"I'm sure my Instagram password is correct, but I can't log in through the app."
Are you suffering from any of these symptoms?
I personally encountered this problem after upgrading to the iPhone 17 Pro.
Moreover, it's not simply a matter of being unable to log in to Instagram.
The password is correct.
You can log in from your computer's browser.
You can also log in from your old iPhone.
You can also log in from Safari on your new iPhone.
You can also log in from Chrome.
And yet...
I can't log in to Instagram from the iPhone 17 Pro app no matter what.
Furthermore, even after proceeding to identity verification and two-factor authentication, the final"Set a new password"stageA message like "Unknown error" is displayed.This appears and I cannot proceed.
What's more, even though an error occurred...Only the password will be changed.This is the situation we ended up in.
After trying multiple times without success,First, log in to the app with a different Instagram account, and then add your main account from there.Using this method, I successfully logged into the Instagram app on my iPhone 17 Pro.
If you just want to log in right now, you can jump to the solution below.
▼ [Conclusion] Here's how I was actually able to log in this time.
The symptoms this time were simply inexplicable.
I recently upgraded from my old iPhone 13 Pro to the new iPhone 17 Pro.
However, only Instagram is not migrating properly.
Therefore, I tried logging in from various environments using the same account and password.
| How to log in | result |
|---|---|
| PC browser | ○ Login available |
| Instagram app on iPhone 13 Pro | ○ Login available |
| Instagram app on iPhone 8 | ○ Login available |
| Safari on iPhone 17 Pro | ○ Login available |
| Chrome on iPhone 17 Pro | ○ Login available |
| Instagram app on iPhone 17 Pro | × Login impossible |
What we can understand from this is,
There's nothing wrong with the account itself.
The password isn't wrong.
It's not impossible to log in via the internet from a new iPhone.
And yet,
Only the Instagram app on the iPhone 17 Pro is not accepting logins.
These were very specific symptoms.
Should I just use it through a browser? That wouldn't be a fundamental solution.
"If you can log in to Instagram from Safari or Chrome, why not just use that?"
Some people might think that way.
Indeed, you can use the web browser version of Instagram to perform basic functions such as viewing posts and sending and receiving text messages via DM.
I myself was able to log in to Instagram from Safari on my iPhone 17 Pro.
However, when you actually use it,There are significant differences in the features available between the app version and the browser version.
What's particularly troublesome is the content creation features, such as videos, Reels, and Stories.
Main differences between the Instagram app version and the web browser version
As of August 2026, the main differences I have observed are as follows:
| Function Categories | function | Smartphone app | Smartphone browser | PC browser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stories | Posting still images | ○ | ○ | × |
| Uploading videos | ○ | × | × | |
| Music and various stamps | ○ | △ | × | |
| Posts and Videos | Creating and posting Reels videos | ○ | × | × |
| Instagram Live Stream | ○ | × | × | |
| Feed posts (still images) | ○ | ○ | ○ | |
| Feed posts (videos) | ○ | × | ○ | |
| Editing after saving as a draft and posting | ○ | × | × | |
| DM | Text and images | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Voice and video calls | ○ | × | × | |
| Settings/Management | Insight | ○ | × | × |
| Account deletion | ×※ | ○ | ○ |
*If you proceed through the app, you may be redirected to a dedicated webpage.
Because Instagram frequently changes its specifications, these features and their compatibility may change in the future.
However, what's important this time is,
The question isn't, "Can I use Instagram in a browser?"
"Can Instagram be used with its intended functions?"That's the point.
In particular, the browser version on smartphones has limitations on features such as posting videos to Stories and creating Reels.
Therefore, if you only want to view Instagram, a browser is sufficient,For people who actively share photos and videos, the inability to use the app version is a significant problem.is.
In my case this time as well,
It's not that "Instagram is unusable," but rather "the Instagram app is unusable."
That was the situation.
That's why, instead of continuing to use the browser version, I decided to try and restore my ability to log in to the app on my iPhone 17 Pro.
I tried all the common countermeasures.
Of course, I didn't come up with this method from the beginning.
First, I tried all the common countermeasures that I found online.
- Reinstall the Instagram app
- Restart your iPhone
- Switching between Wi-Fi and 5G
- Changes to communication environment
- Check saved password information
- Delete Keychain
- Password Reset
- Login verification via browser
However, no matter what I did, the situation didn't change.
I can proceed up to identity verification and two-factor authentication.
Furthermore, I proceeded with the Instagram login recovery process, which included identity verification and two-factor authentication.
Receive a security code via SMS and enter it.
Everything is going smoothly so far.
And finally"Set a new password"This is the final stage we reach.
Normally, setting a new password here would complete the recovery process.
However—
At the very end, a message like "Unknown Error" appeared.
I cannot proceed further.
What was even more puzzling was,Despite the error message, the password was changed.That's the point.
In other words,
Identity verification → OK
Two-factor authentication → OK
New password setting → "Unknown error"
However, the password will be changed.
