Instagram's copy and paste in comments broken on latest iOS version

For the past three weeks, iPhone users have been experiencing a frustrating glitch that’s left them feeling more like detectives than social media enthusiasts. The culprit? Instagram’s copy and paste function, which has mysteriously vanished on recent versions of the app.

It all started innocently enough with a seemingly routine app update. But lucky for me, I still have v338.1 from 3 weeks ago on my iPhone. My investigations confirmed that Instagram version 338.1, running on iOS 17.5.1, had no such issues. The paste function worked flawlessly, both in posts and comments. However, the latest version 342, released less than 24 hours ago, seems to have a selective memory. It allows pasting in new posts but throws a tantrum when it comes to comments.

To add insult to injury, this isn’t the first time Instagram’s copy and paste function has pulled this disappearing act. Similar complaints surfaced about six months ago, leading some to question if this is a bug or an intentional change Instagram is working on behind the scenes — albeit a very unpopular one.

I don’t have any issue with the copy and paste function on Android. The issue is also absent on Instagram for web, so these are perhaps your only options out for now. Otherwise, iPhone owners have now been reduced to typing out everything from scratch. It’s like being forced to write a novel by hand in the age of laptops.

While using Instagram’s web version is not ideal, it’s a temporary fix that has brought some relief to the copy and paste crisis. Others have also found relief in the workaround below:

But the question remains: why is this happening? Is it a technical glitch, a deliberate attempt to slow down our posting, or something more sinister? Instagram has yet to provide a clear explanation, but the fact that the issue is at least gone for new posts suggests Instagram may be working behind the scenes to address it.

I’m not always in a hurry to install new updates, both app and system. This seems to have saved me from the ongoing Instagram issues on iOS. Hopefully, the next update fixes the glitch.