How To Fix Instagram Feed Not Refreshing in 2025

Getting Your Instagram Feed to Refresh Again — It’s Usually Not That Hard

So, I hit a pretty frustrating wall when my Instagram feed just wouldn’t refresh. Like, I could open the app, see some old posts, but when I tried pulling down to refresh or just waited for new stuff, nada. It’s so annoying because all you want is to see the latest posts from friends or your notifications, right? After messing around for a bit, I finally got it working again, and honestly, it turned out to be simpler than I thought—if you know where to look and what to try. Hopefully, this helps someone else avoid endless frustration.

Start with your network—trust me, this is key

First off, your internet connection needs to be solid. Instagram is heavily reliant on a steady, fast connection to fetch updates. Check your Settings > Wi-Fi or Mobile Data and see if you’re actually connected with a decent signal. Sometimes, even if it says “connected, ” your Wi-Fi might be flaky or slow, causing those refresh attempts to hang. I’ve also found toggling Airplane Mode on and off can reset network connections quickly—worth a shot. If you’re using a VPN, disable it for a bit. VPNs can interfere with app traffic, especially if they’re routing through slow or blocked servers. Just turn it off, try again, and see if that makes a difference.

Permissions and app visibility—don’t forget these

Next, check if Instagram has all the permissions it needs. On most phones, head to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Permissions. Make sure it’s got access to Storage, Network, and anything else that might be relevant. Sometimes, permissions just get reset after updates or weird bugs, and that can cause sync issues. Also, if you can’t find the app at all in your list, use the search bar in Settings—sometimes it’s buried. Once there, it’s a good idea to clear cache or data — that can fix weird behavior without having to go full reinstall.

Clear cache & data — the secret weapon

This is what finally worked for me. On Android, it’s pretty straightforward: Settings > Apps > Instagram > Storage > Clear Cache. Clearing cache deletes temporary files that might be corrupt or outdated. If that doesn’t do the trick, go ahead and hit Clear Data. Just a heads-up — this will log you out, reset some local preferences, and delete stored info, but in my experience, it’s often the fix for stubborn refresh issues. After that, you have to log back in, but the app’s internal state resets and makes it behave normally again.

Reinstall — the last resort? Maybe, but usually effective

If clearing cache and permissions didn’t help, reinstalling might be the move. I know, it sounds drastic, but honestly, uninstalling and grabbing a fresh copy from the Play Store or App Store can clear out weird bugs that refuse to go away otherwise. When you reinstall and log back in, your feed should start updating again—or at least that’s what happened for me. It’s a bit tedious, but sometimes it’s the only surefire fix after trying everything else.

Other things to check if it’s still broken

Once you’ve reinstalled, try refreshing your feed again. Keep an eye on your internet stability—interruptions can cause feed loading issues. Also, look at your account status; if it’s restricted or flagged, that could mess with app performance. You can check this on the web or in the app’s security settings if available. Also, always make sure your app is up to date—outdated versions sometimes have bugs or compatibility issues that can cause refresh problems.

If all of that still doesn’t work, you might want to peek into your device’s developer options, especially if you’ve got background process limits enabled, or if you’re using a rooted device or custom ROM. That’s a bit niche, but worth mentioning because sometimes these settings can stop apps from running or updating properly.

In the end—note what made the difference

For me, it was mostly about clearing cache and just reinstalling. It’s funny how sometimes the simplest things fix the weirdest problems. So, here’s a quick checklist: double-check your network connection, disable VPNs, verify permissions, clear cache and data, then do a reinstall if needed. That combo usually gets my feed updating again without breaking a sweat.

Hopefully, this helps someone else out because I really wasted quite a bit of time trying to figure it out. Sometimes these bugs are tricky, but they’re usually fixable with a bit of patience and the right steps. Good luck, and I hope your feed updates smoothly from now on!