Among the many Instagram glitches and errors, the one that frustrates users the most is the pop-up: ‘This story is unavailable‘. It really leaves us curious as to what we missed out on. A gossip-worthy story of those ex-lovers reuniting? A ‘felt cute might delete later’ selfie? Or a controversial video posted on a drunk night out? Well, if you’ve come across the ‘Instagram story unavailable’ error, let’s familiarise you with what it exactly means and the efficient ways to fix it.
What does ‘This story is unavailable‘ on Instagram mean?
When you get the ‘This story is unavailable’ prompt on Instagram while trying to view a story, it means that the content cannot be accessed. But why can’t you access it? Here are the most common reasons:
- Since Instagram stories have a 24-hour window, chances are that the story you’re trying to view has expired after reaching its time limit.
- The account/ user who posted the story has deleted it.
- The owner of the account whose story you’re trying to view has blocked you.
- A private account has posted the story, and you’re not following them. In this case, the stories are only visible to their followers unless they’ve changed the profile setting to public.
- The user has hidden their story from you after uploading it.
- Technical glitches like a flaky internet connection or issues with Instagram servers might hamper you from seeing stories.
- Instagram has removed the story as it might’ve violated the platform’s community guidelines.
How to fix ‘This story is unavailable‘ on Instagram?
Refresh your Instagram feed or restart your Instagram session
The simplest and fastest way to fix the ‘Instagram story unavailable’ problem is to refresh your feed or close your current session and open the app again. Refreshing your feed removes all the expired stories that are still popping up as unavailable.
Make sure you have a strong internet connection
If your device isn’t connected to a stable internet connection, Instagram will likely face issues downloading content for you and hence, the Instagram story unavailable error.
Go through the user’s story highlights
If you’re so keen on watching an expired story, then chances are you can still view it through the user’s story highlights. A lot of account holders add their story to profile highlights, where it stays forever. Head over to their profile and you might just find it.
Check the story using an alternate Instagram account
If the user has blocked you or hidden their story from you, then there’s no way you can view the content through your main account. This is when an alternate account comes in handy. You can either switch to a secondary account or ask a friend to view that user’s story for you.
Clear Instagram cache and cookies
Instagram accumulates data and stores it on your device to improve the loading time of the app. However, this data accumulation over time can cause glitches and random issues. Therefore, it’s best to fix the app’s cache from time to time. Thankfully, Android users can clear the cache in a few easy steps:
- Go to ‘Settings’ and scroll down to select ‘Apps’.
- Find ‘Instagram’ and go to the ‘Storage & cache’ option.
- Tap ‘Clear cache’
Now go back and see if the Instagram story unavailable error is fixed.
Send a follow request to the private account
If you’re trying to view the story of a user who has switched their account to private, then you’re bound to face an Instagram story error. In that case, the best option is to send them a follow request.
Update the Instagram app or log out and log in again
Instagram isn’t immune to bugs and errors. All social media platforms, including Instagram, release app updates from time to time, which not only fixes these bugs but also adds new features to enhance user experience. So, look out for any updates, which may even help fix the Instagram story unavailable issue.
View the story via Instagram web
If you’re facing issues on the app, preventing you from viewing an Instagram story – then switch to the web application. Visit www.instagram.com on your desktop, log in with your credentials and try to view the story which was previously unavailable.
Check if Instagram servers are down
If none of the above methods work, the reason might be that Instagram servers are facing outage. With so much user traffic on the app, there are times when Instagram crashes and all functions come to a halt. You can visit the Downdetector page to view real-time problems with Instagram, as reported by users across the globe.
Hope this guide helps you resolve the ‘Instagram story unavailable’ error
(Hero image credit: Luke van Zyl/ Unsplash)
(Feature image credit: Szabó Viktor/ Pexels)
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– How do you know if someone hides their story from you on Instagram?
There are multiple ways to identify if someone’s hidden their story from you. You can ask a mutual follower if they can see the person’s story which you can’t, check their Instagram highlights, view their story from another account or check if they’ve switched to a private account which you’re not following.
– What does “this story is no longer available” on Instagram mean?
‘This story is no longer available’ on Instagram means that either the story has expired or the user who posted the story has removed it.
– Can you see someone’s story if they restrict you?
Yes, you can still visit the person’s profile and view their stories despite them restricting you.
