Instagram Story Not Posting? 16 Ways To Fix It (SOLVED)

Timothy Iyekowa
By Timothy Iyekowa - Technical Writer
20 Min Read

Why is Instagram not letting me post on my story? We have seen plenty of questions like this in different forums and groups, and all we can say at this beginning is we have 16 ways to fix the Instagram not letting me post story problem.

If you try to upload a story and Instagram does not post the story, or no matter how hard you click the “Retry,” the story won’t upload, Or it keeps on showing “Upload Failed,” or “Posting”?. Here is the fixed.

In this guide, you will learn how to fix the Instagram story not posting, and why Instagram is not posting stories.

ALSO READ: Why Are My Instagram Stories Blurry? (How To Fix Blurry Stories)

Why Is Instagram Not Posting Stories?

If what you are trying to post on your Instagram story is not going through, the upload will get stuck and it cannot complete the process.

And it keeps on saying “Posting” or “Upload Failed” when you try the Retry button. They may be different reasons Instagram is not letting you post stories.

1. Bad Internet Connection

Instagram required a good internet connection for the app to work properly.

If you are using a slow network, you won’t be able to post a story on Instagram.

An unstable internet connection might be one of the first reasons causing the problem, and you have to make sure.

This may be why Instagram is failing to upload stories and other posts.

2. No Reposting Without Permission

For some people, if you repost their post on your Instagram story it will be stuck and it will just keep failing if you retry.

3. Outdated Instagram Version

This doesn’t mostly occur, but posting stories with outdated Instagram apps might not work, even though you keep on tapping the retry button.

All you have to do here is to update your Instagram app from the App or Play Store.

4. Instagram’s Terms And Policy

It is simply because of Instagram’s terms and policy.

If you violate any Instagram terms and conditions, Instagram may shadowbanned your account and you cannot post for a certain period.

5. Instagram Bug

The second reason is because of a bug that’s causing your stories not to upload, regardless if you have a good internet connection or not.

A bug is caused by a failure in the system and this causes unexpected results.

How To Delete An Instagram Story That Won’t Upload?

When you upload your photo to the Instagram story and it gets stuck how can you delete it?

If Instagram is not allowing you to delete it usually, you can use Airplane Mode.

To delete the Instagram story that won’t upload, turn on Airplane mode, then you will see a red notification on your story.

Then the delete option will appear, tap on it to delete the post you are trying to upload.

How to Fix Instagram Story Not Posting

There are different ways you can fix Instagram not posting stories, you can clear your cache and app data for Instagram.

You can also use the Airplane mode to delete Instagram stories that won’t upload and try posting another one.

Fix 1: Use Airplane Mode

One of the easiest ways to fix the Instagram story not posting is by turning on the Airplane mode.

Many users have reportedly said this works. And it can also help you delete the Instagram story that does not want to upload.

If you use the Airplane mode fix the Instagram story not uploading issue, don’t post the photo or video that you tried posting before. If not, the problem will repeat itself.

Putting your phone on Airplane mode we give you the option to delete and fix the issue.

To put your Android or iPhone on Airplane mode, swipe down from the top if you are using an Android phone, then tap on Airplane mode to turn it on.

Swipe right if you did not see the Airplane icon on the first control panel.

For iPhone users, swipe up from the bottom if you are using iPhone 8 and earlier, and swipe down from iPhone X and newer.

Once the control panel is open, tap on Airplane mode to turn it on.

ALSO READ: 6 Ways To Watch someone’s Instagram Story Without Them Knowing

Fix 2: Force Close App (Android)

If you have an Android device, and you are experiencing the Instagram not posting stories problem, you can easily fix it by force closing the Instagram app and restarting it again.

This is one of the best ways you can fix your story problem on Instagram (does not work for all devices).

Turn off your internet connection and open the Instagram app and leave it open on the App Switcher (Recent Task), then tap and hold, from the small display menu, click on the App info icon, and tap on FORCE STOP.

