Are you encountering the “You may not be old enough to use Instagram” error message?
Many users are recently getting this message will the full statement saying, “We’ll disable your account within if you’re not able to confirm you’re at least 13. After this period, your account will not be recoverable.”
Instagram is one of the popular social media apps, mostly used by the young generation. Therefore, the platform implements safety features and policies to restrict teens under 13 from using the service.
The message appears if you’ve set your age under 13 or someone has reported your account being underage. Although sometimes you could see the message even after providing the correct age details.
In this article, we have outlined solutions for how to fix “You may not be old enough to use Instagram”.
What Does “You may not be old enough to use Instagram” Indicate?
“You may not be old enough to use Instagram” indicate that you must be at least 13 years old to sign in for an Instagram account. If you’re below 13 years, Instagram can disable your account.
Instagram has developed a policy where they set up a minimum age limit for creating an account.
If you’re unable to prove your required age, Instagram won’t allow you to continue with the service and the account will be disabled.
Hence, you get the message, “You may not be old enough to use Instagram”.
Instagram does it to protect teens and prevent them from communicating with unwanted adults. To provide a positive and safe experience, the underage policy is implemented that restricts users under 13 years old from creating and using an Instagram account.
So, Instagram might disable your account for 30 days. If you think it’s a mistake, you can submit an appeal and verify your age by providing a valid ID that shows your face and age.
If they’re not convinced, the appeal can get rejected and you won’t be able to recover the account after 30 days.
How to Fix “You may not be old enough to use Instagram”?
In order to fix “You may not be old enough to use Instagram”, you have to fill up and submit the “Help Us Verify Your Age” form.
After submitting the form, you need to wait for some days for Instagram to review it.
If they accept your appeal, you’ll receive an email about reactivating the account.
The “Help Us Verify Your Age” form requires a government-issued photo ID where your face and birth date are clearly visible.
After submission, the ID will be encrypted and stored safely. So, your followers or others can’t see the ID on your profile and it’ll be deleted automatically after 30 days. The ID is needed for verification only.
Also, remember that it might take a long time for Instagram to review your appeal among others. So, you need to wait at least 7 days before getting any reply.
Here’s how to fix the issue by filling up the “Help Us Verify Your Age” form:
1. Go to the “Help Us Verify Your Age” Form
To start with, go to the “Help Us Verify Your Age” form using any browser like Chrome or Safari.
Search for “Help Us Verify Your Age” in Google.
From the search result, select the first link showing Help Us Verify Your Age- Instagram Help Center.
Or, you can directly visit the page through this link: https://help.instagram.com/contact/730583250290732
2. Enter Your Information
The Instagram “Help Us Verify Your Age” form helps you to verify your age and get back the account.
Instagram might have disabled your account because they suspected you were below 13 years.
To prove you’re 13 years old or above, you need to attach a valid photo ID.
First, under the Full Name box, enter your full name.
Second, provide your email ID connected to the Instagram account.
Third, provide your Instagram username in the designated box.
Fourth, enter your date of birth.
3. Add A Valid Photo ID
At the bottom, you need to add a valid photo ID to the form.
Before adding, check that the ID has your face and date of birth so that Instagram can confirm the age.
After sending the copy of the ID, it gets encrypted and stored safely.
Also, your ID is kept private so your friends or other users can’t see it on your profile. The ID gets deleted after 30 days.
Now, take a photo and select Choose a file to attach the photo.
You can even add any additional information if required in the Add additional info box.
Finally, select Send.
You need to wait for a few days to hear back from Instagram Support.
If approved, you’ll receive an email stating that your account has been enabled.
How Long Does An Instagram Age Appeal Take?
An Instagram age appeal takes generally 3 to 7 days after submitting the form.
It’s because of the numerous appeals they receive.
Therefore, you need to keep patience and wait for a while to get a reply.
Instagram will reply to you through the email ID you’ve given.
Upon approving your appeal, an email will be sent to you saying that the account has been reactivated.
If you don’t get any response, the account will be deactivated or deleted after 30 days.
Summary
To use or create an Instagram account, you must be at least 13 years of age. Otherwise, Instagram may disable the account.
To prove you’re old enough, you must provide a valid ID where it shows your age is above 13. If you can’t, you won’t be able to recover the account. In that case, create a new account and make sure to set the age at least 13 or above.
If you find this article helpful, please share it with others and help them to overcome the problem.