Instagram app → Cannot log in
That's the situation.
This leaves me completely unsure of what to do.
It's not that the password is wrong.
At this point, I realized that this problem wasn't simply a matter of a wrong password.
because,
I can log in on my PC.
You can log in even with an older iPhone.
You can also log in using Safari on an iPhone 17 Pro.
You can also log in using Chrome.
And yet,
I can't log in to the Instagram app on my iPhone 17 Pro.
I realized that simply resetting the password repeatedly might not solve the problem, so I decided to change my approach.
[Solution] Do not allow direct login of the main account.
This is the most important point this time.
What we've been doing up until now is,
Log in directly to your main account from the Instagram app on your iPhone 17 Pro.
That was the method.
But no matter what I did, it didn't work.
Therefore,
"Let's try stopping direct login to the main account."
That's what I thought.
And what I tried was,
First, log in to the iPhone 17 Pro app using a different Instagram account.
That's the method.
after that,
Log in with a different account
↓
"Add account"
↓
Add main account
↓
Approve on a logged-in device, such as an older iPhone.
That's how we proceeded.
And the result was—
I successfully logged into my main account on the Instagram app on my iPhone 17 Pro!
STEP 1 | Prepare a separate Instagram account
First, create a separate Instagram account from your main account that you are unable to log into.
I created a new Instagram account from my computer's browser.
Then, use that account to log in through the Instagram app on your iPhone 17 Pro.
During the login process, a security check was displayed, and an authentication code was sent via SMS to the registered phone number.
Enter the code and follow the on-screen instructions to set your password.
Then,
I was able to successfully log in to the Instagram app on my iPhone 17 Pro with a different account.
I had been unable to log in with my main account no matter how many times I tried, but I was able to log in successfully with a different account.
This was the breakthrough we achieved this time.
Instead of forcing the user to log in with their main account, first create a separate account that is properly logged into the Instagram app.
Can I create a new account through the app?
I created a new account on my computer.
However, on the login screen of the Instagram app on iPhone 17 Pro"Create a new account"I think it's also worth trying the method of registering directly from there.
What's important this time is, firstTo create a state where you are logged into the Instagram app on your iPhone 17 Pro with a valid account.is.
STEP 2 | Add an account from within the app
If you can successfully log in with a different account, then from the Instagram app..."Add account"Select one.
Then, enter the ID and password of the main account you originally wanted to log into.
The key point here is,
Instead of logging in directly to your main account from the login screen, you should "add" the account from an account that you are already logged into.
I will now attempt to log in to my main account using a different route than before.
STEP 3 | Approve using your old iPhone, which is already logged in.
After entering the main account information, a security check was performed.
In my case, my main account was still logged into on my old iPhone.
So, I open the Instagram app on that old iPhone.
Then, a screen appeared confirming that I was trying to log in from a new device.
Therefore, I will verify that this is a login by myself and approve it.
and--
I successfully logged into my main account on my iPhone 17 Pro!
Why was I able to log in using this method?
This requires a little caution.
Instagram does not disclose all of its internal specifications regarding its login security system and device authentication.
Therefore,
"Instagram's servers were blocking the iPhone 17 Pro."
It is not possible to make such a definitive statement.
However, considering the current situation,The authentication status and security checks when logging in from the Instagram app on a new device may have been a contributing factor.That is possible.
In fact, in my environment,
- Account is working correctly
- The password is also correct.
- Login is possible from a PC.
- Login is possible via Safari.
- Login is possible via Chrome.
- Login is possible from older iPhones.
However, I couldn't log in to the Instagram app on my iPhone 17 Pro.
So, I first logged into the app with a different account, then added my main account from there. After approving the login on my old device, I was able to log in successfully.
JustMy own success story in my environmentTherefore, the same result may not occur in all cases.
However, if the problem persists even after trying multiple times using the normal login method, I think this method is worth trying.
summary
This incident is,
"I can't log in to Instagram."
rather than
"I can't log in to the Instagram app only from my new iPhone."
It was a very limited scope.
The password is correct, and I can log in from my PC, browser, and my previous iPhone.
Identity verification and two-factor authentication are also accepted.
Even after that, an "unknown error" occurred during the final password setting, preventing me from logging into the app.
What allowed me to overcome that situation this time was...
Instead of "logging directly into your main account," "log in to the app first with a different account, and then add your main account."
That was the method.
Log in to the Instagram app with a different account.
↓
Add your main account via "Add Account".
↓
Approve login using an older device, etc.
Using this method, I was able to successfully log in to the Instagram app on my iPhone 17 Pro.
This method may become unavailable depending on changes to Instagram's specifications or the status of your account or device.
However, if the problem persists even after trying reinstallation, restarting, changing network settings, resetting passwords, etc.,
Instead of "logging in directly," "add from another account."
I think it's worth trying that method.
Similarly,"My password is correct, but I can't log in to the Instagram app on my new iPhone."I hope this will be helpful to anyone suffering from these symptoms.
