Instagram Couldn’t Refresh Feed- Top 6 Causes and 7 Fixes

If you’re an ardent Instagrammer, you know the frustration of trying to refresh your feed only to see the Instagram couldn’t refresh feed message. You try to refresh your Instagram feed again and again, but the app just doesn’t cooperate! If you’re experiencing this error, don’t despair! Try these quick fixes to get your Instagram feed back up and running again.

What is Instagram Couldn’t Refresh Feed Error?

Refreshing your Instagram feed allows you to view the latest Instagram posts uploaded by the accounts you follow on Instagram. When your feed fails to reload, you will either only see old posts or no posts at all.

Why Instagram Couldn’t Refresh Feed- 6 Common Causes

Now, let’s explore some of the possible causes for the Instagram couldn’t refresh feed error:

1. Problem with Internet Connection: One of the possible reasons why your Instagram feed won’t refresh is a poor internet connection. Maybe your device is not connected to Wi-Fi, or if you use mobile data, you may be getting weak signals.
2. A glitch in the Instagram App: Sometimes, the Instagram feed doesn’t refresh when the app itself is having issues. This could happen due to a bug or accumulating cache files. Or you may be using an outdated version of the app.
3. Incorrect Date and Time on Phone: Another possibility is that your Instagram feed couldn’t refresh the error due to incorrect date and time settings on your phone. If your phone’s date and time are not set correctly, this can cause issues with Instagram (and other apps).
4. An issue with Instagram Servers: If you aren’t able to reload your Instagram feed, it is also possible that Instagram servers are currently down for maintenance or other reasons. When Instagram servers are the issue, you won’t be the only one to be hit by it, as it generally affects Instagram everywhere or in a particular region.
5. Third-Party Applications: Sometimes, third-party apps or services can interfere with the Instagram app, causing issues with refreshing your feed. These apps can include VPNs, ad blockers, or other types of software that may affect the app’s performance.
6. Account Issues: If your Instagram account has been flagged for suspicious activity or is currently under review, it may result in the inability to refresh your feed. Additionally, if your account has been temporarily or permanently suspended, you will not be able to access your feed or any other features on the app.

How to Fix Instagram Couldn’t Refresh Feed Error- 7 Effective Methods

Here’s what you can do to fix Instagram couldn’t refresh feed error:

1. Check your Internet Connection

If you can’t refresh your feed on Instagram, checking your internet connection is the first thing to do. For one, if you use Wi-Fi, make sure your device is connected to it and that your Wi-Fi is working properly.

In case Wi-Fi signals are weak on your phone, move closer to your router. If the problem persists, try turning your router off for at least 10 seconds and then power it back on. And if all this fails, reach out to your service provider and try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network meanwhile.

But if you use mobile data, make sure your device is getting a strong signal. Otherwise, you should try turning on your phone’s airplane mode for a few seconds and then turn it back off. It is also possible that the place or room you are in gets weak signals, so you could try moving from that place to the one with the better network coverage.

Also, make sure that there isn’t any cellular data usage restriction activated on your mobile phone. Lastly, contact your service provider if you still have no luck with your mobile internet connection.

2. Clear Instagram Cache

If you’ve tried the above fixes and still see the Instagram couldn’t refresh error message, try clearing your Instagram cache. This will delete any temporary files that may be causing the problem. To clear your Instagram cache:

1. Open your Settings on your phone.

2. Select App Management.

3. Search Instagram in the list of apps and tap on it.

4. Select Storage Usage.

5. Now, tap the Clear Cache button.

This will clear all the saved files in the Instagram cache.

3. Update Instagram App

Using an outdated version of the Instagram app can cause different issues, and not being able to refresh the feed is one of them. Though generally, most smartphones automatically update an app whenever any new updates are available, sometimes, you may need to do it manually.

To manually update your Instagram, do the following:

1. Open Play Store (for Android users) or App Store (for iPhone users).

2. Find Instagram on it.

3. If you see app Updates are available, download them to enjoy the latest version of the app.

To prevent this in the future, make sure to keep your Instagram app up to date.

