Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social media platform owned by Facebook, where you can post visual content for your followers, as well as interact with others’ photos and videos. It is a great platform to keep in touch with the lives of those whom you admire and find interesting and creative visual content.
However, it can be frustrating at times, when you want to check out new photos but Instagram throws an error ‘Couldn’t refresh feed’. In this article, we’ll give you a step-by-step walkthrough on how to fix this error and update your feed.
Why the Instagram ‘Couldn’t refresh feed’ error occurs
Some of the errors why your Instagram feed might not be updating are:
1. Your internet connection is slow
Have trouble updating your Instagram feed? It’s possible that your internet connection is too slow or unstable. As a result, new photographs and videos can’t be added to your feed using the Instagram app.
Too many devices using the connection at the same time, or a weak signal, are only two of the possible causes of a choppy internet connection.
2. Your Instagram app is out of date
Some speed issues with Instagram, such as the “Couldn’t refresh feed” error, are almost certain if you have an older version of the program installed on your device.
3. Instagram servers are down
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- Although unlikely, Instagram may be unable to refresh your feed because the app’s servers are down. Make sure you check Instagram’s other social media accounts to see if their servers are down temporarily. You can also visit Downdetector to stay updated about any outages.
4. Instagram cache is full
- If the Instagram’s cache files on your device are full, it may lead to performance issues that prevent the Instagram feed from updating. Cache files are the temporary files that are stored by an app on your device, to speed up the page load timings for a smoother experience.
5. Your date and time are wrong
An out-of-date clock on your smartphone may also cause Instagram to display the “Couldn’t refresh feed” issue.
As a result, when you try to refresh your feed, the date and time on Instagram’s backend don’t line up with your phone’s, causing inconsistent data to be displayed.
6. Your actions have been blocked by Instagram
Your account will be restricted if you engage in what Instagram refers to as “inauthentic behavior.” If you’ve been liking/commenting on too many posts or following too many accounts in a short period of time and your account is still relatively young, this is likely to happen to you.
How to Fix Instagram Couldn’t Refresh Feed
These are some of the methods you can try out to fix the Instagram Couldn’t refresh feed error:
1. Check Your Internet Connection
- First, ensure that your internet connection is working well and has adequate speed. Make sure you have a strong signal if you’re using Wifi/ mobile data.
- To test your internet, simply open up a browser on your device and go to any site. If it takes too long to load, your connection is the problem. You can also go to Speedtest and check your connection’s speed.
2. Set Your Date And Time Automatically
Another method to fix “Instagram couldn’t refresh feed” is to clear caches. It’s the most used method when you encounter issues like “Facebook video not playing” “Instagram video won’t play” and so on.
Here’s how to clear caches:
- Go to Settings > Apps.
- Find the Instagram app and click on it.
- Click on Storage and you can clear caches and cookies by pressing the Cache
- Reopen the Instagram app.
3.Log out And Log In Again
Automatically set the date and time on your phone
This can happen if your phone’s data and time settings have been changed manually and are not in sync with the current time. As a result, be sure to have your clocks configured to automatically update.
If the ‘Couldn’t refresh feed’ error persists, try signing out and back into the Instagram app.
Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Log out’ by tapping on your profile picture.
Simply log out and reopen the app with your account credentials entered.
4. Clear Instagram Cache
Open the Settings app on your device and navigate to the Apps > Instagram section. In the next step, locate and pick the option to “Clear Cache” to remove all Instagram cache files from your smartphone or tablet device.
After clearing your cache, you’ll have to re-login to Instagram. As a result, prior to erasing your Instagram cache, double-check your login details.
5. Restart Your Device
There is a good chance that restarting your device will fix any problems you’re having. As a result, restarting your phone may help you resolve the ‘couldn’t refresh feed’ error you’re seeing.
For Android devices, you must press and hold the power button until the reboot option appears, and then select it to restart the device. After pressing the power and home buttons simultaneously for a few seconds, you’ll see the Apple logo display on your iPhone screen.
6. Update Or Reinstall Instagram
If you have an Android phone or an iPhone, look for Instagram in the Play Store or App Store. Update the app if necessary. You can download and install the latest version by clicking on “Update” if it isn’t there. You can also reinstall Instagram on your phone and see if it helps.
7. Check if your actions are blocked
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- As mentioned earlier, carrying out too many activities within a short time frame on a new account can lead to your account being flagged by Instagram. Your account functionality will also be restricted temporarily.
- This typically happens if you’re using 3rd-party bots or services to inorganically boost your engagement on Instagram.
- If you see a message stating ‘Action Blocked’, follow the steps detailed in this guide to overcome the ban. Some quick fixes that you can try include completing your profile info and logging in from another device.
8. Change Instagram’s data limits
Instagram users can limit the app’s data use to a particular amount of time using a function in the app. After you’ve used up all of your allotted data, the app will prevent you from uploading or viewing any more photographs or videos.
There is a way, though, to increase Instagram’s data restrictions from within the app. Select “Profile” > “Settings” > “Account” from the drop-down menu. Next, tap on the ‘Mobile/Cellular Data Usage’ option and raise the amount of data you use.
9. Contact Instagram support
If the problem with your Instagram feed still persists, you can contact Instagram support. What you need to know:
Go to the “Settings” section of the Instagram app and select the option to turn off notifications. To report a problem, click “Help” and then “Report a Problem.”
- Describe the issue by mentioning that the ‘Couldn’t refresh feed’ error is occurring, and submit the issue.
