Top 12 Ways to Fix Instagram Not Loading Pictures

Instagram is a media-only alternative to Facebook. Your Instagram feed is packed with pictures, videos, and reels. It’s the core part of the Instagram experience. But what if it stops showing photos and videos? You can try opening Instagram a few times, but if the issue persists, you need to use the tricks below to fix Instagram not loading pictures or posts on iPhone and Android.

There is no alternative to Instagram. You won’t get the same experience elsewhere without your Instagram friends and followers. Let’s fix the issue and bring back your ideal Instagram setup.

1. Check Internet Connection

Let’s begin with the basics – checking the internet connection on your phone. You need to inspect if your Wi-Fi connection is consistent enough and explore 5GHz frequency for better coverage.

3. Disable Data Saver Mode on Instagram

Instagram offers a built-in data saver mode to apply some brakes to data consumption in the app. Using less mobile data may affect your Instagram experience as the app takes longer to load photos and videos. You need to disable it from the app’s settings menu. Here’s how.

Note: Instagram has the same interface on its Android and iOS app. In the screenshots below, we will use Instagram’s iOS app. You can use the same steps on Android and get the job done.

Step 1: Open Instagram app on your phone.

Step 2: Tap on the profile icon in the bottom-left corner.

Step 3: Tap on the hamburger menu at the top (represented by three lines).

Step 4: Select Settings from the bottom menu.

Step 5: Scroll to Data usage and media quality. Disable the Data Saver toggle.

4. Disable Data Saver Mode

In the trick above, we talked about turning off the data saver mode from Instagram. But what about the system-wide data saver mode? If you have enabled it on iOS or Android, you are back to having a broken Instagram experience. Let’s disable data saver mode on iPhone and Android.

iOS

Step 1: Open Settings on iPhone.

Step 2: Tap on Cellular data and select your primary SIM from the following menu.

Step 3: Disable Low Data Mode.

Android

Step 1: Open the Settings menu on Android.

Step 2: Tap on Network & internet.

Step 3: Select Data Saver and disable the same from the following menu.

5. Give Unrestricted Data Usage to Instagram

You can give unrestricted data usage to Instagram so that it functions normally even in an active data saver mode. Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Open the Instagram app info menu.

Step 2: Select Mobile data and Wi-Fi.

Step 3: Enable the Unrestricted data usage toggle.

6. Disable VPN on Phone

Are you trying to use Instagram on an active VPN connection? Instagram may not show pictures and new posts if the connected VPN server is facing an outage. You can open your preferred VPN app on your phone and connect to another server.

If you still can’t see photos on Instagram, disable the VPN connection on your phone. You need to force stop Instagram and try loading the app on a stable internet connection.

7. Check Instagram Status

When Instagram servers face an outage, you can’t send direct messages (DMs), refresh the feed, post pictures, and even see the uploaded ones. To confirm the problem, visit Downdetector site and search for Instagram. When other users face the same, you will notice high outage graphs with user comments.

8. Clear Instagram Cache (Android)

This trick applies to power users. Instagram collects cache in the background to load frequently visited accounts and feed quickly. Corrupt or over amount of cache data can lead to Instagram not loading pictures issue on your Android phone. You can easily clear the cache and try again.

Step 1: Long-press on the Instagram app icon and tap on the little ‘i’ button to open the app info menu.

Step 2: Go to Storage & cache. Tap on Clear cache from the following menu.

Open Instagram again and see if pictures appear usually.

9. Take a Break

Are you performing too many actions on Instagram? If you like posts, follow dozens of accounts, or add too many comments quickly, Instagram may raise a red flag and block your account. The company thinks your account is a bot and blocks your action. You can’t refresh the feed or check the latest posts on Instagram home. Wait for some time and try using Instagram again.

10. Log Out and Login Again

This trick works wonders for many who face Instagram not loading pictures issue. There may be some authentication error with your account. You can sign out from your Instagram account and log in using the same credentials. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open the Instagram Settings menu (refer to the third section above).

Step 2: Log out from your account.

Step 3: Add a username and password and get back your Instagram feed.

10. Use Instagram Web

Do you still face issues with loading Instagram posts and pictures on your phone? The company offers a web version to check your feed on the desktop. Although the web version isn’t as feature-rich as native mobile apps, it gets the job done with usual feed scrolling.

You can navigate Instagram on the web, sign in with your account details and check the latest posts from friends and family.

Visit Instagram

11. Update Instagram App

Instagram frequently releases app updates with new features and bug fixes. You might be using an old Instagram build that’s causing issues with loading pictures. You can open the App Store or Google Play Store and install pending Instagram updates on your phone.

12. Reinstall Instagram

When none of the tricks work, reinstall Instagram on your phone.

iPhone

Step 1: Long-press on the Instagram app icon and select Remove App.

Step 2: Tap Delete App.

Android

Step 1: Head to the Instagram app info menu (check the steps above).

Step 2: Select Uninstall.

Get Back Your Ideal Instagram Feed

Instagram not loading pictures can leave you with a broken social media experience. Apart from using DMs (direct messages), you don’t have anything to consume in the app. Use the tricks above and fix Instagram not loading pictures in no time. While you are at it, let us know which trick worked for you.