# Instagram Not Loading? Find Your Symptom, Fix It Page: https://famoid.com/instagram-not-loading/ Instagram breaks in small ways: a feed that will not refresh, a Reel with no sound, Stories that spin forever. Check if Instagram is down first. Then find your symptom below. ## First: check if Instagram is down Run our [live Instagram status check](/is-instagram-down/). It tests Instagram from two places and shows the last 24 hours. If Instagram is down, none of the fixes below will work. Wait. Most outages end within a few hours. If Instagram is up, find your symptom. ## The three fixes that solve most problems Do these before anything else: 1. **Close the app fully and reopen it.** Swipe it away from recent apps. 2. **Switch networks.** Wi-Fi to mobile data, or the other way around. Turn off any VPN. 3. **Update the app.** Old versions break quietly after Instagram changes something. Still broken? Find your symptom. ## Feed will not refresh ("Couldn't refresh feed") - Turn airplane mode on for ten seconds, then off. - Turn off your VPN. Instagram blocks some VPN addresses. - Clear the cache (steps below). - If it only happens on one Wi-Fi network, that network blocks Instagram. Schools and offices often do. - Still stuck? Our guide to [Instagram's "Couldn't refresh feed" error](/instagram-couldnt-refresh-feed/) covers the rarer causes. ## Stories not loading or stuck - Stories load one at a time. A weak connection makes them spin. Switch networks. - Force-close the app. - If one person's Story will not load but others do, that Story may have just been deleted. Pull down to refresh. ## Reels not playing or not working - Free up phone storage. Reels need room to buffer. - Turn off data saver in Instagram: Settings → Data usage and media quality. - Update the app. Reels features change often. ## No sound on Reels or videos - **iPhone:** flip the silent switch on the side of the phone. Reels follow it. - **Android:** turn up media volume, not ring volume. - Some music is not licensed in your country. Instagram mutes those clips. Nothing is wrong with your phone. - If every video is silent, close and reopen the app. ## Music not working in Stories Music stickers are not available on business accounts in some regions, and some songs are limited by country. Switch to a personal or creator account if you need the full library. If the sticker is missing or songs will not play, see our guide to [Instagram music not working](/instagram-music-not-working/). ## Pictures or posts not loading - Check storage. A full phone cannot save images for display. - Clear the cache. - If only old posts fail, wait. Instagram's servers are slow to send them during busy hours. ## App keeps crashing - Update Instagram. - Restart your phone. - Free up storage. - Reinstall the app as a last step. ## How to clear the Instagram cache - **Android:** Settings → Apps → Instagram → Storage → **Clear cache**. Leave "Clear data" alone unless you know your password. Google's [Android storage page](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079646) shows the same steps. - **iPhone:** There is no cache button. Delete the app and install it again, or [offload it](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102594) from iPhone Storage. Your account, posts and messages are on Instagram's servers. You lose nothing but drafts that were never posted. Our guide to [clearing the Instagram cache](/how-to-clear-instagram-cache/) has screenshots for each phone. ## How to restart Instagram properly 1. Open your recent apps. 2. Swipe Instagram away. 3. Wait ten seconds. 4. Open it again. Just pressing the home button does not restart it. ## When it is not you If the checker shows Instagram is down, or friends on other networks have the same problem, it is Instagram. Do not reset your password during an outage. Reset emails lag, and you can lock yourself out after everyone else is back in. ## One more thing Follower and like counts often freeze or jump while Instagram is struggling. That is a display glitch. The real numbers come back. You can confirm yours later with our [free follower count checker](/instagram-follower-count-checker/). ## Quick answers **Why is my Instagram not loading?** Either Instagram is down, your connection is weak, your app is out of date, or the app's cache is broken. Run the live status check, then update the app and clear the cache. One of those fixes it most of the time. **Why does my Instagram feed say 'Couldn't refresh feed'?** The app could not reach Instagram's servers. Check your connection, turn off your VPN, and check if Instagram is down. If it keeps happening, clear the cache and update the app. **How do I clear the Instagram cache?** On Android: Settings → Apps → Instagram → Storage → Clear cache. On iPhone there is no cache button. Delete the app and reinstall it. Your account and posts are stored by Instagram, so nothing is lost. **Why do Instagram Reels have no sound?** Check the silent switch on iPhone and the media volume on Android. Some songs are not licensed in every country, so Instagram mutes them. If every Reel is silent, close and reopen the app. **Why does Instagram keep crashing?** Usually an old app version or a full phone. Update Instagram, free up storage, and restart your phone. If it still crashes, reinstall the app. ## Related - [Is Instagram down right now? (live check)](https://famoid.com/is-instagram-down/) - [Instagram login not working](https://famoid.com/instagram-login-not-working/) - [Instagram 'Couldn't refresh feed' fixes](https://famoid.com/instagram-couldnt-refresh-feed/) Written by the Famoid team. Updated 2026-08-21.