Why Is Instagram Not Refreshing?

Is Instagram not refreshing for you? We'll break down the most common reasons why this happens and how to fix it - simply and easily.

Are you trying to refresh Instagram to no avail? Sometimes the posts in your feed refuse to move; other times, Instagram shows you a “couldn’t refresh feed” error message.

Whichever it is in your case, Instagram not refreshing can be very frustrating. It may even make you wonder if you are blocked off the social media platform.

So in this post, let’s learn about the reasons that cause your Instagram feed to fail to refresh and how you could troubleshoot that.

Check internet connection stability; reconnect Wi-Fi or mobile data if needed.
Log out of Instagram, then log back in to refresh feed.
Clear Instagram app cache or reinstall the app to solve loading issues.
Ensure device’s time and date are set to automatic for proper syncing.

How To Refresh My Instagram Feed?

Your Instagram homepage is known as the Instagram feed. It displays Instagram reels, stories, and other posts sponsored or shared by your followers. It also contains a button to access Instagram notifications.

When logged in, you reload your Instagram homepage in the following ways:

On Instagram App: Pull down your feed from the top and release it to refresh. A loading icon should indicate the work in progress.
On Instagram Website: You can reload your Instagram homepage from the browser like any other webpage.

Sometimes Instagram may run into an error, failing to refresh the posts on your feed. It means the posts displayed in your social feed won’t change even if you try to. The other features may also become unresponsive.

Why Is My Instagram Feed Not Refreshing?

Recently, many Instagram users reported running into different refreshing errors on the social media platform. While the social network didn’t provide any explanations, it was widely suspected to be caused by internal technical issues.

Your Instagram account may occasionally run into similar refreshing errors, whether for Instagram server errors or other external issues related to your computer or mobile device.

Some of the principal reasons behind Instagram not refreshing are:

Unstable Internet Connection: Instagram is an online social media platform that operates on the internet. If your device doesn’t have a fast enough or stable internet connection, your Instagram feed won’t refresh properly.
Outdated Instagram App: Instagram application receives periodic updates with technical and security improvements, making some of the oldest versions obsolete. Therefore, you may find your Instagram not working on an older app.
Not Enough Free Cache: Instagram requires adequate free random access memory (RAM) to store its app cache data. This data contains information regarding the Instagram content displayed on your feed, and failing to store it on your device could cause refreshing errors.
Inaccurate Date and Time: When traveling across different time zones, the chance of your Instagram not refreshing gets heightened due to erroneous time and date on your device. The time and date between your device and the Instagram servers must align to function effectively.
Site-wide Technical Issues: Like the above-mentioned issue, Instagram may face site-wide technical glitches leading to different refreshing errors. It happens mainly when the app’s engineers upgrade or tweak something in the background.

In addition, you may suffer from a hack-related bug prevalent on the Instagram platform. Sometimes the platform may become temporarily unresponsive if the Instagram algorithm detects any unusual attempt to sabotage your account.

How To Fix My Instagram Feed Not Refreshing Error?

If Instagram fails to refresh your feed of a systematic glitch like an Instagram server failure, there isn’t much you can do. You can wait for it to resolve automatically or report the issue to the Instagram team.

However, several options are available to troubleshoot Instagram’s refreshing error if it’s caused by external bugs related to your device, account, or internet connection. Applying the correct remedy for a specific problem should solve this error quickly.

If you can’t detect why Instagram couldn’t refresh the feed, you may need to apply multiple troubleshooting steps until it gets resolved. Check out the YouTube tutorial below for a live demonstration of the common fixes:

1. Re-Establish Your Internet Connection

Check if your device has a reliable internet connection by heading to your device’s settings or by trying to load another website.

You can resolve a connection error by disconnecting and reconnecting your Wi-Fi, broadband, or mobile internet. However, if the issue persists, try fixing it by restarting your Wi-Fi modem or contacting your internet provider.

Resetting your smartphone’s mobile data preferences can also troubleshoot this issue. You may also want to reset or extend your mobile data limit to fix Instagram.

2. Log Out and Relogin to Instagram

Logging back into your account can fix Instagram loading errors and beyond. However, you may have to log out of all your Instagram accounts in the app for it to work.

On the Instagram app, head to your Instagram profile page and access the settings menu to find the log-out button. This button is grouped under the “More” menu options on the Instagram website.

If you merge Instagram accounts with your Facebook credentials, you may also need to re-approve account sharing permission.

3. Clear the App Cache & Restart the Device

As you use the Instagram app over time, its temporary cache memory can get packed. In turn, it may cause the app to fail to load new posts on your feed.

Android and iPhone users can clear Instagram cache data from their mobile device’s settings. Restarting the device may also empty the temporary cache from android or iPhone storage.

Clearing your browser cache should resolve the issue on the Instagram web platform.

4. Update or Reinstall the Instagram App

Updating the Instagram app to the latest version is another troubleshooting option for Instagram refreshing errors. If your app version is relatively old, visit the Apple App Store on iOS or Android’s Google Play Store to update it.

If updating the app doesn’t fix Instagram, you could install it afresh after removing it from your device. Hopefully, your feed will refresh fine after that.

5. Set Your Device’s Time to Automatic

Check whether your device shows the correct time and date in your location when you run into the refreshing error. If not, set the valid date and time before refreshing your Instagram feed again.

You may also want to set your device’s time and date settings to automatic. It will ensure the device displays the correct time even when you travel to a different time zone, resolving many potential web browsing issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does My Instagram Feed Not Refreshing Mean I Am Blocked?

Your Instagram feed can fail to refresh for various reasons, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you are blocked. Instead, it can be related to your device settings, app version info, or Instagram servers. Instagram usually notify blocked users before removing access to their Instagram accounts or limiting different activities.

How To Report the Instagram Not Refreshing Error?

You can utilize the “Report a problem” feature from the Help section of your Instagram settings to report any technical issues on the social media platform. The feature is available in the app and website, with the steps varying slightly. The on-screen instructions are helpful enough, though.

Wrapping Up

Instagram feed is where users get to enjoy the latest Instagram content. You should be able to refresh it and see new posts and Instagram reels replacing the previous ones. If not, it may have run into some refreshing errors.

While the Instagram team may resolve the issues automatically, you can also take some basic steps to fix Instagram’s refreshing errors.

Please share your Instagram troubleshooting experience in the comments. You can also suggest something I missed.