Why can’t I see someone’s Instagram story?

If someone’s story isn’t showing up for you, it’s usually one of these. Most have nothing to do with you personally.

1. There isn’t one right now

Stories disappear 24 hours after they’re posted. If the account hasn’t posted in the last day, there’s simply nothing to see. Many accounts post stories only occasionally.

2. The account is private and you don’t follow it

A private account’s stories are only shown to approved followers. Send a follow request and wait for it to be accepted; there’s no other way.

3. It was for Close Friends only

People can share a story with just their Close Friends list. If you’re not on it, that story never appears for you, even while their other stories do.

4. They hid their story from you

Instagram lets people hide their stories from specific accounts without blocking them. You aren’t notified, and their stories just stop appearing for you.

5. They blocked you or deactivated their account

If you can’t find the profile at all, the account may have blocked you, been deactivated or deleted, or changed its username.

6. You muted them

Muting someone’s stories moves them out of your story tray. Check their profile: if their picture has a ring, the story is there. You can unmute from their profile.

7. The app is having a moment

Stories sometimes fail to load because of a weak connection or an outdated app. Update Instagram, switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or try again later.

Checking a public account without the app

For public accounts, you can look up the username on Ghost Story Viewer to see whether there’s a current story, without logging in. It can’t show private accounts or Close Friends stories; nothing legitimate can.