Trouble Receiving Short Code from Instagram

Hello Community,

We wanted to take some time to provide a resolution to this issue, as we've seen many comments on multiple threads asking about not receiving short codes or verification codes from specific companies.  Note:  Customers tend to have this issue more often after a Port In, Number Change or Device Manufacturer Change (iOS to Android or Vice Versa).

There are 3 primary reasons you may not be receiving verification codes, and we'll be providing steps to resolve each of them below.

• A customer has inadvertently opted out of receiving the codes (most common) - To resolve this issue, simply send the word "Help" to the code you are wanting to receive from.  You should receive a message back advising how to opt back in.
  • If you do not receive any response back, you may have blocked this number within your device.  You'll want to go to your blocked numbers list and remove it (on iPhone Go to Settings > Messages > Blocked.)
• Short Code Provider Issue (less common) - At times, the company sending the short codes can experience delays/outages when sending codes to customers.  I have experience this myself with a credit card company.  If you aren't getting codes after doing step 1 above, we recommend contacting the company sending the code to ensure there are no issues on their end.
• AT&T Short Code Network Issue (Rare) - If you are still having issues receiving these codes, and have tried all other steps, you can escalate your issue to us via customer care (or asking a question in the forums).  There may be a back end issue causing you to not receive these codes, but it is very uncommon.  We can file a ticket at this point to determine if it's an issue on our end.

Overall, most issues with Short Code problems can be resolved by texting "Help" to the short code to re-setup your ability to receive these codes.  The second most common is customers accidentally blocking the code via their device.

As others have mentioned, this shouldn't be a SIM card or defective device issue.  If it is an issue on our end, it would be tied to your network profile information, not the SIM card.

Thanks

The AT&T Community Team

Hi there lexlor1215, we're happy to help with troubleshooting steps to receive short codes to your device. 

We know the impact of not being able to get verification codes. Let's start by resetting your network settings to refresh your connection to the network.

Notification bar, then select the Settings icon > scroll to and select General management > select Reset > Reset network settings > Reset settings > select Reset to confirm.

Many applications use Two-Factor Authentication to verify your identity. If you've switched your phone recently, you need to verify your identity with some apps like Gmail or PayPal in order to use them. If you do not see the text messages, the steps below may help:

1. Go to the Settings icon
2. Tap Messages
3. Tap Blocked
4. Tap Edit
5. Tap the minus sign ( - ) next to the number of the contact you want to unblock
6. Tap Unblock

If you're still having trouble receiving verification codes sent from websites, let us know because we'll invite you into a direct message to check your account settings for any errors.

Thank you for visiting AT&T Community Forums!

Carlton, AT&T Community Specialist

@ATTHelp It still didn’t work after resetting and no number is blocked . 

@ATTHelp I'm having the same issue. I'm not receiving the short code required to get back into my account. I can still receive e-mails from Instagram but not texts. I've tried resetting my network connection, checking instagrams servers, and I have no blocked numbers. Not sure what to do, Please help.

To be honest, there’s a good chance it’s instagram.  I tried to reset my password once, and it took multiple attempts and hours later to get the email link.

Oh ok, It's been like this for a couple days now. How long does it usually take for them to fix it.

I just went from Verizon to TMob and am also not receiving the short code from Instagram. I never had this issue until I made the switch I have tried everything. Hopefully the problem goes away after a few days. This (Edited per community guidelines)

@lexlor1215 did you ever get this issue resolved? Thank you

hi to all

i have same problem

you say we have (send the word "Help" to the code you are wanting to receive from.)

can you clearly say i have send to who?

for example i have write new message and in "to" section must write "instagram" and to text section have to write "Help"?

it's not work and i receive some error message from ATT.