4. Restart Your Device

If you still can’t refresh the feed on Instagram, try restarting your device. Hold the power button and click the Restart option. Or else, simply turn your phone off and then power it back on after a few seconds.

This is another common method that generally fixes Instagram and other apps.

5. Fix Your Date and Time

As we mentioned earlier, if your phone’s date and time are incorrect, Instagram may not work properly. So, it’s a good idea to check and fix your date and time settings by following these steps:

1. Open Settings on your phone.

2. Select Additional Settings.

3. Tap Date & Time.

4. Turn off the Automatic set date & time.

5. Now set the correct time zone for your location from the list of available options.

6. Set the current date and time manually.

Though the steps to fix the date and time may differ from phone to phone, the process is more or less the same. You will find the date and time settings in your Settings app. If you can’t find it, use the search tool in your Settings app. Enter the keywords’ date’ or ‘time’ in it, and you will be able to locate the settings for the same.

6. Force Stop the App

To fix the Instagram couldn’t refresh feed issue, you can also try force-stopping the app. This will kill the Instagram app process and hopefully fix any temporary issues that may be causing the problem. To force stop Instagram:

1. Open Settings on your phone.

2. Select Apps Management.

3. Search for Instagram in the downloaded apps list and tap on it.

4. Tap Force Stop to close the app.

7. Reinstall Instagram App

If nothing above fixes the Instagram feed error, try uninstalling and then reinstalling Instagram on your phone. This will delete any corrupted files that may be causing the problem and hopefully fix the issue for good. To reinstall Instagram:

1. Open Settings on your phone.

2. Select Apps Management.

3. Look for Instagram in the apps list and tap on it.

4. Tap Uninstall to remove Instagram from your phone.

5. Now open the App Store or Google Play Store.

6. Search for the Instagram app.

7. Tap Install to download the Instagram app on your phone.

Once you’ve reinstalled Instagram, log into your account and try refreshing your feed again. This should fix the Instagram couldn’t refresh error for good.

Why You Still Can’t Refresh Your Instagram Feed- 3 Possible Reasons

To confirm that Instagram servers are down, visit DownDetector, search for Instagram, and it will show you a real-time map of where Instagram is down. You can also talk to a friend and ask them if they are experiencing the same issue. If Instagram is down in your area, there’s nothing you can do but wait for Instagram to fix the problem.

Why Only Your Instagram Account is Not Refreshing?

So far, we have covered most of the common reasons, like the outdated version of the app, cache issues, incorrect date and time, poor internet, etc., that could prevent Instagram from refreshing the feed. But if the problem still persists, and it’s only your Instagram that’s not working and working fine for your friends – then this is something to worry about. In this case, some of the possibilities are:

1. Your Instagram Account Has Been Banned

Instagram can ban users for violating their community guidelines. So, if you’ve been banned, you won’t be able to use Instagram. This will also prevent your home page from reloading, leaving your Instagram screen blank. In that case, try opening your account through the Instagram web. You’ll be able to get more information to recover your account.

If it’s the first time you have violated Instagram’s community guidelines, they’ll let you off with a warning and restore your account to the way it was. However, if it isn’t the first time, the chances of recovering your account may get slim.

2. Your Instagram Account Has Been Hacked

It’s also possible that your account has been hacked. To regain control of your account, open the Instagram login page and click Forgot Password or Get help logging in (depending on your device).

Then, fill in your Instagram account credentials and other details to proceed with the password reset request. If your security email and phone number haven’t been changed, it will be quite easy to regain control of your account.

However, things can get tricky if your security email/password has been changed or you don’t have a hold of it anymore. Despite that, you’ll be able to access your account again in most cases.

3. Your Mobile Phone is Damaged or Rooted

Sometimes, Instagram may not work on a rooted or damaged phone, as Instagram is quite strict when it comes to security. So if they detect certain abnormalities in a rooted/damaged phone that could make the platform insecure, they may prevent you from using Instagram. The only thing you can do in this case is to switch to a new device.

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