Fix: Cannot Upload Instagram Story From Gallery or Camera

Instagram has billions of users and a large chunk of them use the social media application on a regular basis. Although it is capable of managing such a massive number of users, the application often runs into minor bugs and glitches which can sometimes fail the app to load or any of the features may not work at some point. One such problem is not being able to upload Instagram Story from Gallery or Camera. This problem has plagued many users and therefore we’ve come up with some nifty workarounds that will help you fix the problem.

According to various reports on the internet, no matter how many times you press the retry button, the Instagram story won’t upload. I know it can be frustrating as there is a lot of hard work goes into editing the story. You will be glad to know that this is a software-related problem and there are multiple ways to fix this issue. Keep reading this post, follow each solution one by one, and check which one spells out success for you.

Cannot Upload Instagram Story From Gallery or Camera, Here’s How to Fix

Solution 1: Check if There’s a Hardware Issue

There might be a hardware issue that is causing problems on the Instagram app. More specifically, it’s the camera. As long as you are able to use the cameras, there should not be any hardware issues. After you’ve verified that the camera is working fine, move on to the next solution.

Solution 2: Check if There’s an Issue With the Instagram Server

Instagram often runs into server-related issues. It usually happens when there’s a sudden spike in the total number of active users on the social media application or the developers might be working on fixing an issue. Before trying other fixes like reinstalling the app or rebooting the device, you should check if Instagram is facing an issue on their end. One of the most convenient tools is DownDetector. On this website, you can check if other users are also facing issues with the Instagram app.

As of writing this post, many users have reported problems on Instagram. It looks like there’s an issue with the Instagram app which is why users are not able to upload Stories on Instagram. In such a case, you can’t do much, rather than waiting for Instagram engineers to fix the problem. Make sure that you have a proper internet connection. If there’s a critical issue or a major downtime, you would see the information on Instagram’s official Twitter account.

If you don’t see a sudden spike in the number of reports, there could be an issue with your device, which can be fixed using the solutions given below.

Solution 3: Restart the Instagram App

If there’s a temporary system glitch or a minor bug, restarting the app might do the trick here. Exit the app, remove it from the recent apps menu, and open the app again to check if the problem persists.

To close the Instagram app on an Apple iPhone, swipe up from the bottom part of the screen to the middle until the app drawer opens. Remove the finger from the screen and swipe up the Instagram app to remove it from the app drawer. Now, open the Instagram app and check if you are able to upload stories.

Solution 4: Make Sure the Internet Connection Is Not Slow

No matter how many times you try, if the internet speed on your phone is too slow you’ll have a hard time uploading an image or a video. If you cannot upload Instagram Story from Gallery or Camera, check if the internet connection is strong and fast. You can test the download and uploading speed of your internet connection using Speedtest.net. If the internet speed is the problem, consider switching to Wi-Fi or upgrading your existing plan.

Solution 5: Force Stop Instagram

There might be an app or a service in conflict with the Instagram app. Force stopping the app removes all the running Instagram processes, which might solve the problem.

Here’s how to Force Stop Instagram on Android:

1. Open the Settings app on your phone.
2. Go to the Applications section. Here you’ll see all the installed applications, including system apps.
3. Tap on Instagram and click on FORCE STOP.
4. Click OK to confirm.

Here’s how to Force Stop Instagram on iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to General -> iPhone Storage.
3. Scroll down until you see Instagram. Tap on it.
4. Tap on Offload App.

[Note: Force stopping the Instagram app does not remove any data from it. You will stay logged in on the social media app.]

Solution 6: Update Instagram App

Many times the problem starts surfacing after updating the app. If you have recently updated the Instagram app and started facing issues with uploading Instagram Stories, the previous update might be the real culprit. Although developers check for conflicts and issues before releasing an update, the problem can occur due to various reasons.

If a lot of users have reported the problem, probably developers may have already started working on a fix, which would reach you in the form of a software update. In addition to new features, the new update also includes improvements, bug fixing, and security improvements. Hence, rush to Google Play Store or App Store and update your Instagram app. If no update is available for Instagram, check again after a few days.

In this blog post, we briefly discussed why Instagram is not uploading your Story. How often do you use the Story feature on Instagram? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.