
Reasons Why Instagram Story Mentions aren’t Working
Instagram is a popular application for connecting to social media. It’s used to share photos and videos with your friends, family and followers. But sometimes, it can get problematic. You cannot tag the people you want in the story even after tapping on their picture on the story.
Here’s why Instagram Story Mentions isn’t Working:
1. Tagging a Deactivated Account
You can never tag a deactivated account, whether it’s an account you were following or vice-versa. Even if you try, you won’t find the account. At best, it might just be grayed out.
2. Tagging Someone Who Blocked You
Users can block anyone from their Instagram account. Usually, people who are spamming or disturbing people get blocked by users. If you try to tag someone who has blocked you already, you simply cannot.
If you think you’ve been blocked by accident, try reaching out to them through other social media.
Here’s a complete guide on how to know if someone restricted you on Instagram.
3. Tagging Limit Crossed
On Instagram, you tag people on your shared posts. But there is a limit to how many people you can tag on one post. The maximum limit for tagging is 20.
You cannot cross this number, but if you must tag someone else, you must first reduce the number of tagged people.
Keep the number under 20, and then tag a new person.
4. New Account Tagging
Tagging with new accounts is more difficult on Instagram. It restricts tagging for new users because it wants to ensure they are used to Instagram’s automation. If you cannot tag someone in this manner, Instagram probably treats that account as new.
This is to ensure that spammers don’t quickly get to tag random people and easily disturb them.
5. Aggressive Posting and Tagging
If you suddenly start to post a lot of pictures and start tagging a lot of people at once, Instagram might ban you. It is because of the security system against spammers. If you get banned, wait a while, and you can start slow again.
Also, check out our separate post on how to fix 5xx server error Instagram.
Fixes for Can’t Tag on Instagram 2022
Instagram is man-made. And, of course, it also has flaws. It can get glitches and not work in many instances. You cannot tag someone properly while in that situation. I’ve listed a few fixes for you to try if you cannot tag someone on Instagram.
Make sure first to identify your problem. It saves a lot of time if you know what is causing the problem. Then you can apply an exact fix for your problem, saving a lot of time. Hopefully, the fixes will help you solve your problem.
Here is the list of fixes for can’t tag on Instagram:
1. Clear the Cache
The cache is temporary storage for files. Files which are needed to be downloaded every time get downloaded once, and it stays stored on the device, allowing faster performance.
It is a common misconception that deleting cache files will delete your essential files. But it’s not true. Deleting cache files does not delete any of your personal data. It only deletes some of the downloaded files that are used to load the page faster.
Here’s how you can clear the cache of your device:
- Go to the Settings of your phone.
- Find Apps management in the Settings.
- Go to App settings.
- Find or search Instagram from the list.
- Go to Storage & Cache.
- Press on Clear Cache to delete your cache data.
Clearing cache data will help you renew many downloaded files, which may fix this problem. If it doesn’t work, go to the next step.
Follow our guide to fix Instagram reels not working.
2. Restart Your Phone
Though it seems unrelated, restarting your phone helps. Restarting your phone resets many of your phones already running, giving them a fresh start. This, in turn, means when you run your Instagram app, it also has been refreshed.
It has been proven many times, so it’s worth a try if it doesn’t follow the next fix.
3. Update Instagram
It’s possible that the tagging issue occurred due to technical errors, and a fix came from the developers through an update. That’s why always updating your applications is recommended.
Here’s how you can update your Instagram app:
- Go to the Play Store on your phone.
- Search for Instagram.
- Press on Update.
Updating always helps to get the newest features.
NOTE: You can uninstall and reinstall the app to get rid of bugs as well.
4. Logging out and back in
Logging out from your account and logging back in might sometimes fix your issue. It might be the simplest trick in the book, but it’s also the most effective.
Here’s how you can do it.
- Go to Instagram Settings.
- Click on log out.
- Enter the necessary information to log back in.
This process sometimes helps fix simple bugs. When I faced this issue, this was the method that saved me.
5. Take a break
Take a small break if you’ve been banned from posting on Instagram. Your social media life isn’t your only life. Take some time to enjoy reality and try back in a few days. It should work.
6. Try Instagram Web
There’s a browser-integrated version of Instagram. You can access it from any browser. If the app itself is the root of the problem, then trying the web version should do the trick.
I hope these fixes helped you solve your problem of not being able to tag someone. All the methods that I mentioned are pretty straightforward, so if one doesn’t work, keep trying.
FAQs
Is there a maximum limit to tagging on Instagram?
Yes, there is. 20 is the maximum number of people you can have in an Instagram post.
Who can tag me in posts?
It’s actually up to you to select your audience. You can decide who sees your post and who gets to tag you or mention you.
Can I tag private accounts?
Yes, you can. But only if they accept you follow request.
Final Thoughts
Instagram is obviously helpful in connecting people. All the more if your posts are tagged with your friends. Tagging friends help include them within your post. It’s really a pain if you cannot add them when you want to.
If you’re mindful of your network connection, spelling and account type, you can easily figure out the cause of your problem.
The fixes are easy, and following the basic rules should do the trick. I hope this article helped you fix this issue. Comment below if you have any questions.
