Instagram can be addictive, right? However, you can only enjoy the platform if an error “Unable to refresh stream” appears on your screen. Have you ever been affected by this issue? This error affects a large number of users. The error is often accompanied by a failure to refresh the general feed or to load videos and photos, which deprives you of access to reels, stories and other posts.
Quick answer: What are the causes of the famous “Couldn’t refresh feed” error? This issue is caused by a slow internet connection, an outdated app, incorrect date and time, and many other causes that depend on the app, network, and device you are using.
In this article, I have prepared a list of possible causes for this error, including how to fix them individually. So what are the causes of the “Unable to refresh feed” error? Let’s examine them in detail.
Causes of the “Failed to refresh feeds” error.
Slow internet connection
We all agree on this point. To use Instagram, you need a strong and reliable internet connection. This is why the error “Unable to refresh stream” often appears due to weak and spotty internet signals.
Public Wi-Fi networks, for example, often experience heavy data traffic and overload due to the many users accessing the network, which often results in slow internet for users and does not allow to support the internet speeds required by Instagram. Therefore, to fix it, you need to switch to a better network to get better service.
Application not responsive
It could also be that the application does not respond, which leads to the appearance of the famous error. In this case, there are two ways to approach the problem: you can either reconnect or force stop the application.
To reconnect;
- Open the Instagram application.
- Navigate to the profile tab Profile icon on Instagram
- Tap the three bars in the top right corner of the screen Three bars menu icon on Instagram
- Select “Settings” .Settings on Instagram
- Tap the logout button and then log back in. Logout on Instagram
If logging back in doesn’t fix the problem, you can force stop the app. Force stop ends all Instagram-related tasks running in the background and refreshes the feed as soon as you reopen the app.
Use of third-party apps
Instagram will automatically block you from accessing site services and give you the message “Unable to refresh feed” if you use automation tools or third-party apps to boost your engagement, for example by liking, commenting and following posts and people.
Although Instagram allows the use of certain bots, such as programming bots, they are minimal to reduce the engagement of bots on the platform. There is a strict policy against automated bots and third-party apps, and failure to comply with this policy will automatically result in your account being denied service or, even worse, banned.
Avoid unauthorized bots, and you will rarely see the popup error. If the error persists even after eliminating the bots, try using another device.
Outdated app
The error “Could not refresh feed” appearing on your screen might be due to the fact that you are using old versions of the Instagram app. However, to safely and comfortably access all the features of the platform, your application must be regularly updated from the App Store or Play Store.
How to update your application?
- Open the App Store/Play Store and search for Instagram.
- Tap on “Update” and let it download and install automatically.
- Relaunch the application.
Corrupt cache and full storage
Every app you use collects your browsing history cache for better browsing experience next time you use the app. However, corrupted cache and storage can lead to problems and inconveniences such as the appearance of the error “Failed to refresh feeds”, which prevents the app from loading recent feeds.
Therefore, if you see this error, you should consider clearing your app’s cache and storage history. If you’re using an Android phone, here’s how to do it;
- Long press the Instagram icon on the home screen.
- Click on the “Storage and cache” bar in the following menu.
- Select “clear cache and storage”.
Your feed will start loading as soon as you relaunch the app.
Incorrect date and time
Who knows, your device’s date and time may be incorrect. Instagram syncs its dates with the device date and time to create harmony across time zones for a smooth flow. However, if the date on your device is incorrect, the imbalance will cause inconvenience when loading the feed, such as stories not loading and the occasional appearance of the “Unable to refresh feed” error.
If you encounter such an error, what should you do?
- Locate and click on the “Settings” icon on your device’s home screen.
- Scroll down to date and time settings.
- Set the time to the correct values.
To avoid repeating the process, you can activate automatic date and time so that your device automatically synchronizes its time with your time zone as provided by the network.
Instagram’s servers may be down
Although it is one of the most unlikely reasons, the fact that Instagram’s servers are down contributes significantly to the “Could not refresh feed” error. This inconvenience may be due to heavy traffic from the many platform users simultaneously attempting to access the site, or the servers may be temporarily out of service for reasons such as maintenance.
To make sure if these issues exist, you can use monitoring apps such as down-detector and internet speed-test to investigate traffic issues or check on other platforms such as Twitter if there is any problem. there are complaints about the lack of service.
Unfortunately, you will have to be patient with such errors and wait for the issue to be resolved.
Conclusion
The “Unable to refresh feed” error is unpredictable and can affect anyone using the Instagram platform. However, you should beware of the possible causes of the problem and know how to avoid them.
I hope this article has enlightened you on the possible causes of the problem and how to fix it.
