Have you encountered the “This story is no longer available” error when checking someone’s Instagram story?
You are not alone. This is a common error occasionally seen on the platform.
Have you recently encountered the Instagram error “This story is no longer available” when viewing someone else’s story?
Or maybe you tried selecting someone’s story just to notice that it’s not available.
Because of this, you are keen to learn the significance of the error if it implies whether you have been blocked from accessing their stories.
To start, let’s analyze what is responsible for the error message.
Causes of the Instagram story no Longer Available Error
When the “Instagram story is no longer available” error appears when viewing someone’s IG story, it may suggest that Instagram has pulled it down for breaching Instagram’s community standards or the user has deleted the media file.
Another reason could be that the story has been active online for longer than 24 hours.
However, before concluding that you have been restricted from accessing someone’s stories (which may not be true), you have to find the numerous causes of the error.
This will help you make an informed decision on the reasons related to Instagram Stories’ unavailability.
There are numerous reasons for the “Instagram Story is no longer available” error.
Let’s explore them in depth.
The Story Has Been Removed by the User
“This Story is No Longer Available” occurs whenever a user deletes their IG story.
The story becomes difficult or impossible to access when users delete it.
This is why the story will become blank if it is currently running on your feed during the time of deletion.
Furthermore, you will encounter an error message stating, “This story is no longer available.”
In any case, refreshing your feed soon after the user deletes their IG story will cause the story to disappear.
The Story Has Been Available for 24 Hours
Another reason why the story is not available since it has been online or live for up to 24 hours.
Generally, all Instagram stories will immediately become inaccessible and vanish after 24 hours.
If by the 24th hour you attempt to check their story, you will most likely find an error message stating that the story is no longer available.
If you access an IG Story precisely at the 24th-hour point, it won’t be available for viewing.
Now, you can still check out the next story (if there is any) by tapping right, as long as it hasn’t been live for over 24 hours.
Unless the user adds IG Stories to their highlights, they can only stay up for a minimum of 24 hours.
Despite this, it will be accessed below their bio rather than as a circle in their profile photo.
Instagram Has Taken it Down for Infringements or Breaches
Another reason why you may have encountered the “This story is no longer available” error on Instagram is that it has been taken down by Instagram for breaching a number of its policies.
If Instagram directly pulls down someone’s story for policy violation, the story will cease to be available.
It is not unusual for Instagram’s algorithm to erroneously identify or misjudge a post as an infringement of its policies.
However, it is still going to be deleted.
First of all, there is a likelihood that Instagram’s algorithm may have spotted a policy infringement on the Story (for instance, violence, copyright or sexually explicit content).
If the algorithm discovers an infringement, the story might be removed and unavailable.
Another reason may be that the story could have been flagged by multiple users.
When this happens, the story will be taken down and won’t be accessible for viewing.
A lot of times, Instagram plays a gatekeeping role by filtering stories that are rendered offensive.
So there’s a possibility that when you encounter a “story is no longer available” error, it may have been taken down.
The User Has Changed Their Account Status to Private
The next reason is that the user has possibly changed their account status from public to private.
But this doesn’t happen regularly.
When a user changes their account status from public to private moments before you check their stories, it will be inaccessible for viewing.
If this is the case, you just have to access the user’s profile just before they change their account status.
Also, it will be impossible to follow them before they make the changes.
After changing their account status to private, the story will no longer be available when you try to check it.
You Have Been Blocked FromAccessing their Story
Lastly, a possible cause of the “story is no longer available” is that the user has blocked you from seeing their story.
Simply put, the user has deliberately restricted the availability of their story from you.
However, this doesn’t happen regularly, as they have to set their story to be unavailable to you before you can access it.
Once this is done, their story will be hidden from you and won’t be accessible unless there is a bug. This is why it is unlikely that it is the case.
If you encounter a “This story is no longer available” error notification, it indicates that you haven’t been restricted from seeing the user’s IG story.
How to Fix Instagram’s “This story is no longer available” Error
Since we have explored the causes of the “This story is no longer available” error on Instagram, let’s look at ways you can fix the issue and access the story.
View Story Once it Has Expired
After the expiration of an IG Story and you wish to access it after 24 hours, tap the profile of the user and check if the story has been added to the highlight section.
If the story becomes a highlight, it will permanently remain on the profile.
However, if you can’t find it in the highlights, it means it has not been moved to that section. There’s nothing you can do at this stage.
View Deleted Instagram Story
Sadly, it is impossible to access an Instagram story after it has been removed by the user.
However, you can patiently wait for the user to post it again. That’s the only thing you can do in this situation.
View the IG Story of a User That Has Blocked You
If someone has blocked your account on Instagram and you are interested in accessing their story, you have to make use of an entirely different profile.
You can also use any private IG viewer platform to access the story.
View Story on a Private Account
If the user has changed their account status to private and you aren’t their follower, the next course of action is to send a request to access their story.
Alternatively, you can ask anyone who is a follower of the account to send you a picture of the specific story.
View IG Story When it is Hidden from You
When this happens, you can use an Instagram story viewer tool or an entirely different profile to access the story.
However, ensure this is done before the story expires within 24 hours.
Rectify a Technical Bug on Instagram
To rectify a technical bug, you have to clear the app’s cached files to close the app instantly.
- Navigate to your device’s settings, tap “Apps,” and select Instagram. Lastly, hit the Force Stop option.
- Next, head to Storage and tap the Clear Data option.
- Furthermore, ensure that you have installed the most recent version of the Instagram app.
This Story is No Longer Available on Instagram FAQs
What are the ways to fix this Story is No Longer Available on Instagram?
- Inspect your broadband or network connection
- Exit the app and restart it
- Find out if Instagram servers are offline.
- Update the Instagram app to the latest version
- Clear your cache file
- Uninstall the app and then reinstall it.
- Get in touch with the Instagram support team.
As we have explained, you will most likely encounter the “This story is unavailable” on IG when the Story has either been removed for infringing Instagram policies or deleted by users.
The error usually shows up when the story has expired (for staying beyond 24 hours).
Can I find out if I have been muted on Instagram?
Similar to other social media apps, Instagram has no clearly-defined method to figure out if your account is muted.
The platform does not send you notifications when your account is muted. There’s nowhere to access a list of users who have muted you.
Conclusion
It is very frustrating when you are unable to access someone’s story at specific times. It is perfectly okay to want to find out the cause of this error.
This is why in this article, we have assisted you with the reasons why it occurs and how to fix the “This story is no longer available” error on Instagram.
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