Instagram Feed Not Loading? Here’s How To Fix It

You’ve had a long day, and all you want to do is unwind and mindlessly scroll on Instagram. You find a relaxing position in your bed, whip out your phone, and open your favorite social media app. But then—nothing. No feed posts to like, comment on, and share with friends, no matter how many times you hit “Refresh”. Why? Because of an annoying tech issue of the Instagram feed not loading correctly.

There are plenty of technical reasons that can explain Instagram not showing new posts on the feed. In this guide, we’ll go over each one and provide tips and tricks to solve these common tech issues. We’ll also throw in some troubleshooting techniques that can hopefully get that feed running again. Keep reading for all this and more!

Why Is My Instagram Feed Not Showing New Posts?

Are you wondering, “Why is my Instagram feed not showing new posts?” When you open the app, your home screen could be showing the last load of the feed before it encountered a problem.

Most of the time, problems with the feed result from a bigger technical issue affecting the whole platform. 

Here’s a trick to figuring out if you’re facing a problem only with the feed or the entire app. Go to other parts of Instagram and see if they aren’t loading, too. If there are issues like Explore pages not working or Reels not loading, the problem may not only have to do with the feed.

If that’s the case, it’s time to get down to business and figure out what’s causing issues across the platform.

Why Is My Instagram Feed Not Loading: 4 Common Issues and How To Solve Them

There are plenty of viable explanations as to why Instagram is having a hard time loading your feed. Most are technical reasons—some within your control, others requiring more patience as Instagram fixes it on its end. But it’s important to be aware of all these different reasons, so you know what to do in every possible situation.

Are you scratching your head and wondering, “Why is my Instagram feed not loading?” Here are four of the most common reasons why it happens and what you can do about it.

1. Instagram Couldn’t Refresh Feed Because of a Poor Internet Connection

There’s a big possibility that Instagram couldn’t refresh feed posts on your device because of an internet connection issue. Maybe you’re having problems connecting to a stable Wi-Fi connection, or your router is having tech issues. It’s also possible that your internet provider is struggling with network congestion, thus the slow connection. 

Regardless of the cause, slow internet speed can keep your feed from loading new posts.

If this happens, run a speed test online to see just how fast your internet is. If it looks super slow or isn’t loading at all, your connection is most likely the problem. Your priority now is to get high-speed internet so you can see your feed again.

Try resetting your router to see if it fixes issues with your connection. You can also switch to a different network or use your mobile data to find a more stable internet connection.

2. There Are Bugs Because You’re Using an Outdated Version of the Instagram App

Another reason why your feed isn’t loading might be that you have an outdated version of Instagram. Older versions of apps can sometimes come with performance issues and minor bugs, which cause glitches. These glitches may be the cause of your issues with the feed.

Instagram developers are quick to release newer versions of the app to fix bugs and other technical issues. So, it’s important to keep updating your app with the new versions. That way, you won’t find technical problems such as your feed not loading.

Go to the App Store or Google Play Store to double-check if you have the latest version of Instagram. If not, update your app. We highly recommend turning on automatic updates to ensure you always have the latest Instagram version on your device.

If Instagram won’t update on your device, it might be because you already have the latest version. That means another issue is causing your feed problem. Keep reading.

3. There’s an Outage in the Instagram Servers

In March 2024, Instagram had a huge outage that caused around 50,000 reports to submitted about the issue, according to CNN. With no content to scroll through, everyone was at their wits’ end.

If you can’t figure out why your feed isn’t loading, the same thing might be happening. Yup, an outage in Instagram’s servers is another explanation for a faulty feed.

There are many reasons why Instagram’s servers could be down, from unexpectedly high traffic to (heaven forbid) a DDoS attack. But when the servers are down, you can expect the whole app to be down, too.

Go to forums like Reddit and Twitter to see if other users are complaining about their feed not loading. DownDetector is also excellent for keeping tabs on platform issues. You can also check Instagram’s official channels to see if there are any announcements regarding the matter.

Sadly, if this is the reason the feed is not loading, you have no choice but to sit and wait. Instagram is most likely already trying to resolve the issue. Sit tight and constantly refresh your feed to catch when it starts working again.

4. Your Device’s System Time Isn’t Aligned With Instagram’s

Instagram needs to have its timestamps for the feed to load. However, if your device’s time settings do not align with Instagram’s, it could prevent the feed from loading properly.

Go to your device settings and change your time and date settings to align with your time zone. If there’s an “automatic” option, choose that. Then, open the app and check the feed again. Hopefully, this fixes the issue.

Other Troubleshooting Tips for When Instagram Can’t Load Posts

Still can’t get your Instagram feed to load properly after the techniques we’ve shared above? Don’t worry. There are still other things you can do to troubleshoot your app.

Start by restarting your device, whether it’s a phone or tablet. This resets your session on Instagram and might fix minor glitches, like a faulty feed.

You could also try deleting Instagram and reinstalling it from the App Store or Google Play Store again. Sign into your account, and hopefully, the feed loads properly this time.

If none of these tips help with your issue, it’s time to report your problem to Instagram. That way, the support team can investigate the issue and try to solve it from their end. Here’s how to do it in a few simple steps:

1. On your Instagram profile, click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) at the top-right part of the screen. This opens the settings menu.

2. Scroll to the bottom of the options. Under More info and support, select Help.

3. Click Report a problem.

4. The next screen might instruct you to go back to where you saw the problem and shake your device. Instead, tap on Report problem without shaking.

5. Choose whether or not you’d like to run a diagnostics report on your app. Then, continue to the next page.

6. Type an explanation of the problem you’re facing with your feed.

7. Upload any supporting screenshots as proof of the issue.

8. Finally, hit Send.

Note that it can take a few hours to a couple of days for Instagram to respond to your report.

Why Is Instagram Showing Old Posts Even Without Tech Problems?

Are you not facing any technical difficulties? In that case, the feed showing old posts is likely because there are no new posts to show. Maybe you’ve seen every post people you follow have published recently. When that happens, Instagram’s algorithm will show you old content instead.

One reason this might be happening is that you’re following a lot of inactive accounts on Instagram. If the pages you follow don’t post often, you’ll probably keep seeing old posts on the feed. Follow more active accounts aligned with your interests to see newer, cooler content!

But why is Instagram showing old posts even when there is new content available? Well, you may also see old posts instead of new ones because these are what Instagram thinks you find relevant. The app will always push out content published by accounts you interact with most.

Don’t Panic if Your Instagram Feed Won’t Load

It’s important to fix feed issues as soon as you spot them. After all, no one wants to miss fresh, new content as soon as it hits the feed. So, bookmark this page to remember our tips for fixing technical issues leading to Instagram not loading feed posts.

Now that you’re not panicky about the Instagram feed not loading, it’s time to focus on actually using the platform. Part of that means working hard to ensure your page grows over time. That’s something we at Path Social can help with.

We use AI to promote your content to the people most likely to love and interact with it. That means you’ll get a boost not just in followers but also in engagement. In no time, you’ll have tons of new followers who are always eagerly watching out for new content you come out with. Build a thriving community of followers today with Path Social!