The instagram video has no sound – some simple fixes

Read time 10 minutes

While talking of ‘social media,’ perhaps the first to strike one’s mind is ‘Instagram.’ It is a widely used platform to share photos and videos, and users can react to them, making them more popular. While using this application, users sometimes face issues like the video having no sound. In the present blog, we are going to discuss why this happens and, foremost, how it can be resolved.

To begin with, do note that Instagram has a default feature that does not allow automatic play of sound. Enabling the sound or audio part will make the video audible. Let us further understand and try to resolve the issue.

Causes behind the ‘instagram video has no sound’ issue

There can be a lot of reasons that can cause an Instagram video to play without any sound. We can attribute the problem of no sound in the Instagram video to either the device on which it is being operated or the program or the application itself. It is very important for you to know the causes before moving to the fix section. Otherwise, you would not understand the reason behind performing some of the steps while fixing the problem. We have listed the causes, from the most basic to the most complex ones.

• To begin with, do note that Instagram has a default feature which that does not allow automatic play of sound. Enabling the sound or audio part will make the video audible.
• The Instagram video itself may have been posted without sound. A user can intentionally post a video without any sound on Instagram, and as a result, the video will play without any sound for the viewers.
• There can be a problem with your Instagram application that can cause the sound to be unavailable. The reason can be anything from the Cache and cookies issue to an outdated version.
• Sometimes, it can be an internet browser that is causing the problem. A third-party extension or an ill-performing browser can cause problems while playing videos on Instagram using a web browser.
• If you are running Instagram on your computer, then the reason for this no sound issue can be the presence of an improper sound drive. This can be explained as the incompatibility of the sound driver with the Instagram application.
• The audio codec of the video may not be compatible with the Instagram application. This may cause the Instagram application not to decode and play the sound properly.
• The video itself may have been corrupt. This can happen due to various reasons.

How to fix the ‘instagram video has no sound’ issue in few minutes

Now that you are aware of the causes behind the issue, it will be easier to move towards the fixes based on certain assumptions, as you would not feel at a loss while troubleshooting.

• Turn the ringer ON
  If your device (Android phone) is in mute or vibration mode, then the audio will not play. To resolve, turn the ringer on. To turn the ringer ON, follow the steps given under:
  1. On your device, open the Instagram program and find if no sound issue arises.
  2. Go to settings, scroll the menu for ‘sound and vibration,’ and click on it.
  3. Scroll for ‘video’ or ‘media’ and switch on the ‘ringer’ if it is off for video or media by sliding the button for it.
• The video may not have a sound at all
  As stated in the very beginning, Instagram has a default feature that does not allow automatic play of sound. You all need to do is just to enable the audio. Also, you are provided with a feature to upload a video post with no audio or sound. While posting a video, there is a step in which users will see a speaker icon on the top of the screen. By clicking on this icon, one would see a disabled sign on the speaker, which would mean that this video will now be posted without its audio.
  While playing a video that doesn’t have any sound, the user would see a text over the speaker icon on the right bottom of the video. The text would read – “This video has no sound.” If this is the case, there is not much to be done, and one can be assured that there is no issue with their device or application; it is just an outcome of the Instagram feature. But if the user doesn’t see such a text and still hear no sound, move to the next section to troubleshoot and fix the issue.
• Your Instagram application may not be working properly
  At times you may come across scenarios when you run Instagram on your mobile phone and face no sound issue on that device. Here are some troubleshooting steps one can follow to fix the issues with their application.
• Force close Instagram
  There are chances that the lack of computing resources can lead to improper functioning of any application, including Instagram, on mobile devices. Force closing your application can help release and reset the CPU, GPU, and Memory resources on your device. Go to Settings -> Apps -> Instagram. Then, click on Force Stop.
  This will force close your Instagram. Reopen the application after a minute and verify if the issue has been resolved. If not, proceed to the next step.
• Update Instagram to the latest version
  Sometimes, there can be a problem with the application software itself. Developers keep tweaking the application code so as to improve the application or add more features to it. But this process occasionally leads to breaking another function. Also, sometimes the application may need to be in accordance with the latest software version on your device. So, if you have recently updated your application or system software and have been facing the issue since then, it may be the application that needs a fix. You can check for any updates or bug fix releases for the application on the store and install it. This will ensure that you have the latest version without the bug. If this doesn’t work, you can try to install an older version that was working fine for your device earlier.
• Clear Instagram data and Cache
  All applications store some data in memory and even cache some information to work faster and more efficiently. But as the size of this data and Cache grows, it can slow down the application and even interfere with the proper functioning of the application. Clearing the data and Cache can free up the troublesome data and help fix the issue. Follow the steps below to achieve the same.
  • Go to Settings -> Apps & notifications -> Instagram.
  • Once the application info opens, select Storage. Click on Clear Cache to delete all the application-related Cache.
  • One should not go for the Clear Storage option without taking a backup of the data, as this option will delete any data stored in the application, such as downloaded videos, photos, etc.
• Reboot your phone
  Sometimes, your device may be overburdened, and it may obstructing the proper execution or functioning of various applications, including Instagram. Rebooting or restarting your phone can help free up resources by closing various applications running in the background and eating up resources unnecessarily.
• Check Bluetooth Devices
  Sometimes when you are using any plugged Bluetooth device regularly, this may lead to no sounds issue over Instagram. In case you find you are unable to hear any sound in Instagram Reels, Stories, or calls, then make sure that your phone is not connected to any Bluetooth devices. So, keep checking this and disconnect with any paired devices
• Uninstall and reinstall the application
  If you are using the Instagram application on your phone and all the above steps haven’t fixed the issue for you, there may be a chance that the Instagram version or instance on your system has some corruption in the installation-related binary files. It is recommended that you uninstall the Instagram application from your device and reinstall it after a phone reboot. There are various shortcuts and methods to uninstall an application from the phone. You can use any of those methods to uninstall the application. Once the application is uninstalled, reboot your phone. After the phone restarts, go to the Play Store or Apple Store (whichever is applicable) and install the latest, authentic application. This should fix the problem if it didn’t already.
• Disable and enable the camera and mic access
  Step 1- Firstly, close the open Instagram application.
  Step 2- Now go to the setting of the phone.
  Step 3- In the Instagram setting, turn off the camera and mic access.
  Step 4- Now go back to the Instagram app and restart the application.
  Step 5- Lastly, go to the top left corner of the application to enable the camera and mic.
  Now you can check whether you are able to play Instagram stories with sound or not.
• Your browser may be causing the problem
  Disable third-party extensions
  It has been observed that various third parties and unauthorized extensions can lead to trouble while browsing various social media or eCommerce websites. It is because some third-party extensions monitor and block various unwanted advertisements. Sometimes, these extensions end up blocking actual features, mistakenly or due to improper functioning. Disabling all such extensions can help resolve the issue for those facing this issue while opening Instagram on their web browser on a computer.
• The sound driver on your device may be causing the issue
  It has been observed that PC users sometimes don’t have properly installed sound drivers, and as a result, media may play without any sound on their system, including Instagram.
  To fix this issue, follow the steps below:

