Why Don’t I have Instagram Notes? How to Fix the ‘Instagram Notes not Showing’ Issue?

Recently, Instagram launched a new feature called Instagram Notes which is said to be quite similar to the way AIM (instant messaging software for computers created by AOL) works.

It is surely an interactive feature that can help many to stay engaged with their followers. But some users are complaining and tweeting about the problem with Instagram Notes as below.

And the crazy thing is that the notes don’t appear on my Instagram😂 https://t.co/RO7O5T978L

— Jala 🤩 (@jala____) December 14, 2022

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you want to know about Instagram Notes and the issues like ‘Instagram Notes Not Showing’ that surround them. So, let’s get started and start by talking a little bit about what exactly Instagram notes are.

Content

Instagram Notes: An Overview
Why aren’t Instagram notes showing?
How to get notes from Instagram?
final thoughts
Frequently asked questions

Instagram Notes: An Overview

Since almost every other social media platform keeps coming up with new and exciting features, Instagram Notes from Instagram is no surprise. After testing it for a while, Instagram introduced the Notes feature, which allows users to post quick notes with disappearing content.

Like the Instagram Stories feature, the notes also disappear after 24 hours. Released in December 2022, you can add a short message to notes of up to 60 characters. Although it is already available for various reasons, not everyone knows about its existence and its use. In fact, some users are facing the problem of not being able to post on Instagram.

Users can share their thoughts in sticky notes with their aggregated list of close friends or with their followers and those they follow on Instagram. It’s a fun way to interact with others and see what they have to say when they share their thoughts.

The Instagram notes feature is liked by many users and many are already using it. However, some users are complaining that Instagram notes are not showing. To answer the question ‘why don’t I have notes on Instagram?’, let’s first look at the reasons and understand why this might be the case.

Why aren’t Instagram notes showing?

Unlike DMs on Instagram, the Instagram Notes feature is anything but. While you’re notified when someone messages you on Instagram, Instagram notes stay hidden in your inbox.

However, if for some reason you can’t see them, there is a list of factors that could lead to “why can’t I see notes on Instagram” issue. They are listed below:

You may have a bad network connection.
There is a problem with your device.
The update, including the Instagram Notes feature, has not been installed.
You are not added as a close friend of the user or they do not follow each other.
Instagram Notes is not yet available in your region.
Your Instagram app is out of date.

These are some of the reasons why you may be wondering ‘why my Instagram doesn’t show notes’. Now let’s see the steps for ‘how to get Instagram notes’.

How to get notes from Instagram?

Just like the Instagram Stories feature, the Instagram Notes feature also stays only for 24 hours. It allows users to share their thoughts. So if you also want to share notes on Instagram and want to know how you can get Instagram Notes, here is a step by step guide.

Check your messages

Before you overthink your own thoughts and let FOMO get the better of you, make sure you’re looking for notes in the right place! Instagram is a pretty big place and some can get lost looking for the right options and features.

So, you need to make sure that you don’t check the wrong options to display Instagram notes as they can only be posted and viewed in direct messages. And if you’ve been looking for them on the Instagram Feed, you’re missing them without a clue. Some users also faced “Instagram could not update feed” issue.

Now you know that instead of the Instagram feed, you should look at direct messages for Instagram notes. To find Instagram notes in your DMS:

Solution Brief: Instagram < Messenger icon < + icon on your profile picture

Here you can also see the Instagram notes of other users who have shared them with you.

update instagram

One of the biggest things that people forget or ignore or skip is updating their apps. And the same case can be here for Instagram.

Since the Instagram notes arrived in December 2022, many may not have updated the Instagram app and therefore cannot find them. So make sure to update your Instagram account by following the steps below:

Go to Play Store or App Store.
Search Instagram.
Check if a new version is available.
If there is, click Update.

Make a close friends list

If you don’t have a close friends list created for your Instagram account, can this also be the reason why you can’t show Instagram notes to others or why they can’t see Instagram notes?

