Ever wondered why you see the message “This Story Is Unavailable” on Instagram? It can be frustrating when you encounter this error, preventing you from accessing a story you’re eager to view. In this guide, we’ll explore the common reasons behind this issue and provide simple steps to help you resolve it.
Whether it’s due to a deleted story, a blocked or private account, expired content, or technical glitches, we’ve got you covered with practical solutions to get you back to enjoying Instagram stories hassle-free.
What Does “This Story Is Unavailable” Mean?
When you see “this story is unavailable” on Instagram, it means you can’t view the story you wanted, which feels disappointing. It’s even more annoying if it happens with many Instagram stories.
You might think the story expired after 24 hours, but that’s not always why you get the “unavailable” message on Instagram.
So, why does this happen to you? Let’s figure it out together.
Why Does It Say Story Unavailable On Instagram?
This message shows up for different reasons. Let’s talk about each one step by step.
1. The Story Has Been Deleted
If you see “Instagram Stories unavailable,” it probably means the story got deleted.
Even if someone removes their story but you still see a red circle, clicking on it won’t show anything—just a message saying, “this story is unavailable.”
Why do people remove their Instagram Stories? There could be lots of reasons. Maybe they found a better picture or wanted to add music.
But, whatever the reason, the Story is just not there for you anymore.
2. The Story Is Expired
Instagram Stories stay for only one day, and then they disappear. If your friends send you a Story in a message, and you try to open it after a day, you’ll see it’s not there anymore.
Sometimes, because of Instagram issues, Stories on your feed may still be clickable after a day. But if you try to watch them, you’ll just get a bothersome message.
3. The Story Is Hidden From You
If you see “This Story is Unavailable” on Instagram, it can be sad because someone might have purposely hidden it from you. How does that happen? Let me explain.
When someone posts a Story but later decides to hide it from specific people, those hidden friends will see the message “this story is unavailable.”
It’s a little mistake in the system, and it can be kind of awkward, especially if you were trying to keep a Story secret from a friend. To avoid this, just hide the people you want before sharing the Story!😉
4. The User Has Switched To A Private Account
If you want to keep your stuff private on Instagram, it’s a good idea to make your account private. But doing this might cause the “this story is unavailable” message.
Here’s why: If someone you don’t follow shares a Story but then makes their account private, you might see this error message.
5. You’re Blocked By Them
Blocking someone on Instagram can lead to issues, and one of them is seeing the “Instagram story is unavailable” message. If you come across this error, it could mean that the user has blocked you.
6. Instagram Has Deleted The Story
Instagram might take down stories because of copyright issues. When that happens, you and the account owner can’t see the story.
And because Instagram is getting stricter about copyright, more stories will probably show the “this story is unavailable” message.
7. Poor Internet Connection
If a story doesn’t show up properly, you might get this message. It happens a lot, so just make sure your internet is good when you’re looking at Instagram Stories.
8. Instagram Glitches
Sometimes, Instagram can have problems, and that’s why you might see the “this story is unavailable” message. With over a billion users on Instagram, it’s normal for it to have some issues.
When you see “This Story Is Unavailable,” it doesn’t always mean someone blocked you or closed their account. The story might have just expired or been taken down by the person who posted it.
To check, see if you can view other stories from the same account. If you can, it’s likely that the specific story you wanted is either removed or expired.
Now that we’ve explained what “Instagram story is unavailable” means, let’s figure out how to fix it.
How Can You Fix the “This Story Is Unavailable” Error?
To make things better, try a few steps. First, check your Internet connection; it should be strong. If you use a VPN, turn it off. Also, you can do some other things to fix Instagram’s “this story is unavailable” message:
Clear Instagram’s Cache
Make your phone work better by cleaning up its temporary stuff once in a while. It helps, especially with Instagram. If you ever see “this story is unavailable,” just clear out Instagram’s extra data.
Relogin Your Instagram Account
Give your account a little refresh to likely solve the issue. Follow these steps to log out of your Instagram account and then log back in:
- Open your profile and tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings and privacy.”
- Scroll down to the bottom and log out of your account.
Once you’re logged out, sign back in using your username and password.
Update The Instagram App
You can’t fix Instagram problems yourself, but there are tech folks doing it for you. If your Instagram is old, it might cause issues like the “story unavailable” error.
To avoid these problems, just make sure to update the app regularly.
Refresh Your Instagram Feed
Don’t worry if Instagram doesn’t show posts and stories right the first time. It’s annoying, but you can fix it easily. Just close the app, open it again, refresh Instagram, and you’re good to go.
Conclusion
It can be frustrating to see “This Story Is Unavailable” on Instagram. The story might be gone, the account could be blocked or set to private, the story may have expired, the account might be turned off, or there could be a problem with Instagram.
Follow these easy steps to fix it and see the story. If it keeps happening, just wait for Instagram to fix any issues.
If you can’t see other stories from that account, it might mean the account is turned off or blocked, and there’s not much you can do about it.