1. Click on the Start button on the Windows taskbar and search for Device Manager.
2. Open the Device Manager and go to Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Under this, you would see your sound device; right-click on it and select update driver.
4. You will be asked to find a driver online or use an existing driver file. Choose the Automatically search online for latest driver option.
5. Once the latest driver is found, select it, and click on Next to install the driver.
6. Restart your machine once the installation is complete, and retry playing an Instagram video to verify that the issue is fixed.

• The Audio Codec of the video is not compatible with Instagram
  Instagram supports only some specified video and audio codecs. Uploading an unsupported video or audio format file can lead to various issues, including no video or no audio issues while playing the media. If you are the one uploading a video that has no sound, cross-check if it is using the supported audio and video codecs. If not, you will need to convert your video to supported formats before uploading it again. AAC and Vorbis are well-known audio codecs supported by Instagram. So, make sure your audio codec is one of these to avoid any audio-related issues.
• The video itself may be corrupt
  Often, content creators must convert their video from one format to another to meet the best-recommended requirements for a video or to meet the platform specifications. Sometimes, a video may get corrupted in the conversion process due to various reasons, including the inability of the tool, large video size, or incomplete conversion. Such videos may face many problems while playing on any device or player. It may be jittery, or the video output may be inconsistent with the audio; the video or audio may be completely missing from the file as well. If such a video is uploaded on Instagram, users will face the same issues as the file itself is corrupt.

Don’t worry; we have a solution for this problem as well. Kernel Video Repair tool can easily repair all popular video file formats in a matter of minutes. The tool is very powerful, and the GUI is user-friendly. It fixes all corruption issues within all format video files from all devices and recorders readily and delivers quick results to users. Try the free version of the tool once to get all your queries resolved.

Conclusion

This blog covered all aspects of the “Instagram video has no sound” problem. We started with a little overview and details of the issue. Next, we covered the various causes behind this issue. Then, we had a detailed discussion and description of the various solutions for the issue. We even covered solutions for users facing the issue on their computers and web browsers.

We additionally included solutions for content creators who may be facing this issue with one or more of their uploaded videos. In the end, we have recommended the Kernel Video Repair tool for those who are struggling to fix corrupt video files and the video not playing issue. We hope this blog was useful to you, and you can browse through our other blogs for comprehensive solutions to various such issues.