What Does “This story is unavailable” Mean on Instagram?

Have you ever tapped on an Instagram Story and seen the message, “This story is unavailable”? It’s super frustrating, especially when you’re curious about a friend’s update or a fun post. 

But what does it mean when a Story is unavailable on Instagram? It means the Story has expired after 24 hours, was deleted by the user, or is hidden due to privacy settings, blocking, or Instagram removed it for guideline violation(s). 

In this blog, we’ll understand these reasons in detail and how to fix “This story is unavailable” on Instagram using simple steps.  

Why Does Instagram Show “This story is unavailable”?

If you’re curious to know what does it mean when a Story is unavailable on Instagram, the following are the different reasons for it.

Story Has Recently Expired 

The most common reason for a Story’s unavailability on Instagram is that it may have expired. Now, you may ask, “Do Stories on Instagram expire?” Yes, an Instagram Story disappears automatically from the Feed after 24 hours of posting, unless you add it to your Highlights section.

User Deleted the Story

If the user deleted the Story soon after uploading it, you’ll get the “This story is unavailable” error message in its place. But why would someone delete their Instagram Story? People delete Instagram Stories for a variety of reasons, such as irrelevant content, embarrassment about a reaction to the Story, feedback from the viewers, or other personal reasons.

Instagram Removed the Story

Meta’s Community Standards define what is and isn’t allowed on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads. If a Story goes against any of these guidelines, Instagram will immediately take it down. This can happen to you too! Then, how do I know if Instagram removed my Story? It’s simple; you just need to check your Account Status on the app. 

• Tap your Profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.

• Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right to open Settings.

• Below More info and support, tap Account Status. 

• Under Account Status, go to the Removed content and messaging issues section. It should be marked orange. 

• Here you go. You can now view Removed content (like posts, Stories, or comments) from your account.

Private Account

If the account owner recently switched to a private account from a public one, their Story will also become private. You must follow them again in order to view the Story or other content they post. You can learn more about Instagram’s private and public accounts here. 

App Glitches

While not very common, glitches in the Instagram app may also lead to the “This story is unavailable” issue. If your app isn’t behaving normally, you must know how to fix the glitch on Instagram. For example, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app, logging in using another account, updating the app from the Play or App Store, or clearing the app’s cache.

Blocked

Instagram also restricts you from viewing the other person’s Story if they’ve blocked you.

Also Read: If You Block Someone On Instagram, Can They Still See Your Messages?

Poor Internet Connection

You may not be able to view a Story due to poor internet connectivity, too. Switch to the mobile data if using Wi-Fi, and vice-versa. 

How to Fix “This story is unavailable” on Instagram?

How to see unavailable Story on Instagram? To see an unavailable Story on Instagram, try updating your app, clearing its cache, reinstalling Instagram, logging out and logging back in, or reporting the issue to Instagram.

Update the Instagram App

The first fix is to update your Instagram app to the latest version. But how do you update your Instagram app? Follow these steps on your Android or iPhone:

• Go to the Google Play Store (for Android) or App Store (for iPhone). 
• Search for Instagram.
• Tap the Update option if it’s available. If not, your app is already updated.

• Wait till your Instagram updates to the current version. 

Check now if the “This story is unavailable” resolves. 

You May Also Like: How to Delete TikTok Story?

Clear App’s Cache

Clearing your Instagram’s cache refreshes it and resolves many issues at once, one of them being this Story unavailability. If you don’t know how to clear app cache on Instagram, follow the given steps:

• Long press on the Instagram app > i icon (for Samsung users). 
• This will open the App info page on your device. 
• Scroll down and under the Usage section, go to Storage.

• Tap Clear cache and that’s it. 

Will I lose anything if I clear the cache on Instagram? No, you won’t lose anything if you clear the cache on Instagram, be it your photos, videos, Reels, highlights, messages, or the account itself. However, make sure to not clear the data, as it’ll log you out of all accounts, delete the search history, and reset all custom app settings to default.

Logout of Your Instagram Account and Log Back In

The next fix for “This story is unavailable” error to log out of your account and log back in. Go to the app’s Settings and activity > scroll down to the Login section > select Log out or Log out all accounts. Wait for sometime and relogin.

Reinstall Instagram

If logging out and logging back in doesn’t work for you, we recommend uninstalling and reinstalling Instagram once. How do I reinstall Instagram? Follow these steps to do it:

• Open your Google Play Store or App Store.
• Search for Instagram.
• Tap Uninstall, and then Install again.

Report to Instagram

Since “This story is unavailable” is a technical problem, you can report it to Instagram for a quick resolution. Simply shake your phone to open the reporting menu and use the Report problem button to submit a report to Instagram.

Conclusion

Here you go. Seeing “This story is unavailable” on Instagram can be definitely annoying for anyone, but now you know why it happens! From expired Stories to privacy settings, there are simple reasons behind it. Just keep your Instagram updated, respect the other person’s privacy, and you’ll less likely face the issue again! If you’re a creator struggling with low view count on your Stories, it’s the right time to buy Instagram Story views and boost their reach on the platform.