The repeating Instagram stories bug has been fixed, here’s how to apply a patch

Repeating Instagram stories is a software bug which affects some users, prompting Meta to release an update to fix this annoying issue.

UPDATE: Meta has fixed the repeating stories bug with Instagram for iOS version 239.1. Update your copy of Instagram in the App Store to avoid seeing repeating stories. The original article continues below.

Marketing image with a tagline "Everyone has a story" in white font printed on top of a colorful Instagram gradient background
  • The Instagram Stories feature is misbehaving, with some folks forced to view stories they already saw all over again before being able to see new ones.
  • The problem appears to raise its ugly head whenever someone posts a new story. It manifests itself by preventing you from jumping right to their most recent story before re-watching all of their earlier stories — despite viewing them earlier.
  • Instagram says it’s aware of the repeating Instagram stories issues. The Meta-owned company apologized for the inconvenience, promising to “get things back to normal as quickly as possible.”

Meta says repeating Instagram stories is a bug

Users flocked to online forums such as Reddit to describe their experiences. The problem boils down to having to view someone’s earlier stories all over again before seeing their most recent one. Imagine I published four stories on my Instagram earlier today, and you saw them all. Now I post my fifth story for the day. You’d view it by touching my circular profile icon at the top of your feed, that’s expected behavior. But due to this bug, that’s not what happens. Instead, Instagram shows you the four stories you already saw before letting you advance to the latest one.

As one poster wrote:

Does anyone else have this issue where someone posts a new story and you click on it to watch it and it sends you back to the very first story they posted and not the new one?

It’s a very peculiar error that’s frustrating people online, prompting Instagram to comment on it and apologize. Read: How to use live photos in Instagram stories

Instagram apologizes and promises a fix

In a statement to The Verge, an Instagram spokesperson acknowledged that some people are having to re-watch old Instagram stories before viewing the latest one. The company is “aware that some people are having trouble accessing Instagram Stories” and the company is “working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible.” So what can you do to alleviate the issue until Instagram deploys a proper fix? Not much, it would seem. This is most likely a server-side problem that Instagram should be able to correct without updating its mobile app.

Have you noticed repeating Instagram stories in your feed yet?