Can’t post an Instagram story? First try a regular photo without music or stickers. Then switch between Wi Fi and mobile data. This can help you determine whether the issue is with your file, connection or app. Want to share someone else’s post or story? First check whether Instagram shows a sharing option for it.
Choose what is going wrong for you below and follow the steps.
Where does posting your Instagram story go wrong?
Pay attention to what you see. Can’t you choose a photo, does the upload keep spinning or is only the sharing option missing? Each problem requires a different check.
| What do you see? | What should you check first? |
|---|---|
| You can’t choose a photo or video. | Check whether Instagram has access to that file. |
| Your own story keeps uploading. | Test a regular photo over a different connection. |
| Only one video won’t work. | Check the file and try posting a shorter copy. |
| The option to share a post is missing. | Try sharing a different public post. |
| You can’t share someone else’s story. | Check whether you were mentioned on Instagram and received a sharing option. |
| Instagram says that your account activity does not comply. | Read the notification and look for your account status. |
Change one thing at a time. If you choose a different video and a different network at the same time, you won’t know which change helped.
Your Instagram story keeps uploading: test your connection and file
First save your original photo or video on your phone. Edits that exist only in Instagram may be lost if you close or remove the app.
- Check whether your story was posted after all. Open your own story before pressing post again. This prevents you from trying again while it is already online.
- Test your internet connection. Open a new web page. Does that fail to load too? Check your connection first.
- Switch networks. Try mobile data instead of Wi Fi, or the other way around. When using a video, keep your data allowance in mind.
- Try a regular photo. Do not use music, stickers or other extras. Your test story may be visible to the people you share it with. Therefore, do not choose a sensitive photo.
- Close Instagram and reopen the app. Then try uploading one story, not several at once.
Does the regular photo work? Add one extra element on your next attempt. Does it fail only with music? Then read the explanation about music not working in your Instagram Story.
Is only one video getting stuck? Check whether you can play it all the way through outside Instagram. Save the original and try posting a shorter copy. This lets you compare two files. It does not prove that your original video is too long or too large.
Instagram story won’t post on iPhone or Android
Then check your phone settings. The names and locations of settings may differ by device and version. If necessary, use the search function in your phone settings.
On iPhone
- Search for Instagram in your phone settings. Check whether the app has access to the photos you want to post. You do not need to make your entire photo library accessible immediately.
- Can’t you upload over mobile data? Check whether Instagram is allowed to use that connection.
- Check the App Store for an Instagram update.
- Does your phone say that storage is almost full? Check the available space. Delete only files you do not need or have saved elsewhere.
On Android
- Find Instagram among the apps in your phone settings. Check whether the app has permission to use the desired photos and videos.
- Does uploading fail only over mobile data? Check whether data usage for Instagram is restricted.
- Check Google Play to see whether you can update Instagram.
- Does your phone warn you that there is too little space? Check how much storage is still available.
Google explains how to update Android apps. Updates can add new features and help an app work more reliably.
Restart your phone if the upload is still stuck. Do not reinstall Instagram immediately. First save your files and check that you have your password and any additional login code.
Do not install an old version through a standalone APK. That is an installation file from outside the regular app store. You do not need unknown software for these checks.
You can’t share a post to your Instagram story
Is “Add to story” or a Dutch sharing option missing? Try sharing a different public post to your story. The option’s name may differ and the option is not always available.
- Another post works: look at the original post and the account that posted it.
- No tested post works: check your app and see whether Instagram shows a notification about your account.
- Your own photo does not work either: start with the steps for uploading and checking your connection.
The TechYorker explanation of sharing posts to a story discusses checks related to private accounts and differences between accounts.
Check whether the creator’s account is private. If necessary, ask the creator whether the post can be shared. A missing sharing option does not immediately mean that your account is restricted. Making your own profile public is therefore not a logical first test.
Do not use a download site to bypass the missing sharing option. Want to post the content yourself? Ask the creator for permission and for a file that you are allowed to use.
You can’t share someone else’s Instagram story
Resharing a story works differently from sharing a regular post. Open the story or the received message in which you were mentioned. Check whether you can add it to your own story there.
Is your name in the image? That does not automatically mean that the creator mentioned you on Instagram as well. If in doubt, ask whether the creator selected your correct account.
Do you see no sharing option? Check the following:
- Can you still open the original story?
- Do you use multiple accounts? Check whether you are logged in to the account that was mentioned.
- Does the creator know whether this story can be reshared?
Even with a mention, you do not always get a sharing button. Is it still missing? Ask the creator for the original file and permission to post it yourself.
Instagram story won’t post because of an account notification
Does Instagram say that your account activity does not comply? First read the entire notification. Check whether it concerns one story, a specific feature or your entire account.
Look for account status or information about restrictions in Instagram’s settings. Its location may differ. Is a reason, time period or option to request a review shown? Follow the instructions you see there.
Do not keep reposting the same story if Instagram reports an account restriction. A different connection will not remove that restriction. Tips about an “algorithm reset” also do not provide a reliable explanation for the notification.
Can’t you publish a regular photo or video either? Read the explanation about not being able to post on Instagram. Also unable to unfollow? See what you can check if you can’t unfollow on Instagram. Without a notification, you cannot know whether these problems have the same cause.
Report the problem if your Instagram story keeps getting stuck
Can’t a regular photo be uploaded over both Wi Fi and mobile data, even after an update and restart? Search Instagram for the help function to report a technical problem. Is an account restriction shown? Use the option to request a review, if it appears in the notification.
Include the following in your report:
- Whether you are uploading your own story or sharing someone else’s content.
- The exact error message and approximately when you saw it.
- Your device and the version of Instagram, if you can find them.
- Which steps you tried and what happened at each step.
- A screenshot without private messages or other sensitive information.
A fictional example: “My own photo keeps uploading. This happens over Wi Fi and mobile data. A photo without music does not work either. I use an iPhone and have updated the app and restarted my phone.”
This kind or thescription makes it clearer what is going wrong than simply saying “my Story does not work”. Keep your file and try again later. There is no fixed waiting time that applies to every upload problem.