How to Fix Instagram Stories Freezing

Are you having difficulty viewing your friends’ stories on Instagram?

A common issue that you might face is that a story freezes when you try to view or scroll it.

This is most likely caused by a bug/glitch from the latest Instagram update.

It can happen on both Android and iOS devices but is more common on the Google Pixel device.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix Instagram stories freezing or stuck when you tap/click on the screen or the next story.

How to Fix Instagram Stories Freezing

To fix Instagram stories freezing, you can try tapping on “Send message” and exiting it.

You can also try clearing the app’s cache, force exiting and reopening it, updating Instagram, or downloading an older version of it.

Fix 1: Tap on “Send message” and exit it

1. View Instagram stories until it freezes.
2. Tap on the “Send message” field.
3. Exit the “Send message” field by tapping out of it.
4. You can now scroll/view stories normally!

Fix 2: Clear Instagram’s cache

• For iPhone: Open the Settings app > General > iPhone Storage > Instagram > Offload App > Offload App > Reinstall App.
• For Android: Open the Settings app > Apps > App management > Instagram > Force stop > Storage usage > Clear data > Clear cache.

Fix 3: Force exit and reopen Instagram

1. Swipe up from the bottom of your screen and release in the middle of your screen.
2. Scroll to the Facebook card and swipe up to force exit it.
3. Open Instagram and try viewing stories to see if they freeze.

Fix 4: Update Instagram

1. Open the App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Search for “Instagram”.
3. Select “Update” if there’s an update.
4. Open Instagram and try viewing stories to see if they still freeze.

Fix 5: Download an older version of Instagram (Android only)

1. Delete the Instagram app on your Android device.
2. Go to https://instagram.en.uptodown.com/android/versions.
3. Select an older version of Instagram (e.g. 1 month ago).
4. Select “Download” to download the APK.
5. Open Instagram and log in to your account.
6. Open Instagram and try viewing stories to see if they still freeze.

Further reading

How to Change Instagram Posts from Rectangle to Square

How to Fix Reset Suggested Content Not Showing on Instagram

How to Fix Instagram Chat Nickname Option Not Showing