Instagram notification sound change on iOS driving users crazy — but can you change it?

Instagram has done it again — tweaked something minor that has sent a section of its user base into a spiral. If you’ve been hearing a strange new ping from your iPhone lately, you’re not alone. Instagram has quietly rolled out a new notification sound for iOS users, and it’s causing quite the stir. Some users are embracing the change, appreciating how it sets Instagram alerts apart from the sea of notifications flooding their iPhones. But for many, it’s an unwelcome surprise that they can’t change, leading to complaints, frustration, and desperate searches for a way to switch back.

Last week, some iOS users started noticing that their Instagram notifications sounded different. Unlike before, when the app relied on the iPhone’s default alert tones, Instagram now seems to be enforcing its own sound — one that users can’t modify in their settings. No matter what tone you set for alerts, Instagram plays its own jingle instead.

The reaction? A storm of confusion, annoyance, and memes. Some users compared the new sound to a Microsoft Teams ping, a self-checkout alert, or even the kind of sound you’d expect from an Android device. Others simply found it grating, especially since Instagram doesn’t offer an option to revert to the old system.

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Short answer: Nope.

Instagram does not currently allow users to customize their notification sound. While iPhone settings let you pick different alert tones for system notifications (such as texts), app-specific sounds like Instagram’s remain outside of user control. That means if the new Instagram chime isn’t music to your ears, your only real options are to live with it — or mute notifications entirely.

If you can’t stand the new sound and would rather not hear it at all, you can silence Instagram notifications:

1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.

2. Tap the More menu (three lines in the top-right corner).

3. Select Settings, then tap Notifications.

4. From there, you can turn off specific alerts (like DMs) or mute all notifications.

Of course, this means you won’t get notified about messages or activity in real time — you’ll have to check the app manually to stay updated.

Here’s where things get murky. Instagram hasn’t officially explained the change, leaving room for speculation. Some users have reported that uninstalling and reinstalling the app — or updating to the latest version — restored the usual notification sound. However, others say the new tone persists, even after trying these fixes.

What’s clear is that this change rolled out with Instagram v366, but I was unable to reproduce it on the latest version 367 on iOS 18.3.1. If it’s a bug, Instagram might have quietly fixed it in the new update. But if it’s intentional, users may have to get used to it — or keep their fingers crossed that Instagram eventually adds a customization option.