You can also go to your phone Settings, and tap on App & notifications. On the page, click on SEE ALL {NUM} APPS and find the Instagram app on the list open the app and tap on FORCE STOP.

Open the apps from the recent task, and the posting will be marked as failed, once it shows failed, quickly delete the post, and don’t try to re-upload the same post to your story, or it will go back to endless posting.

Step 3: Check Your Internet Connection

Don’t forget the fact that your internet still has a major part to play if you cannot post any content on your Instagram Stories.

It is painful waiting for hours for a bad network to level up, and sometimes you may not even know.

But sometimes we do remember to check, so if you did not remember to look at your internet connection if it is fluctuating, you should do it now.

This happens all the time, based on the location you stay.

If you see that you don’t have a strong internet connection on your phone you can use a Router to charge up or connect to a portable Wi-Fi.

Connection problems don’t necessarily mean it is generally, this may just be the problem for you, and setting it right might fix Instagram stories not posting on your phone.

If for instant, you are using a Router and this problem occurs, the best chance you can get is to restart it.

Turn it off for a minute or two and turn it back on.

If you are using a portable MiFi that you carry around, you can restart that too, or change Wi-Fi if you are using a public one.

Step 4: Close And Open Your Instagram App

This might just be the simplest solution to fix the Instagram stories that won’t post.

It is one of the best ways people have found to clear little bugs or errors. Restarting the app.

For iPhone or Android devices swipe up and then the App switcher will open, remove Instagram by swiping it up.

Then reopen the app to see if you can post on your Story again.

ALSO READ: How The Instagram Followers And Followings List Are Ordered

Step 5: Clear Your Instagram Cache And Data

This is one of the best ways you can fix your Instagram to begin posting on your Stories again.

You will have to clear your Instagram data and cache.

Clearing your data will wipe all your information and account from the app, and you will need to log in back to your account.

If you clear the Instagram cache, all your account information will still be intact, this will only remove the account temporary data stored in the app.

When you clear your Instagram cache file it will remove any errors in the app file, and your Instagram will load again from their server.

This will be able to fix the problem that blocks you from posting on your Instagram Stories.

To clear the Instagram app data and cache (Android), tap and hold the Instagram app, when the small menu is displayed, click on the App info icon. Tap on Storage & cache on the page, then tap on Clear Cache and Clear Data.

For iPhone users, you cannot clear the cache or even the data, what you have to do is delete the Instagram app from your device and reinstall it back from the Apple App Store.

Tap and hold the Instagram app, and click on the “x” to remove it from your device.

If the Instagram app is deleted from your device, wait for a few minutes, then reinstall it from the App Store. 

Login back to your account and check if you can now upload to your Instagram Stories without getting a failed message.

Step 6: Try Instagram On The Web

If the Instagram app is not working and doesn’t allow you to upload stories to the app, you can try using the Instagram web version.

This could work for you. Go to your best web browser, log in to your account and see if you can post to your Instagram Stories.

Step 7: Don’t Post GIF (Stop Using Emojis)

Most users have reported that, if they add GIFs or emojis to the photo or video they want to post, they get a failed attempt. This is the bug that restricts you from using or posting GIFs to Instagram stories.

If you try to post the video without the GIF you will be able to upload it to your stories. If you are getting this kind of error you can fix it with this simple solution.

When you finish editing the image you want to upload on your Instagram Story, save it to your device, and cancel.

Then open the Instagram Story again, and post the image you just saved to your Photos app.

Tap on it and then you can easily upload it to your Instagram page. This will bypass the bug until Instagram fixed it.

Step 8: Restart Device

If your Instagram story is stuck and still not uploading, you can try restarting your Android or iPhone.

This will refresh your device and clear all the apps running.

If there is any little bug that doesn’t want you to post on your Instagram Stories, restarting your device might do the trick.

Step 9: Force Restart Your iPhone

If restarting doesn’t solve the Instagram story not posting on your iPhone, you will have to force restart your iPhone.

