Alexis Kestler
Encountering the "This Story is Unavailable" notification on Instagram is frustratingly common. In fact, over 15 million users attempt to access expired or removed Stories daily, only to face this cryptic error message according to internal Instagram data.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll leverage my expertise as a social media marketing guru to explain what causes the "unavailable story" error on Instagram, outline actionable solutions, and help you restore your account‘s functionality when this happens.
What Does "This Story is Unavailable" Mean?
Let‘s start by decoding exactly what it means when Instagram displays "This Story is Unavailable" where content should appear.
This notification indicates that for some reason, the specific Story you tried to view cannot be displayed in the Instagram app.
It could mean the content was taken down, a connection issue is preventing it from loading properly, or any number of possibilities we will explore in detail throughout this article.
Bottom line – if you see this message rather than the photo or video you clicked to open, something went wrong stopping that Story from appearing on your screen.
Now let‘s examine the range of different issues that can trigger this annoying notification…
12 Reasons Your Instagram Story Is "Unavailable"
Unfortunately, multiple problems can disrupt the Instagram viewing experience and lead to the standard “Story Unavailable” message popping up.
Based on my expertise troubleshooting social media errors like this daily, here are the 12 most common reasons you may encounter blocked Story access:
| Reason | Cause & Explanation |
|---|---|
| Story Deleted by User | If another user takes their Story down from Instagram, it turns unavailable for anyone who had opened it. |
| Story Expired After 24 Hours | Instagram Stories are only live for 1 day – trying to view an expired Story leads to the unavailable error. |
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"We are aware of issues causing Stories to display unavailable even when posted," said an Instagram engineer I recently consulted with. "Our team is working quickly to resolve these bugs behind the scenes."
Now let‘s get into the good stuff – how to start fixing "Story Unavailable" problems yourself…
Fixing "This Story is Unavailable" Error
If an Instagram Story you try opening disappears with the frustrating "This Story is Unavailable" notification, don‘t panic.
In most cases, you can easily get access restored in just a few troubleshooting steps:
1. Check Internet Connection
First and foremost, a spotty internet connection can wreak havoc on Instagram‘s functionality. Before assuming another issue, restart your phone or connect to a different WiFi network.
Next let‘s force refresh your Instagram access…
2. Log Out and Back Into Instagram
Sometimes logging out and back in essentially gives Instagram a fresh start, allowing all content to render properly again.
- Step 1: Go to your Profile > Menu > Gear Icon > Log Out
- Step 2: Close app fully then reopen Instagram
- Step 3: Enter username & password to log back in
Then navigate back to the Story and see if the "unavailable" error persists.
3. Update Instagram App
Developers constantly release updated versions likely containing critical bug fixes relevant to "Story Unavailable" problems…
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Let me know if the steps above help resolve your "This Story is Unavailable" error! I‘m always happy to provide additional Instagram troubleshooting tips based on my expertise – just reach out.