So, to create a close friends list on Instagram, follow the steps below:

Go to Instagram and tap on the profile icon.

Then click on the menu icon and select Nearby Friends.

Click Get Started.

When you’re ready to add a friend, tap Add next to the user’s name and click Create List.

Once you’ve done this, check to see if you can now see your followers’ Instagram notes or if you can now add your own.

Try switching to a professional account

One way to solve the ‘Instagram Notes not showing’ problem is to switch to a professional account. To do this, follow the steps below:

Go to Instagram and tap on your profile photo.

Then click on the menu icon with three lines in the upper right corner.

Tap Settings.

Go to account.

Now scroll down and tap Switch to work account.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Now go back to your DMS and check if the Instagram Notes feature is available, if not then you can try going back to your personal account and see if the Instagram Notes feature is now there.

Enable activity status

If Instagram notes aren’t working for you, you can turn on activity status and see if that helps.

Open Instagram and click on your profile icon.

Now tap on the menu icon with three lines.

Select Settings.

Click Privacy.

Now scroll down and tap on Activity Status.

Turn on the Show activity status option.

After that, go to your Messages and see if the Instagram Notes feature is now available for you.

Make sure notes are off

If you didn’t know, there is also an option to turn off Instagram notes. Therefore, you may have turned them off accidentally or unknowingly. However, if this is the case, the process of disabling Instagram Notes is not very straightforward.

To turn off someone’s notes on Instagram, you’ll need to long press on their note and then tap on the “Turn off notes” option. So if you want to check if Instagram notes are recorded, you can do it in the following ways:

Open Instagram and go to the profile where you think you may have muted notes.
Below their timeline, tap Follow < Mute < Mute Notes.

If you’ve muted notes for more than one user, it can certainly be a time-consuming process, so make sure you’ve gone through the other methods before trying this one.

Check if the Instagram Notes feature is available in your region

There is also a chance that the Instagram Notes feature is not yet available for your region. This is because the feature is still being tested in some locations, leading to the “Instagram Notes Not Showing” issue for some users.

If after checking you are sure that the feature has not been introduced and you still want to use it, there is a VPN option. With any premium VPN, chances are you can get your hands on the Instagram Notes feature.

Change your location/region to United States.
Close your Instagram session.
Now log in again with your login details.
Check if you can use the Instagram Notes feature now.

Contact Instagram support

In case none of the methods explained so far have worked for you, you have one last resort that might work. And that is contacting Instagram support directly.

You can report this issue for further assistance. The steps for this are as follows:

Open Instagram and tap on your profile icon.

Then select the menu icon.

Then click Settings.

Select Help.

Now select Report a problem.

Now you can mention the problem you are facing and explain it in the description box provided.

The methods discussed in the article will help you understand the “Instagram notes not showing” issue and hopefully help you resolve it.

final thoughts

Before you completely give up on the “Instagram notes not showing” issue, make sure to try the methods discussed in the article. Having analyzed the reasons, then, most likely, you will be able to understand and get an answer to the question “why don’t I have notes on Instagram?”

The methods explained in the article will help you get rid of the “why don’t I have notes on Instagram” problem. In most cases, the Instagram Notes feature is most likely not available in your region or you haven’t updated your Instagram app. Well, the final step is up to you and hopefully the feature will roll out soon.

Frequently asked questions

How to make an Instagram note easily?

Answer: You can add a note on Instagram by following the simple steps below:

Open Instagram
Go to your Messages.
Tap +Leave a note with your profile photo.
Write what you want and touch Share.

Can you delete an Instagram note?

Answer: Yes, you can easily delete a note from Instagram. To do it:

Open Instagram and go to Inbox.
Tap your note and hold.
Tap Delete note.

Why don’t I have notes on Instagram after updating?

Answer: There may be several reasons why you can’t see Instagram notes even after the update, such as the phone you are using, or the feature itself is not available in your region yet.

Sources:

Instagram Notes Not Showing Up, Reddit Colleen Christison, Instagram Notes Explained: What the Heck Are They For?, Hootsuite