Have you been receiving an error on Instagram that says “Can’t switch accounts. You can’t switch accounts while you’re in a video chat. Try again when you’re finished.”? Well, you are not alone since many Instagram users have been getting this error message when they attempt to switch accounts.
In this article, I’ll show you why this is happening.
Why Can’t I Switch Accounts Instagram?
Instagram certainly is no stranger to technical difficulties, as many Instagram users have been experiencing this error that tells them, “Can’t switch accounts. You can’t switch accounts while you’re in a video chat. Try again when you’re finished.”
Not to mention that Instagram is relatively well-known for having bugs, errors, and even glitches, which can be said for any app and/or website.
However, the most common and likely reason why you are receiving this error when you try to switch between Instagram accounts is that you are doing something that is preventing the account change from working correctly.
The error message even states this as a possibility, as you cannot switch between IG accounts whilst in a video chat.
This should be the first thing that you consider when you get this error message on Instagram.
Now, while being in the middle of a video chat is the most common and likely reason for this error on Instagram, it is not the only possible cause for the error.
There is always the possibility of a bug causing trouble in Instagram. This is more likely if you are receiving the “Can’t switch accounts. You can’t switch accounts while you’re in a video chat.” error message even when you are not in a video chat on Instagram.
A technical bug can take many forms of issues; however, it is very difficult to narrow down the source of the problem.
You might even receive the “Can’t switch accounts” error message and it might also claim that “You can’t switch accounts while you are posting” even when you are not posting something on Instagram.
This error message can also be brought on by a bug issue since a technical bug itself is an error, which means that it causes a feature or a process to not function correctly. Keep in mind that a bug cannot always be fixed on your side; however, sometimes it can be resolved by simply refreshing the application or by logging out, then logging back in.
As previously mentioned, Instagram has had their fair share of technical difficulties.
1. You’re Currently In A Video Chat
As previously depicted, the most common and likely reason why Instagram is not allowing you to switch between your accounts is that you are in a video chat.
Typically, the error message itself will cite this as the probable cause of the error, as it will most likely say something like, “Can’t switch accounts. You can’t switch accounts while in a video chat.”
While this might be genuinely inconvenient and probably annoying, it also makes sense since the video chat is connected to the Instagram account that you started the chat on, and switching between IG accounts would certainly disrupt the connection.
Even if you could switch between your Instagram accounts while you are in a video chat, there would most likely be many technical difficulties to overcome.
With that said, you would also have to consider if you follow the person you are video chatting with on your other Instagram account and if they follow you back.
Sure, it would be great to be able to switch between accounts on Instagram or website while you are also in a video chat; however, it is much too difficult of a process and would likely create more problems than it would solve.
Fix – You Need to Wait For It to End
The answer for this type of error on Instagram is to simply wait until you are finished with your video chat, then you should have no problem switching between your accounts on Instagram and/or website.
As previously depicted, switching between accounts on Instagram or any social media platform while you are also video chatting with someone might sound like a simple process; however, it is extremely difficult from a technical standpoint.
With this in mind, you should forgive Instagram for not allowing you to switch accounts while you are in a video chat.
So, while you probably really want to check something on your other Instagram account while video chatting with your friend, you will have to, unfortunately, wait until you are finished with your video chat.
Once you are finished with your video chat, you can try to switch between your Instagram accounts once again and you will most likely have better luck.
2 . If The Video Chat Ended and You’re Still Receiving This, It Could Be Down to A Bug
When you receive the error message on Instagram that tells you “Can’t switch accounts. You can’t switch accounts while in a video chat.”
However, if the video chat you were in has ended or you were not even in a video chat in the first place, then the issue could be a technical bug.
As previously mentioned, a technical bug itself is an error since it essentially causes a feature or even a process to not function correctly.
With this in mind, it only makes sense that Instagram would send you an error message; however, unfortunately, the error message will not tell you when the issue is a bug since they are basically impossible to track or predict.
In this case, the bug could be causing Instagram to incorrectly detect that you are in a video chat while you are trying to switch between your Instagram accounts.
Fix – Refresh The App
Sometimes when you are experiencing issues due to a bug in an app such as this error message on Instagram, which is causing the app to detect that you are in a video chat while you are attempting to switch between your Instagram accounts; one of the most simple but effective solutions is to refresh the application.
You might have already tried this method; however, you might also not have completely closed out Instagram, which means that you did not successfully refresh the app. You will want to make sure that you completely close out Instagram.
Once you have completely closed out Instagram, then you will want to simply open the app once again. This is a simple yet effective solution for when you are experiencing problems on an app due to a technical bug.
You may also want to consider clearing the cache for Instagram, as this could also help get rid of the bug that is causing the app to wrongly detect that you are in a video chat while you are trying to switch between your Instagram accounts.
With any luck, you should have no issues switching between your Instagram accounts.
Fix 2 – Log Out Then Back In
Another viable method to get rid of a technical bug, which is causing Instagram to incorrectly detect that you are in a video chat while you are also attempting to switch between your accounts; is to simply log out of your account and then log back into your Instagram account.
This is quite similar to refreshing Instagram; however, when you log out of your account, then log back in, you are kind of resetting your account and any requests being made to Instagram’s server.
This might sound almost too easy but it very well could put a stop to that “Can’t switch accounts” error message.
How to Bypass Can’t Switch Accounts (if you want to switch accounts while on a video call)
Now, we have talked about how being in a video call on Instagram while you are also trying to switch between your accounts very well could be the cause of the “Can’t switch accounts” error message.
However, you might be well aware of this and this might also be exactly what you are aiming to do on Instagram. If this is the case, then we have got you covered since we have two ways to switch between your Instagram accounts while in a video chat.
1. Log In on a Web Browser on Your Phone
One method you can use is to log into your other Instagram account on a web browser on your phone while you continue your video chat through Instagram.
Also, you can use maintain the video chat through Instagram on your PC while you log into your other Instagram account on the web browser on your smartphone.
2. Log In on Your PC
Another way to switch between your Instagram accounts while also on a video call is to log in on your PC. So, if you are video chatting with your friend on your phone, then you can log into your other Instagram account on your PC. You can have the best of both worlds!