ProTechnoid, June 28, 2023 | 
Instagram is one of the most used apps worldwide. Instagram stories are the most utilized and convenient feature for users to convey their stories or emotions to their followers.
But sometimes, users may see the message “this story is unavailable,” which may confuse users.
Let’s find out What does this story is unavailable mean on Instagram and how to fix it.
It generally means the Instagram story you are trying to view is either removed or restricted. There can be several other internal or external reasons why an Instagram story is unavailable.
The Instagram story could have been deleted
The account owner who posted the story might have posted something accidentally that they didn’t intend to do. So, they could have deleted the Instagram story.
If the account holder doesn’t want his story to be visible for the full duration, he might have chosen to delete it. This may be why you are seeing this story is unavailable on Instagram.
Close friends only on Instagram
Instagram has a “Close friends only” feature. By default, when a user posts a story only to be viewed by his close friends, and if you are not on their list, you can’t view or receive any notifications regarding the story.
When a user posts a story with you on their close friend list and later removes you, you may see the message that this story is unavailable on Instagram.
You will see the story is unavailable error message rarely or never in the close friend’s list scenario.
In my personal experience, I have faced these issues while testing with two different accounts.
Story expiration limit
The Instagram stories are visible to other users only for 24 hours.
If you can’t view a Instagram story or receive a story unavailable error message, then the story you intend to watch might have gone past the 24-hour limit.
Account Privacy settings
The Instagram user who posted the story might have set their account to private.
If the account is private, the users who already follow that user can only see their stories and posts. You can only see their stories if your follow request is approved.
Instagram account deactivated
The user posting the story may have temporarily or permanently deactivated their account.
In Both cases, you can’t view their stories, posts, or anything related to their Instagram account.
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If you search for their Instagram account using their username and if it is unavailable, you can consider that their account is deactivated.
Suppose you have communicated with the user earlier using the Instagram direct message feature. You can check the user in your DMs.
If there is no profile icon or it says Instagram user, we can confirm that the user has deactivated their account.
Blocked or Restricted
When a person you know blocks you on Instagram, it is painful. But that is also a possibility why you are seeing this story is unavailable on Instagram stories.
If the person who posted the story has blocked or restricted your access to their content on Instagram, you won’t be able to view their stories.
Regional restrictions
The regional restriction is one of the most common practices in the technology industry.
Content can be restricted or blocked based on your geographical location.
For legal reasons, Instagram may limit access to certain content in specific regions; this can be why you see this story is unavailable.
Technical Glitches
Like all apps, Instagram too experiences technical glitches sometimes. It may be due to maintenance, unwarranted server issues and more.
You may have checked the story during this breakdown.
Violation of community guidelines
Instagram has a strict policy when it comes to content violation. If some post violates community guidelines, the entire post with the image and associated captions will be removed permanently.
In some cases, the account can also be banned permanently.
It may also be why you see an Instagram story unavailable message.
Note: Familiarize yourself with Instagram community guidelines to know what type of content is allowed and what is not allowed to avoid getting banned.
Reporting inappropriate content
Instagram has millions of active users; when they feel the content is inappropriate, most people block the account or avoid them, but more people report that content to Instagram.
If Instagram analyzes and finds the content inappropriate, then the content is removed.
Check your Internet Connection
Ensure you have a stable internet connection by opening other apps and websites in your Chrome browser.
Because Instagram is an app with tons of images and videos, having a stable internet connection is very important.
Refresh Instagram feed
When you open your Instagram app, it loads all the data from your previous session.
The old session data might not load properly. Therefore, refresh your Instagram feed to get the latest data.
How to refresh Instagram feed
Login to your Instagram account and pull the feed from top to bottom to get latest content on your Instagram feed.
Log out and Log in
Log out and logging in again to your Instagram app can sometimes fix temporary glitches like loading issues and unresponsive clicks.
It can also fix authentication and account-related issues.
Restart Instagram
Most of the time, restarting the application will fix the crashing issues. So try restarting your Instagram app to fix this story unavailable Instagram issue.
Is Your Cache Overflowing?
Clearing your Instagram app cache will remove all the temporary files and data stored on your device. Instagram App preferences will be reset.
When you open the Instagram app again, you will find refreshed content, and Instagram will download new temporary files and store them locally on your device.
Update Instagram App
Make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app. Go to Google Play Store for Android and App Store iOS and check for the latest update.
The bugs will be resolved once the application is updated, and the error message this story is unavailable on Instagram will be removed.
Restart your device
Most of the time, a simple restart will fix all the issues on your device.
Reinstall Instagram app
If the issue persists, uninstall and reinstall the Instagram app to fix the issue.
Force Stop Instagram app
Force stop the Instagram app to fix and resolve temporary issues.
I hope you found the solution you were looking for on what does this story is unavailable on Instagram means. If you have any queries let me know in the comments section.
Frequently Asked Question
What happens when my access to a story is restricted?
When an Instagram user restricts you from their story, you will not even receive any notification regarding that particular story.
Remember, users can restrict you from seeing their story without blocking you.
Check your internet connection, update your Instagram app, refresh your feed, and clear your Instagram app cache.
You can follow These few methods to avoid seeing a story unavailable message.
How can I tell if someone has muted my story?
There are no specific Instagram features to determine if someone has muted your story.
But we can check by monitoring their activity on Instagram, like their engagement on others’ posts.
Why would someone mute my story?
Sometimes the content you post only aligns with some of your follower’s or Instagram users’ interests. In such cases, a user may mute your story.
Yes, the Instagram story can be unavailable due to technical reasons.
To fix this, you can refresh your Instagram app, clear your app cache, update the app, or contact Instagram support.
Can you mute someone’s story on Instagram?
Yes, you can mute someone’s story on Instagram if you don’t like their content or their interest doesn’t align with yours.
Can you hide only one story from someone?
No particular feature on Instagram allows us to hide one story from a user.
But you can create a Close friends-only list and post a story by omitting the user.
Can you hide someone’s story without blocking them?
Yes, you can mute a user’s story if you don’t want to see their stories instead of blocking the account.
Can someone see how many times you viewed their Instagram story?
No, Instagram doesn’t notify the owner of the story about a specific individual viewing their story multiple time.
Can someone see if I saw their story?
Yes, when you view someone’s story on Instagram, they can see that you have viewed it.
The account owner who posted the story can see a list of usernames or profile pictures of the accounts that have viewed their story.
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