What Does Story Unavailable Mean on Instagram? Find Out Here

Imagine this—you’re casually scrolling through your friends’ Instagram Stories, excited to see what’s going on in their day. But then, you’re met with an error with a black screen and a message flashing that someone’s post is unavailable. It’s strange because everyone else’s Story seems okay except this one. But what does Story unavailable mean on Instagram anyway?

Today, we’ll hash out why this error message appears from time to time. By the end of this guide, you should know the many circumstances in which the error pops up. Let’s jump right into it and solve the mystery of the pesky unavailable error on Stories!

What Does Story Unavailable Mean on Instagram: Breaking Down the Error Message

When you see this error pop up on the screen, it simply means that a particular Story isn’t available right now. It doesn’t always mean the Instagram Stories feature isn’t working. Most of the time, it definitely is; you just can’t load that specific Story for the time being. It could be universal (as in for everyone) or only for you (as in your account or device has issues).

This usually happens when you’ve loaded the Story tray even if, technically, that Story shouldn’t be shown to you. In short, since you haven’t refreshed the Instagram home screen, the Story is still in your to-watch line-up. But by the time it opens, Instagram registers that it shouldn’t show you that post anymore. That’s what leads to the error message.

What Does “This Story Is Unavailable” Mean on Instagram: 6 Reasons Why It Shows

There are tons of reasons why this error pops up on your screen from time to time when watching Stories. Sometimes, it’s because of something you have no control over, like problems with the app itself. But more likely, it has to do with the Story’s shelf life and whether the poster took it down somehow. To know the true reason, you’ll have to do some investigating.

So, what does “This Story is unavailable” mean on Instagram, and what could be causing it? Here are six of the most common reasons.

1. The Person Who Posted the Story Just Deleted It

One typical reason the error appears is that the person who posted that Story deleted it. Remember, users can choose to delete any of their active Stories at any time. 

You might have opened a Story right after someone deleted it. So, even if the post technically shouldn’t exist anymore, it still opens on your device. But instead of seeing the post, you’ll see a black screen with the pesky unavailable message.

2. The Story Recently Expired After Meeting the 24-Hour Time Limit

Instagram Stories are designed to last only 24 hours, after which they expire and go straight to the archive. If you open a Story right after it expires, you could end up seeing the unavailable error.

Once a Story expires, only the original poster can see it when they visit their archive. It can only be publicly visible if they add it to a Story Highlight on their profile.

3. The Poster Has Hidden Their Story Content From You

Sometimes, it’s a little more personal. You might be seeing the “Story unavailable” screen because the person who posted it actively hid their Stories from you. If your device has loaded that person’s Stories but they decide to hide them from you, that error will appear.

Are you curious to know whether someone has hidden their Instagram Stories from you? One quick way to see if they did is to go on their profile and check their Story Highlights. If you still see them when you visit their page, they haven’t hidden their Stories from you. If they did, even their Highlights will be inaccessible to your account.

You can also ask mutual friends to check if that person has active Stories currently up on their page. If they say yes, but you don’t see a pink circle around their profile photo, consider it confirmed. They’ve hidden their Stories from you.

4. Instagram Took Down the Story for Violating Its Community Guidelines

A Story might also be unavailable if it violates Instagram’s community guidelines. This happens when too many people report it to Instagram, forcing the platform to take it down.

Instagram has plenty of content rules to ensure that the app is a safe environment for everyone. So, if certain Stories contain hate speech, nudity, violence, and other inappropriate content, Instagram might delete them. This leads to the unavailable message should someone try to open the Story.

5. There Are Technical Issues With the Instagram App

Sometimes, the Story is technically available on the platform, but there are technical glitches keeping you from viewing it. Maybe Instagram’s servers are down due to maintenance issues or heavy traffic, causing problems with viewing content on the platform. If this is the case, check their official channels for updates on when these issues will be sorted out.

Technical issues can also arise based on the activity on your device. According to Vixen Digital, Instagram uses your cache files to enhance your personal experience on the app. But when these files get bigger over time, they can cause storage and performance issues.

If you suspect that this is why you can’t see certain Instagram Stories, consider clearing your cache. It’s a good idea to clean out your cache from time to time, even without this error. That way, you can ensure that the app works perfectly without a hitch.

6. Your Internet Connection Is Too Slow

If your internet speed is weak and slow, your Instagram app might not be able to reach the right servers. That means it can’t fetch Story content, leading to the unavailable error popping up.

Lurk around the app to see if there are other sections you can’t load, such as refreshing your main feed. If the feed doesn’t refresh and you’re stuck with the spinning circle of death, you definitely have bad internet. You can also do a free Wi-Fi speed test online to confirm that your internet is slow.

Try moving closer to your Wi-Fi router or switch to your mobile data. If you can connect to a strong, stable internet source again, you will likely be able to load this Story.

What Does “This Story Unavailable” Mean on Instagram DMs?

Sometimes, a friend might share a Story with you through a direct Instagram message, and when you open the chat, it’s “unavailable.” That could be because of a myriad of reasons, including the ones above, like the Story expired or was deleted. But it could also be because the person who posted it is private and you can’t see their content.

So, what does “This Story unavailable” mean on Instagram when you get it through DM? It might simply mean that the Story is gone now, and you’ve opened the chat too late. But it could also mean that the person who sent it to you follows that private account, but you don’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ignore the “This Story Is Unavailable” Instagram Message: Focus on Your Own IG

The “This Story is unavailable” Instagram error can be annoying and disrupt your video-viewing experience on the app. Knowing why it might have appeared in the first place can help you come to terms with the error easier.

So, what does Story unavailable mean on Instagram? It simply means you can’t access that post for now. It could be because someone hid it from you, it got deleted, or it’s due to technical glitches.

But don’t waste time overthinking why people’s Stories aren’t showing. Use your time on Instagram wisely by fleshing out plans to grow your own page instead! One of the best tools for that is Path Social. Our AI-powered targeting algorithm boosts visibility to your niche audience so your content gets seen. This drives organic growth, letting you gain followers fast. Get more IG fans now with Path Social!