If your Zorcha automations have suddenly stopped working and you've received an email asking you to reconnect your Instagram account, don't panic. Your account is safe, your flows are intact, and this is one of the most common issues our users face.
Here's everything you need to know about why this happens and exactly how to fix it.
What's Actually Going On?
When you first connect your Instagram account to Zorcha, Instagram issues something called an OAuth access token. Think of this token as a temporary digital key; it's what allows Zorcha to run automations on your behalf, whether that's replying to DMs, triggering comment flows, sending automated responses, or managing your engagement sequences.
The problem? Instagram doesn't issue permanent keys. These tokens expire, and when they do, Zorcha immediately loses permission to act on your account.
This is not a bug. It's not something that went wrong with your account specifically. It's a security mechanism built into Instagram's API, and it affects every tool that connects to Instagram, not just Zorcha.
Here's what commonly triggers a token expiry:
You changed your Instagram or Facebook password
You logged out of all sessions on Instagram
Instagram ran a security review on your account
You switched your account type (for example, from Personal to Business or Creator)
Your account had a long period of inactivity on the API
When Zorcha detects that your token has become invalid, specifically when Instagram returns Error #190 (OAuthException: Error validating access token), it immediately pauses all your automations and sends you an alert email to let you know.
Why Did You Get That Email?
Zorcha monitors your Instagram connection health in real time. The moment we detect an issue, we pause your automations rather than letting them fail silently, and we send you a notification immediately.
The email you received looks something like this:
"Reconnect Your Instagram @yourusername to Zorcha. Please visit your Zorcha dashboard to update your connection settings and resume your automations."
This is an automated safety alert. Your data is safe. No automations were deleted or lost. They are simply paused and waiting for you to restore the connection, which takes less than a minute once you know the steps.
How to Fix It: Step-by-Step
Fixing this takes less than a minute, directly from the screen you're already on.
Step 1: Open your Zorcha Dashboard
Go to zorcha.com and log in to your account. From the dashboard, open the Instagram workspace for the affected account.
Step 2: Click "Fix Now"
You'll see a screen that says "Zorcha is no longer authorized to connect to @yourusername" with a purple Fix Now button. Click it to begin the reconnection flow.
On the Zorcha dashboard screen, click the purple Fix Now button. This will launch the Instagram reconnection flow.
Step 3: Grant all required permissions
During the reconnection flow, Instagram will ask you to approve certain permissions. Make sure you allow all of them, especially:
instagram_manage_comments, required for comment automations
instagram_basic, required for basic account access
pages_messaging, required for DM automations
Denying any permission will prevent automations from working even after reconnecting.
Step 4: Done! Automations resume automatically
Once reconnected, Zorcha will refresh your token and resume all paused automations instantly. You don't need to recreate any of your flows.
Step 5: Confirm & resume
Once reconnected, Zorcha will automatically refresh your token and resume all paused automations. You don't need to recreate any of your flows.
Common Errors During the Fix Now Flow (Especially on iOS)
Some users, particularly on iPhone, run into an error after clicking Fix Now that reads:
"The profile that you're looking for doesn't exist."
This is a known issue that affects iOS users more than others. This happens because on iPhone, the Fix Now flow opens in Instagram's in-app browser, which sometimes doesn't carry your active login session correctly, causing authentication to fail.
There's another error, which is "400 Session Invalid Error."
While reconnecting to Instagram, some users may see a “400 Session Invalid” error. This is a known issue on Instagram’s side and is not related to Zorcha.
Here's How to Fix It
Solution 1: Try From a Different Device (Like a Laptop)
The easiest fix is to switch devices entirely. Open Zorcha on a laptop or desktop computer, log in to your Zorcha dashboard, and go through the Fix Now flow from there. The desktop browser handles Instagram's OAuth flow more reliably. It avoids iOS-specific session issues entirely, and most users who are stuck on mobile can resolve them immediately by switching to a laptop.
Solution 2: Fresh Instagram Login on Your Default Browser
If you need to fix it on your phone or prefer to stay on mobile, follow these steps carefully:
Open the browser you use to access Zorcha (Safari on iPhone, Chrome, etc.)
Go to instagram.com in that same browser and log in to your Instagram account.
Log out of Instagram on all other logged-in devices (you can do this from Instagram's Settings → Account Centre→Password & Security→Where you’re logged in)
Now close Instagram and reopen it fresh in the same default browser
Instagram will ask you to log in again. Go ahead and log in fresh
Once logged in, go back to your Zorcha dashboard and click Fix Now
When the permission pop-up appears, make sure to click Allow and grant all requested permissions to Zorcha
The key is ensuring that the browser you use for Zorcha has an active, fresh Instagram session before you initiate the reconnection. When the sessions are mismatched or stale, it causes the "profile doesn't exist" error. A clean login resolves the mismatch and lets the OAuth flow complete successfully.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
If you find yourself going through this process repeatedly, here are the most likely culprits:
Password Changes: Any time you update your Instagram or Facebook password, all active tokens tied to your account are immediately invalidated. This is Instagram's standard security behavior. After changing your password, reconnect to Zorcha immediately.
Instagram Security Reviews: Instagram occasionally runs backend security checks and revokes third-party tokens as a precaution. If this happens, you'll receive the reconnection email from Zorcha within minutes.
Logging Out of All Sessions: Using the "Log out of all sessions" feature in Instagram will expire your token. If you do this for any reason, remember to reconnect Zorcha afterward.
Switching Account Types: If you switch your account from Personal to Business or Creator (or the reverse), the existing connection to Zorcha can break. Always reconnect after making account type changes.
Long Periods of Inactivity: If there's extended inactivity on your account's API activity, Instagram may expire your token automatically. Keeping your automations active helps prevent this.
If the error remains
If you've reconnected, but your automations still aren't running, or you keep receiving the same email repeatedly, we're here to help.
📧 Email: [email protected] 💬 Live chat: Available directly on your Zorcha dashboard
The team responds quickly and will walk you through any edge cases or account-specific issues. You don't need to worry about struggling through it alone.
Thanks for being a part of Zorcha 💜
Team Zorcha.
A Quick Summary
Issue | Cause | Fix |
Token expired | Instagram security/password change | Click Fix Now on the dashboard |
"Profile doesn't exist" error | iOS browser session mismatch | Switch to a laptop or a fresh browser login |
Automations are still paused after reconnect | Permission denied during flow | Redo Fix Now, allow all permissions |
Token keeps expiring | Frequent password changes or logouts | Reconnect after any account changes |
PS: We regularly update our help resources to reflect the latest fixes and improvements. Bookmark this page so you can refer back if you ever see that Fix Now screen again.