You’re scrolling through Instagram, your feed loads perfectly, but when you tap on someone’s story, you’re stuck staring at a spinning circle or blank screen. This frustrating glitch happens more often than you’d think, and it’s usually fixable in just a few minutes without losing your account data or missing out on your friends’ updates.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Step 1: Force Close and Restart Instagram
The quickest fix that works surprisingly often. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom (or double-tap home button on older models) and swipe Instagram away. On Android, tap the square navigation button and swipe Instagram off the screen. Wait about 5 seconds, then reopen the app. This clears temporary glitches that might be blocking stories from loading properly.
Step 2: Check Your Internet Connection Specifically
Stories require more bandwidth than regular posts because they’re often videos. Switch from WiFi to mobile data (or vice versa) to test if it’s a connection issue. Open your browser and try loading a video on YouTube. If videos play fine elsewhere but Instagram stories still won’t load, move to the next step. This test helps identify whether the problem is with your connection quality or Instagram itself.
Step 3: Clear Instagram’s Cache (Android) or Offload App (iPhone)
On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Storage > Clear Cache. This won’t delete your login info or messages. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Instagram > Offload App. This removes the app but keeps your data. Reinstall it immediately after. Cache buildup from January 2025’s heavy usage might be blocking new content from loading correctly.
Step 4: Update Instagram to the Latest Version
Open your App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android). Search for Instagram and check if there’s an update available. Instagram releases bug fixes weekly, and running an outdated version often causes stories to malfunction while the feed continues working. The latest 2025 updates specifically addressed story loading issues.
Step 5: Check Instagram’s Server Status
Visit Downdetector or search “Instagram down” on Twitter/X. If thousands of people are reporting similar issues, it’s not your device. Instagram’s story servers sometimes experience partial outages where the main feed works but stories don’t. These typically resolve within 2-4 hours without any action needed from your end.
Step 6: Reinstall Instagram Completely
If nothing else works, delete Instagram entirely and reinstall it. Before doing this, ensure you remember your password or have access to your email/phone number for login. This fresh installation removes corrupted files that might be preventing stories from loading while allowing the feed to function normally.
Likely Causes
Cause #1: Corrupted App Data
Instagram stores temporary files on your device to load content faster. Sometimes these files become corrupted, especially after app crashes or interrupted updates. You’ll notice this when stories refuse to load but everything else works fine. The telltale sign is when specific accounts’ stories won’t load while others do. Clear your cache or reinstall the app to fix this issue completely.
Cause #2: Regional Server Issues
Instagram uses different servers for stories and feed content. In 2025, with billions of daily story uploads, these servers occasionally experience regional slowdowns. You can identify this when multiple people in your area report the same problem. Check social media for reports from your city or region. Unfortunately, you can only wait for Instagram to resolve server-side issues, which usually happens within a few hours.
Cause #3: Account-Specific Restrictions
Sometimes Instagram temporarily limits certain features on accounts that have violated community guidelines or triggered spam detection. This can affect story viewing while leaving other features functional. Check if you can post your own stories or view highlights. If multiple features are restricted, review any recent notifications from Instagram about your account status.
When to Call Expert Help
Contact Instagram Support directly through the app (Settings > Help > Report a Problem) when stories haven’t loaded for more than 48 hours despite trying all fixes. Include screenshots showing your feed working but stories failing. Professional help becomes essential if you’re a business account losing engagement or if the issue affects multiple devices logged into your account. Instagram’s support team can check backend issues specific to your account that aren’t fixable through standard troubleshooting.
Consider reaching out to your phone manufacturer’s support if Instagram is the only app experiencing issues after a recent OS update. Sometimes device-specific bugs require patches from Apple or Android device makers.
Copy-Paste Prompt for AI Help
“Instagram stories won’t load but my feed works perfectly. I’m using [your phone model] with [iOS/Android version]. I’ve tried restarting the app and checking my internet. Stories show a loading circle then go blank. This started [when it started]. What specific troubleshooting steps should I try for this exact issue? Please provide steps for my specific device.”
Remember, this issue is ideal for quick fixes rather than panic. Most users resolve story loading problems within 10 minutes using these steps. The split between working feed and non-working stories is best addressed through app-specific solutions rather than general phone troubleshooting. These fixes are not recommended when you’re on limited data, as reinstalling Instagram uses significant bandwidth.