Did you recently stumble across the “This story is no longer available” error on Instagram when you’re viewing someone’s story?
Maybe you’re going through the story timeline and there’s a blacked-out story with the error message.
Or you might have tapped on someone’s story only to realize that it’s no longer available.
Either way, you might be wondering what’s the meaning of the error and whether the person blocked you from viewing their stories.
To begin with, let’s explore the reasons behind the error message.
- What does it mean when someone’s Instagram story is no longer available?
- Has someone blocked me from their Instagram story?
- What happens when someone hides their story from you on Instagram?
- Conclusion
What does it mean when someone’s Instagram story is no longer available?
When someone’s Instagram story is no longer available, it usually means that they have either deleted it, or it has been taken down for violating Instagram’s guidelines.
The error can also appear if the story has been up for more than 24 hours.
Before coming to the conclusion that someone has blocked you from viewing their stories (which is often not the case), you need to understand the various causes of the error.
That way, you can make a wild guess based on those reasons to find out what happened with their story.
There are 5 reasons why someone’s Instagram story is no longer available.
Let’s get to each one of these reasons in detail.
1. The user has deleted their story
The most common reason why someone’s story is no longer available is that they have deleted it.
The most common reason why a story is unavailable is that the user has deleted it.
If a user has deleted their story, others’ can no longer find or see it.
However, if their story is on your timeline at the moment of deletion, it will turn black when you try to view it.
In addition, there will be an error message saying, “This story is no longer available”.
On the other hand, if you refreshed your feed right after someone deleted their story, the story will not be visible at all.
2. The story has been up for 24 hours
Secondly, the story might not be available because it has been up for more than 24 hours.
Instagram stories will disappear in 24 hours after the time of posting.
Instagram stories will automatically disappear after 24 hours.
If you happen to view their story at the 24-hour mark, there will be an error message saying that the story is no longer available.
So, if you’re lucky enough to view someone’s Instagram story right at the 24-hour mark, it’ll be unavailable.
However, if the person has another story that hasn’t been up for more than 24 hours, you still can view it by tapping right.
Instagram stories cannot last for more than 24 hours unless the person added them to their highlight.
Even so, it will no longer be visible from the ring on their profile picture, but under their bio.
3. Instagram has removed it for violation
Another common reason is that Instagram has removed the person’s story for violating one or more of its guidelines.
There are a couple of reasons for the removal of the story.
A story will no longer be available if it is being taken down by Instagram for violating its guideline(s).
At times, Instagram’s AI might have falsely detected that the post has violated its guidelines(s). Nonetheless, it will still be taken down.
Firstly, Instagram’s AI might have detected a violation on the story (e.g. nudity, violence, copyright).
If the AI detects a violation, the story may be taken down and rendered unavailable.
Secondly, the story might have been reported by more than one person.
If an Instagram story is reported by more than one person, it may be taken down if it’s proven to violate one or more of Instagram’s community guidelines.
If that’s the case, the story will be removed, and you won’t be able to view it.
Stories getting taken down by Instagram is very common. However, some stories get taken down falsely.
At times, Instagram’s AI falsely detects that a story has violated its guidelines.
So if you view the story, it might no longer be available as it is taken down.
4. The user switched their account to private
Forthly, the user might have switched their account from public to private.
However, this instance is very uncommon.
If a person switches their account from public to private right before you view their stories, they will be unavailable to you.
In order for it to happen, you need to visit the user’s profile right as they switched their account to private.
In addition, you cannot be following them prior to the switch.
Once their account is set to private, their story will be gone when you try to view it.
5. You are blocked from viewing their story
The final reason why someone’s story is no longer available is that you’re blocked from viewing their story.
More specifically, the person has hidden their story from you.
However, this is very uncommon as they need to hide their story from you just before you view it.
The final reason why someone’s story is no longer available is that they’ve hidden their stories from you.
However, this is very uncommon as the person needs to hide their story from you right before you view it.
In most cases, this reason should not apply to you as once they hid it, you won’t even be able to view their stories unless there’s a glitch.
Whenever you see the “This Story is No Longer Available” error message, you are not blocked from viewing someone’s story.
Instead, they either deleted the story, or it has been taken down by Instagram for violating their guidelines.
FAQ
Has someone blocked me from their Instagram story?
If someone blocked you from their Instagram story, you won’t be able to see their stories or highlights.
To check whether someone blocked you from their Instagram story, you can visit their account using an alternate account.
If you’re able to view their stories and highlights from an alternate account but not on your main, then the person has hidden their stories from you.
What happens when someone hides their story from you on Instagram?
When someone hides their story from you on Instagram, their stories and highlights will no longer be visible to you.
If that’s the case, whenever they post an Instagram story, there will not be a story ring on their profile picture.
In addition, their Instagram highlights will disappear from their profile when you visit it.
Conclusion
If you stumble across the “This story is no longer available” error on Instagram while viewing a story, it does not mean that the person has blocked you from viewing their story.
To conclude, here are a couple of the most common reasons why the story is no longer available:
- The person has deleted their story right before you viewed it.
- The story has been taken down by Instagram for a violation.
Typically, you’ll only see the error message when someone’s story is deleted or taken down right before you view it.
You can avoid the error message in the future by refreshing your Instagram feed.
Further Reading
Why Won’t Instagram Let Me Like Posts?
Why Can’t I See Instagram Reels? (And How to Enable It)
How to Fix “We’ll Try Again Once There’s a Better Connection” on Instagram
