Looking for ways to bring your creative side to the world? Why not try Instagram? Instagram is now the leading photo and video sharing app, with features to connect with friends and family.
The mobile-specific photo sharing app is very popular and used by anyone with an active internet connection. It offers many fun ways to share photos and videos with followers.
Nowadays, Instagram also has a WhatsApp status type feature called Stories, a TikTok type feature known as Reels, and more. Of all the features it offers, it is best known for visual storytelling.
Instagram is all about visual content; your followers will share stories, reels, photos and videos in feeds and more often. But what if a specific Instagram story won’t play on your phone?
Recently, many users have complained about the ‘This story is not available’ Instagram error. When they tried to view the story, they saw the error message ‘This story is not available’ on Instagram.
What does the This Story is Unavailable error on Instagram Story mean and how to fix it? We will discuss it in this article. Let’s start by understanding what this error actually means.
You may see the message “This story is no longer available” while viewing Instagram Story for a variety of reasons.
The error message usually appears due to unstable internet; the user deletes the story, private account, and so on.
Below we have listed some possible reasons that contribute to the “This story is not available” error message on Instagram.
- You are not connected to a stable internet.
- Instagram’s servers are down.
- The user who shared the story has deactivated their account.
- You have been blocked from viewing the user’s story.
- The story had already been deleted.
- You are trying to view stories from a private account.
- The story violated Instagram guidelines and has been removed.
We need to find out the reason for the error message first and then try the troubleshooting steps. Here’s how to get started.
1. Open the Instagram app again
The first thing to do if you can’t view Instagram Stories is to reopen the app itself.
The unavailable Instagram notification for the story may be due to a bug in the app. You can easily eliminate bugs and glitches by reopening the app.
So close the Instagram app from the recent apps list and then open the app again. Then check out the Instagram Story again.
2. Refresh the Instagram feed
If you haven’t refreshed your Instagram feed for a few minutes, the user may have already deleted the story you’re viewing.
Even if the feed is not refreshed, Instagram will continue to show you the posts from your previous session.
So, refresh the Instagram feed before trying the following methods. To refresh the feed, tap and hold the feed and pull it down from the top and wait two seconds. This will refresh the Instagram feed posts.
3. Force close the Instagram app
Many Instagram users have claimed to resolve the This Story is Unavailable message by force quitting the Instagram app. Here’s how to force quit the Instagram app on Android.
1. Press the Instagram app icon on your home screen and select App information.
2. On the App Info screen, tap Force stop.
This will force quit the Instagram app from the background. Once stopped, reopen the app and check the story again.
4. Check if you have been blocked
So far we have tried basic troubleshooting to fix the problem. However, if you are still unable to view the Instagram Story, you should check if you have been blocked.
Chances are the account owner has blocked you for some reason; therefore you cannot view their stories from your feed. This story is not available Instagram blocked there is often a reason for this.
5. Verify that the account has been deactivated
As mentioned with the second method, Instagram will continue to display old posts until the feed is refreshed. So chances are you are trying to view an Instagram story from an account that has just been deactivated.
The owner may have deactivated the account or the account may have been flagged for spam or sharing content that violates Instagram’s guidelines.
To confirm this, you need to check the profile of the person who shared the story. If the profile is not found, the account has been deactivated or you have been blocked.
6. Check if Instagram’s servers are down
If everything is fine, but you’re still getting the “This story is not available” error on Instagram, it’s a good idea to check if Instagram is down.
If Instagram’s servers are down, most of its features won’t work, including the story. You will also encounter problems such as Instagram Stories not workingInstagram black screen, etc.
Check this to make sure Instagram’s servers are up and running Instagram server status page at down detector.
7. Update the Instagram app
Like any other social media and photo sharing app, Instagram is also experimenting with new features. New features are essential to keep users interested in the app.
Instagram pushes new features through app updates. App updates also fix technical issues and glitches that prevent Instagram from functioning properly.
Therefore, if IG Story is not availableyou need to update the Instagram app from Google Play Store or iOS App Store.
8. Clear the Instagram cache and data
Instagram app cache is very important as they help the app to load faster. The cache also stores your in-app settings in your phone’s local storage.
However, as the cache files accumulate over time, they do more harm than good. Therefore, if you are experiencing certain issues such as IG Stories are not loading or IG Story is not available, it is a good idea to clear the cache of the Instagram app. Here’s what to do.
1. Tap and hold the Instagram app icon and select App information.
2. On the App info screen, tap Storage usage.
3. Tap the Clear cache And clear data Storage usage options.
This will clear all saved Instagram cache and data files. After clearing the cache and data, open the app and sign in to your account.
9. Log out and log in
In the past, Instagram users have faced the ‘This story is not available’ problem. This happened because of some Instagram bugs.
Users are then advised to log out and back in to resolve the issue. While Instagram had fixed the bug that prevented users from viewing the stories, who knows if the same bug had made a comeback?
So it is best to log out and log in to your account. Here’s what to do.
1. Open Instagram and tap your profile picture bottom right.
2. On the profile screen, tap the burger menu top right.
3. Select from the menu that appears Settings and privacy.
4. In Settings, scroll down and tap Log out knob.
5. After logging out, log back in with your account.
That is it! Now check the Instagram story, which showed you the error before.
10. Reinstall the Instagram app
Reinstallation should be your savior especially if all other methods fail to fix the Instagram “This story is no longer available” error.
Reinstalling can rule out anything that prevents the Instagram app from working like bugs, corrupted installation files, glitches, incorrect user settings, etc. It also rules out issues like the Instagram app keeps crashing.
To reinstall the Instagram app, tap and hold the Instagram app icon on your home screen and select Uninstall. Once uninstalled, open the Google Play Store and reinstall the app.
11. Report the problem to Instagram
If you think you have the ‘This story is no longer available’ message due to an account-level issue, you should report it to Instagram.
If you have an account-related issue, Instagram will take prompt action to resolve the issue. They will also let you know if your account has any restrictions. Here’s how to report a problem on Instagram.
1. Open the Instagram app and tap your profile picture.
2. On the profile screen, tap the burger menu top right.
3. Then tap Institutions and privacy.
4. On the Settings & Privacy screen, tap Staff.
5. On the help screen, tap Report the problem without shaking.
6. Now briefly explain your problem and add a screenshot with the message ‘This story is not available’. When you’re done, tap the Send button to send the report.
That is it! The Instagram support team will investigate the issue and get back to you shortly.
12. Use the Instagram Viewer apps
Instagram Viewer apps or Instagram Story viewers are third party apps that allow you to stalk other people’s accounts.
Of Instagram Story viewers, you can easily view the story shared by public profiles. Most of these Instagram viewer tools do not ask you to login to your account.
The only downside to Instagram Story Viewers is that they only show you stories from public profiles. So if the person’s account is private, most of these services, tools or apps won’t work.
The appearance of “This story is not available” on Instagram can be annoying, but if the story has been removed, there’s no point in looking for troubleshooting options.
The shared methods only work if the Instagram story is available, but you can’t view them. These methods should solve the problem and you can watch the story again.
