Stories make up a huge part of the Instagram experience. So, if your Instagram Stories aren't loading, it can be a real bummer.

If you're having trouble loading Instagram Stories, here's a troubleshooting guide to help you get your Stories back up and running. The best solutions involve the app, your phone, or Instagram's services.

1. Check Your Internet Connection

The first thing you should do if your Instagram Stories aren't loading is to check your internet connection. If you're on a cellular data connection, try turning on Wi-Fi and see if that helps.

On an Android device, the fastest route is to swipe down, select Internet from the menu, and assess your Wi-Fi connection. If you tap the gear icon, you'll get clearer Network details, such as signal strength and frequency.

For iPhone users, you can swipe down and check that the Cellular Data icon is green. You can also go to Settings > Cellular and make sure Cellular Data is active and working well.

If this doesn't work, try opening a different app that requires an internet connection—like YouTube or Safari—and see if it loads properly. If it doesn't, the problem is most likely with your internet connection and not with Instagram.

Start off by resetting your modem and router if you're on your home network. If that doesn't work, you can use Wi-Fi analyzers for Android or iOS, which detect where the problem is. Depending on the results, you can remove any interference, change the router's channel, or just restart the device. If nothing works, contact customer support.

2. Reset Your Network Settings

Your phone offers another solution to internet problems blocking your Instagram Stories, namely returning your network to its factory settings.

The standard way to access this option on iOS is to go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Besides Instagram Stories not loading, you can fix a range of problems by simply resetting your iPhone's network settings.

To reset your network settings on Android, follow these steps, keeping in mind that they may differ slightly from device to device. Go to Settings > System > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth > Reset settings and verify your choice.

3. Restart Your Mobile Device

If restarting your router or resetting your network settings didn't work, the next device to check is your smartphone, so get to know how to restart your iPhone. It's true that restarting a smartphone can fix problems, like minor software glitches that might cause problems with Instagram.

On newer iOS models, press and hold the Side button and any Volume button to power the device off. On other models, just long-press the button on the side or at the top of the phone.

The standard way to restart a Samsung Galaxy or any other Android phone is the same: press and hold the Side or Power button.

4. Check If There's an Instagram Outage

Sometimes, the reason your Instagram Stories aren't loading is that there's a general outage on the app.

If you think this might be the case, go to websites that monitor other sites' status. Downdetector and Is It Down Right Now are the best choices. Search for Instagram and any reports of an outage in your area.

Better yet, you can check Twitter or Facebook to see if there are any reports of Instagram being down. For example, search Instagram down on Twitter or make use of hashtags like #instagramdown and see what comes up. You can even follow profiles dedicated to notifying Instagram users when the platform is acting up.

5. Force Close and Restart Instagram

If Instagram is up and running, but your Stories still aren't loading, the next thing to try is force closing and restarting the app. This process will vary depending on what device you're using.

On Android, you can do this by going to Settings > Apps. Find Instagram on the list and tap on it. Then, tap on Force stop. Alternatively, press and hold the Instagram app icon on your home screen and hit the App info icon, which will take you straight to its menu.

When it comes to iOS, you can force close an app on iPhone X or newer models by swiping up from the bottom of your screen, holding your finger on the app for a few seconds, and then swiping up on the app to close it. On older devices, double-tap the Home button and then find and swipe up on the Instagram app.

Once you've done that, restart Instagram, try loading your Stories again, and see if they work. If not, explore the next solutions for Instagram Stories not working.

6. Log Out and Back Into Instagram

Another thing you can try is logging out of your account and then logging back in. To do this, go to your profile page, tap the hamburger icon, and select Settings and privacy. From there, scroll down and tap Log out.

Once you've logged out, close the Instagram app, reopen it, and log back in with your username and password.

7. Adjust Data Usage on Instagram

Instagram has two settings that can mess with its performance. The first one to check is its built-in data usage, which you can find by opening your profile, going to Settings and Privacy > Data usage and media quality and disabling Data Saver if it's on. The goal is to provide Instagram with the data connectivity it needs to work smoothly.

The other option is to go to Instagram's App info > Mobile data & Wi-Fi and make sure Background data is on. Without this, Instagram is just as likely to lag and fail to display features like Stories.

8. Clear the Instagram App's Cache

If you're still having trouble loading Instagram Stories, the next thing to try is clearing the app's cache. This will remove any temporary data stored on your device, which could be causing the problem.

To clear an app's cache on Android, there are different methods. For instance, you can go to your phone's Settings and tap Apps. From there, find Instagram in the list of apps and tap it. On the next screen, tap Storage & cache and then Clear cache. Once you've done that, try loading your Stories again and see if they work.

The simplest way to clear Instagram's cache on iOS is to either delete and reinstall it or go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, choose Instagram, and hit Offload App.

9. Disable Your Phone's Data Saver

Between the app and your phone, lots of different settings can block Instagram from working properly. When it comes to managing your data usage, that can definitely interfere with the social network's performance.

To turn off the data saver on your Android phone, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data Saver and deactivate the feature if it's on.

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Mode. You'll find three options here, including Low Data Mode. If this is active, switch to Standard or Allow More Data on 5G to boost your device's data usage.

10. Update or Reinstall the Instagram App

If none of the above solutions work, the next thing you can try is updating or reinstalling the Instagram app. Bugs and other technical issues can usually be fixed by simply updating the app to the latest version.

To update Instagram, go to the App Store on iPhone or Google Play on Android and check to see if there are any updates available. If so, update the app and then try loading your Stories again.

If you're already on the latest version and your Stories still aren't loading, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. This really is the go-to solution if nothing else works.

11. Contact Instagram Support

A final thing you can try if your Instagram Stories are still not loading is to contact Instagram support. You can do that right from the app by going to your profile page and tapping the hamburger icon. From there, tap Settings and privacy > Help > Report a Problem.

There, you can explain what's wrong with your Stories and Instagram will help you troubleshoot the problem. Trying different solutions before contacting the support team is helpful. If nothing else, you can tell them what hasn't worked so far to make your Stories functional again.

Fixes for Instagram Stories Not Working

There are several reasons Instagram Stories might not be loading on your device. But, by following the troubleshooting steps in this article, you should be able to fix the problem and get your Stories working again in no time.