[iMore Question]

So the last couple of days every time that I upload a photo on Instagram the quality is reduced and the photo appears with pixels! When I preview the photo on Instagram the quality is perfect, but right after I post it or after a few hours the quality is much lower.
The size of my images is exactly the same as the images I have been uploading ever since I started using instagram and also the needed size for the pictures to stay in good quality (2048 x 2048)
Also, all my apps (insta and the editing apps, I use VSCOcam) are updated.
I also use a DSLR Camera (Nikon D3100) and iPhone 4s.
I updated my iOS 7 to 8 because i thought that was the problem but nothing changed!

P.S, I had absolutely no problem last week, I have no idea what happened!

What should I do?? It makes me sad that the quality of my photos is all of a sudden reduced cause I really didn't change anything on the way I edit them or in the Settings or sth. I'm confused!

I've been searching EVERYWHERE for an answer and I havent found anything yet so please help me

[kch50428]

https://help.instagram.com/276722745781769/

[jiyongi]

Hi there! I have the exact same problem with yours. But unfortunately my photo changed by itself after a few days!! I opened my account on the web, and yes the photo is fine. It's only on the iOS. I've been looking for answers too. It never happen before and I only use iPhone camera with the normal size.

I've reported the case to Instagram. Hope they'll actually take action and fix it. You can try to report it too so that when more people reporting the same case, they might fix it
soon. So frustating.

Ps. My iOS and apps are up to date. I'm using iPhone 6.

[Just_Me_D]

Hi there! I have the exact same problem with yours. But unfortunately my photo changed by itself after a few days!! I opened my account on the web, and yes the photo is fine. It's only on the iOS. I've been looking for answers too. It never happen before and I only use iPhone camera with the normal size.

I've reported the case to Instagram. Hope they'll actually take action and fix it. You can try to report it too so that when more people reporting the same case, they might fix it
soon. So frustating.

Ps. My iOS and apps are up to date. I'm using iPhone 6.

In the Photos & Camera settings, is there a check mark next to "Optimize iPhone Storage"? If so, try unchecking it and then upload a photo to Instagram.

[Ledsteplin]

I don't have that option. I think you must have iCloud Photo Library on for that.

[Just_Me_D]

I don't have that option. I think you must have iCloud Photo Library on for that.

You are correct...

[pepofernandez]

hey, i have the exact same problem, did you manage to fix this?

[jiyongi]

Nope! I tried to report the issue couple of times with Instagram. No response and didn't get fixed. What I found is it always happen after I update new version of Instagram. So don't update to the new version, if you do your latest picture will be blurred. I know it's weird, I just hope Instagram fixed it soon

[joshinstagram]

This is a two year late response, but you're the only person I could find online who experiences the same thing as me.

Did you ever find a solution? I'm following many photographers who somehow have images months back that still remain razor sharp. I'm almost convinced I'm the only person in the world who has ios degrade my images after a couple hours or the next day.

Funny thing is, they look sharp on web.

[jiyongi]

Hi Josh,

I've moved on since then lol. I never get any help or answer to this issue. I feel you. Actually it happens to everyone (I hope), I guess just some don't realise it. It's hard to notice other's people photos. You can do experiment with different accounts to confirm this. So my own theory is cause Instagram can't handle the high quality photo. It's too heavy for their database and will reduce the performance. They sort of like reduce the quality of our image to make it faster to load for example. It actually happens to Facebook too if you notice. For example when you change your Facebook profile photo, it actually reduces the quality; and since Instagram owns by Facebook... This's my own opinion.

[mark-d]

Hi Josh,

I've moved on since then lol. I never get any help or answer to this issue. I feel you. Actually it happens to everyone (I hope), I guess just some don't realise it. It's hard to notice other's people photos. You can do experiment with different accounts to confirm this. So my own theory is cause Instagram can't handle the high quality photo. It's too heavy for their database and will reduce the performance. They sort of like reduce the quality of our image to make it faster to load for example. It actually happens to Facebook too if you notice. For example when you change your Facebook profile photo, it actually reduces the quality; and since Instagram owns by Facebook... This's my own opinion.

The only difference with Facebook is if you upload from a desktop it does offer you the chance to upload the hi-res versions of your images too. Mobile apps for Facebook and Instagram do not have such options and the compression occurs automatically.

[Rob Phillips]

The only difference with Facebook is if you upload from a desktop it does offer you the chance to upload the hi-res versions of your images too. Mobile apps for Facebook and Instagram do not have such options and the compression occurs automatically.

Exactly. This is intentionally done.

[joshinstagram]

Yeah what baffles me is that other photographers I follow have insanely sharp images like ones that my preview will look like before I post and they stay that way.

I use their same exporting settings and transfer process to my iphone but get worse results than them. I'm using an iphone 5s and most of these photographers have newer iphones. I was wondering if this may be the issue. Just from an uploading aspect, since these photos are taken separately not using the iphone camera.

[joshinstagram]

Yeah uploading from desktop is always an ease. I have heard of a few people using Uplet and Gramblr to upload images from their Mac to IG but am a little nervous to use these as they are not technically legal in Instagrams API rules. Worried I would get my account blocked or deleted.

Have you or anyone else tried out this method?

[gordonbrowntech]

It is just this way. Instagram wants users to load images fast too. It also saves space on their multi-million dollar servers

[joshinstagram]

Forgot to ask, what type of iphone were you using while posting?

[cczh2893]

I have been experiencing this on and off too! And it is really driving me INSANE.

PLEASE any solutions to this??

Thanks

[Ledsteplin]

Edit the photos to a specific resolution size. The limit on Instagram is 1080 pixels on the long side. If they are larger than that, Instagram compresses them even smaller than that and they look crappy. So if you shoot a photo that's 3024x4032, Instagram compresses it way down to ugly. Better quality cameras help. The cameras on the older iPhones don't do so well. Also be sure the lens is cleaned.

[carmelb]

Did anyone find a solution to this problem?
I've tried everything including resizing the images to 1080 on the long side but seems to make no difference.

[carmelb]

Did you find a solution?

[annalenapli]

oh my goodness this drives me crazy!
I have got this problem too, and I have no idea what to do... did anyone already find a solution? I really want to do this instagram-thing professionally and this is kinda ruining it now

[fernandooore]

I have the same problem my pictures are perfect But after few minutes or hours the pictures star to get blur and pixelated! I have this problem with my iPhone 6s then I used iPhone 7 Plus IOS 10.3.2 is so sad PLEASE HELP!

[un_delice]

I am having the same issue on only one of the accounts I manage. All the other profiles upload without compression. Anyone found a solution? Sent a few messages to Instagram. PLEASE HELP!

Thank you!

[Mehmet Kazgan]

I think the problem doesn’t arise from instagram. I have both ios & android devices. No problem with android. A photo posted on instagram by anyone that I follow is clean on android, on the other hand same photo appears blurry on ios. And the problem began when I updated my ios to 11.1.2. May be Insta needs an update too or ios.

[Sherry_B]

I think the problem doesn’t arise from instagram. I have both ios & android devices. No problem with android. A photo posted on instagram by anyone that I follow is clean on android, on the other hand same photo appears blurry on ios. And the problem began when I updated my ios to 11.1.2. May be Insta needs an update too or ios.

I've never had this issue with Instagram and photos. They were fine when I had my 6s, and they look equally as good on my 8 Plus. Running iOS 11.2 beta 5.

Edit; Not sure what the previous poster is talking about, but I just uploaded a 4032 x 3024 image to Instagram, and it looks absolutely beautiful. What ever compression they're using certainly isn't affecting my photos.