On Instagram, you can share short stories that last no more than 15 seconds, using a wide range of built-in graphic tools and filters. Sometimes, when adding another story, a subscriber may have problems with uploading, or the publication may not be posted in the feed at all, or it may freeze when trying to do so. Let’s consider the reasons why stories don’t load on Instagram.
Why Stories are not loading: reasons
Stories are short and colorful videos that increase interest in your page, delight subscribers with interesting news from life, and promote products or services, which is necessary for business accounts engaged in commercial activities. Such publications have a limited broadcast period – only 24 hours, after which they are either removed from the service or saved to an archive list for better times. The duration of one recording does not exceed 15 seconds, which is enough to attract new viewers.
To upload a story, you need to perform the following actions:
1. Log in to your account.
2. Click on the add recording button located on the top panel of the screen or swipe right.
3. After that, you can record a video or take a photo in real-time using your mobile device camera, or upload ready-made material from your smartphone’s internal memory.
4. Customize the publication to your liking and release it to the news feed.
Despite the simplicity of adding a story, many users encounter problems at the very first stage. Content cannot be posted, or it hangs indefinitely during loading. The reasons for such failures can be many, ranging from malfunctions of the mobile phone itself to errors in the software or user inattention.
Below we will discuss the main reasons why the story does not load on Instagram, using examples from mobile phones and personal computers.
On the phone
The social network is released as a mobile application and is freely available for download. After launching, the client needs to authenticate by entering a protective password and login. After that, the full set of functional capabilities of the service will be available. But what if you can’t upload a photo or video to your story?
Below we will consider common errors and reasons for failures on mobile devices:
- First of all, it is necessary to consider that constant internet access is required to use the Instagram application. If data transfer is disabled on your smartphone or you are outside the reception area of cellular operators’ signals, the utility will work incorrectly and will not be able to update the page. A similar situation occurs in case of an unstable connection or a small download speed.
- The function of placing stories in the social network appeared relatively recently, so it is only available on the latest versions of the software. If you haven’t updated the Instagram mobile app for a long time, this can lead to problems. Developers recommend using only current versions of the utility and updating them in a timely manner. A similar situation occurs with many tools, as new and interesting features appear every year, which become available only after installing the latest version.
- The next reason lies in the outdated software of the mobile phone on which the social network is installed. The operating system also requires periodic updates, which minimize the possibility of failures and errors in the operation of all programs on the device.
- The model of the mobile device does not support the stories function. Viewing and adding new publications to the news feed is only available on modern smartphones. For example, Apple products below the seventh series will not be able to handle the latest updates, thus unable to load stories.
- Increased device load. If you are simultaneously using several applications in work mode, this can affect the operation of Instagram. This is especially true for utilities that consume traffic and reduce the speed of mobile internet.
- The cache of the social network is overloaded. Temporary files that accumulate over time can cause serious problems.
All of these reasons can be fixed independently without resorting to support services. Below we will consider all the ways to solve the problem.
On the computer
If you decide to use the social network Instagram from your personal computer, it should be noted that the web version of the service and the application for the Windows operating system do not have the feature of adding stories. On your PC, you can only view other people’s publications in stories, communicate, but you will not be able to post photos and videos.
This problem can be solved with additional software, Android emulators, and browser extensions. They allow you to work in the mobile version of Instagram on your computer. Thus, you will get a full set of functional capabilities. However, errors may occur when loading stories. Let’s consider the most common ones:
- Lack of a stable internet connection or insufficient data transfer speed.
- To use the mobile version on your PC, you need to install third-party programs that may work incorrectly or freeze, as Instagram developers do not recommend downloading additional extensions.
- Problems with the computer itself, an outdated model, incompatible with Instagram.
All ways of solving the problem
We have considered all possible problems related to uploading new stories on Instagram, now let’s see how to solve them on your own without the help of professionals:
- First of all, check for a stable internet connection. Without it, you won’t be able to use Instagram. Check if airplane mode is turned off on your device and activate data transmission. If you are out of the coverage area and outside the range of cell towers, the only option is to get to an area with moderate reception.
- To avoid errors and problems with the mobile application, try to download and install the latest version of the program in a timely manner. Set up automatic search for updates so that your smartphone can search and download the necessary files on its own. The same situation applies to the phone’s operating system, check for the latest updates in the gadget settings and install them if necessary. After that, be sure to restart the device.
- If your phone is outdated and does not support the latest version of the utility, the only solution is to buy a new, more modern device.
- Close all unnecessary processes and applications on your smartphone, especially those that consume internet traffic.
- Clean the Instagram cache. To do this, go to the gadget settings, select Instagram in the applications section, and delete temporary files that slow down its performance.
All of these tips will help you solve story-related problems on your own. Otherwise, it is recommended to contact the technical support service in the help section of the social network.
What to do if a story cannot be opened or deleted
Many users face an unusual error when loading a story, where it gets stuck and doesn’t open. In such cases, the publication will continue indefinitely, and the story will not appear in the news feed. If you restart the application, the problem will not disappear, and a red exclamation mark will appear on the content adding panel. Moreover, you won’t be able to log out or change your profile until the photo or video is published.
If the post is not loading, you can fix the situation as follows:
- First of all, turn off data transmission on your mobile device.
- Open the settings section on your device and find the active applications tab.
- Select Instagram.
- Clear the cache.
- After that, without turning on the internet, launch the program, and you will see that the post is no longer trying to be published.
- A button in the form of three dots will appear on the bottom panel, and by clicking on it, you can choose to delete or save the post.
- After deleting, try adding the story again.
- Done.
The article discusses the reasons why a story is not published on Instagram. If you cannot post a story, in most cases, the problem can be solved by simply restarting the utility or the entire smartphone. In all other cases, outdated software or gadgets are to blame. To avoid such situations, it is recommended to update the software and Instagram in a timely manner.