Force restarting your device could solve the problem since several users have been using it to get bugs out of their device.

Step 10: Update Your Instagram App

If your Instagram app is misbehaving and doesn’t even allow you to post any images or videos, you can try updating the app.

Go to the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to update the app to the latest version.

Step 11: Uninstall And Reinstall The Instagram App

You have updated the app, and nothing seems to be working, well the solution you have now is to uninstall the app from your device.

Wait for a few minutes and download it back to your phone. This might fix the Instagram Stories not uploading on your device.

To uninstall the Instagram app, tap and hold the app icon until the taskbar displays, then drag to the top to uninstall, for Android, and iPhones tap the “x” to remove the app from your phone. Visit the Apple App Store or Play Store to download the Instagram app again.

Step 12: Reset Network Settings

The next option you should be looking at is resetting your iPhone settings, this doesn’t erase your data on your device, just the settings you have made changes to.

To reset all settings open your iPhone Settings > General > Reset. Tap on Reset All Settings, tap Reset All Settings again and confirm with your iPhone passcode.

ALSO READ: How To Find Liked Comments On Instagram

Step 13: Check The Instagram Server Status

If you have done everything and still couldn’t upload a single photo, check if Instagram is down.

Asked other people if they are experiencing the same issue with their Instagram app.

You can also use the Down Detector site to check if the Instagram server is down.

Step 14: The File Format Is Not Compatible

If you are uploading a file format that is not supported by Instagram, you won’t be able to post any stories.

Check the details of the image or video to know the file format.

You can choose to post another picture to be sure if this isn’t a bug or a problem with the app.

If the file format isn’t supported, you can convert to another, or better still post any other photo or video.

For videos, Instagram only allows the media file format for MP4 and MOV. And a 60 seconds video (anything longer is cropped)

Step 15: Wait For Instagram To Fix The Bugs

The problem might be the app, and the bugs would not go away no matter what you do.

You will have to wait to pass the time out or try using the Instagram web if it works for you.

Then wait for Instagram to bring an update to fix the Instagram Stories not posting problem.

Step 16: Report The Problem To Instagram

While you wait, you can push further and report the issue to Instagram. From your Instagram settings, you can report any problem.

When they get enough reports, Instagram will quickly send an update for the app, or you have to wait until the next.

To report an update to Instagram, go to your Instagram profile and tap on the Menu icon (3-line) at the top right. Then tap on Settings. Tap on Help and then tap on Report a Problem.

Provide all the information that is specific to the issue so that Instagram can get a close look at the problem.

Conclusion

With these fixes, we are sure you can start posting on your Instagram Stories again.

If the problem persists, there might be a bug in the app, or you may have been temporarily banned from posting.

Either way, you can still report the problem to Instagram.

And with more people reporting the issue, Instagram will quickly fix the problem.

Most of the fix works for other users, find the one that works for you. By trying one fix at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to delete Instagram story that won’t upload?

To delete the Instagram story that won’t upload, turn on Airplane mode, then you will see a red notification on your story. Then the delete option will appear, tap on it to delete the post you are trying to upload.

Why can’t I post stories on my Instagram?

Because there is a problem with the internet connection, they are bugs that keep you from uploading any stories. You can try fixing it by turning on Airplane mode, uploading another image or video, force stop or clear cache, etc.

Why won’t my Instagram story upload?

There are many reasons why your Instagram story won’t upload: if there is a bug on the app, a bad internet connection, you have been shadowed banned from Instagram, and other many factors.

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By Timothy Iyekowa Technical Writer
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As a seasoned content writer with 4+ years of experience in consumer technology, Timothy has been a dedicated author and editor at Techvocast since its inception. Specializing in addressing user concerns, his articles offer effective solutions for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac-related issues. Timothy's expertise also extends to crafting content about social media and various applications. Through his daily articles, he consistently aids users in overcoming their technology challenges.
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