Short answer: most failed video selfies come from poor light, a face that is partly hidden or out of frame, head turns done too fast, an outdated app or a weak connection. Fix those, wait a little, then try again in the Instagram app. Meta says that if it can't confirm your identity from a video, you can submit a new one, and for some checks you can upload an ID instead.
What the video selfie is for
Instagram uses the same kind of check for two different jobs, and it helps to know which one you are facing.
- Identity check. Instagram asks you to film yourself turning your head in different directions to show you are a real person and the owner of the account. Its help page on video selfies says this is because photos and IDs can be digitally modified. It is common after a hack, a recovery request or a disabled account.
- Age check. If Instagram needs to confirm your age, for example when someone under 16 tries to change their age to over 16, you may be offered a video selfie or an ID upload. Instagram's age verification page says this feature is only available in some countries, and that a vendor estimates age from an image of the selfie. Meta named Yoti as that partner when it announced the feature.
Meta says the identity video is never shown on Instagram and is deleted within 30 days, and that the image used for age estimation is deleted within 30 days once your age has been estimated.
Before you film: the basics
These points come straight from Instagram's own instructions, and they fix most failures.
- Show your whole face. Instagram asks that your whole face is visible.
- Use enough light. Face a window or a lamp. Avoid strong light behind you, which turns your face into a shadow.
- Remove anything that covers your face, such as a mask, a hat or a hood. Take off sunglasses too.
- Follow the head movements on screen, such as right and left, up and down. Move slowly and keep your face inside the frame the whole time.
- Allow camera access if Instagram asks for it. The check can't start without it.
Practical fixes when it fails or gets stuck
These are not official Meta steps, just common technical causes that are worth ruling out.
- Update the Instagram app from the App Store or Google Play, then restart your phone.
- Use the official app on a phone, not a third-party app or an old browser. Instagram's help pages often say a step is done "in the Instagram app" or on a mobile device.
- Use a stable connection. Switch from weak mobile data to good Wi-Fi, or the other way round. Turn off any VPN while filming and uploading.
- Clean the front camera and hold the phone at eye level, about an arm's length away.
- Use a plain background with nobody else in the shot.
- Free up storage space if your phone is almost full, since the video has to be saved before it is sent.
- Don't leave the screen during the upload. Wait until the app confirms that the video was sent.
- Wait before retrying. If it fails several times in a row, stop for a few hours rather than trying again every minute.
"Your video is being reviewed" and nothing happens
Once the video is sent, the review happens on Meta's side.
- For an identity check, Meta says you won't have access to the account until it confirms it is you. If you pass, you may get an email at the secure address you gave with a link to reset your password. If you don't pass, you get an email too, and you may be able to send a new selfie in the app.
- For an age check, Instagram's page says it can take up to 20 minutes, and you get a notification with the result.
- Check your spam folder for Instagram emails, and make sure the email address you gave is one you can open.
If an identity review has been pending for a long time, don't keep submitting new requests in a panic. One clear request is easier to process than many.
Using an ID instead
Instagram may ask for an ID, or offer it as an alternative for age checks. Its ID upload page says that in most cases you get at least two attempts to submit an ID, and that you may temporarily lose access to the account during the review.
- Check the list of IDs Instagram accepts. It includes government IDs and, in some cases, two non-government documents with matching names.
- Take a sharp, complete photo with all four corners visible and no glare.
- Don't edit the photo. Instagram does not accept images that were digitally modified to hide information. If you want to hide your ID number, cover it physically before taking the photo.
- Send only what is asked. Meta says sending more documents than needed can delay the review.
What to do if it keeps failing
If the check fails again and again, take stock before trying another time.
- Make sure the account has photos of you. Instagram uses the video to confirm the account is yours. If the account has no photos of you, the hacked account process may ask for the email or phone used at signup and the type of device instead. See our guide on recovering an account without email or phone.
- Look for a different route the notice offers, such as an ID upload.
- Check whether the account was also disabled. If so, the selfie is only one step of the review. Our guide on a disabled account for no reason explains the rest, and our free Instagram appeal letter generator helps when a written explanation is requested.
- Read our guide on rejected appeals if Instagram has closed the request: Instagram appeal rejected or no answer.
Meta's own steps change by region, device and account type, so the screens you see may not match any guide exactly. Instagram says that if you choose not to confirm your identity, you may not be able to log back in, so don't give up on the check without trying again.
Beware of fake "selfie help"
People stuck on this check are a common target for scams. Never send your selfie video, your ID or your login codes to someone who DMs you. Instagram does not contact users by DM about their account. Our guide to keeping your Instagram account safe covers the usual tricks.
When to ask for help
If the video selfie keeps failing, the review never answers, or the account is a business or creator page you can't afford to lose, you can ask QJIH to look at your case. We are an independent agency based in Paris, not Meta, and we have recovered 2,000 Instagram accounts and pages since 2019. We review your case first and tell you honestly what can be done. The price and terms depend on the case and are agreed before anything starts. Nobody can guarantee a result with Instagram, and we never promise one.