Instagram Stories Bug Shows Users Previously Viewed Stories: Details

Instagram users are being affected by an issue on the app that repeatedly shows older stories shared by people they are following. The Meta-owned photo and video sharing service is currently affected by a bug that causes the app to show previously shared stories instead of immediately displaying the latest ones, according to user reports. The bug is affecting users on the Instagram app for Android and iOS. Users are reporting that they are forced to watch stories that they have already viewed on Instagram.

According to a report by The Verge, Instagram has been showing users stories on the service, even after they have already been opened. This means that if a user has posted two stories within 24 hours that have been viewed, the app will still show them as “new” stories — with the colourful ring around the user's profile — even after they have been opened, when a user returns to the app. Opening the service will show users the same stories, as if they were being viewed for the first time. Gadgets 360 was able to confirm the bug on multiple accounts on iOS and Android.

Previously, viewing a user's story would result in it moving to the end of the stories list. Due to the bug, however, the circular image of the user remains in position in the list of stories, even after they are opened. As a result, a user might mistakenly think that they haven't viewed a Story shared by someone they follow. Users on Twitter and Reddit have been complaining about the issue since Tuesday.

It appears that Instagram is not tracking which Story was last viewed by a user, as the bug also affects additional stories shared by a user. As a result, if a user has already posted three stories, then puts up a new story, their followers will have to view all three previously viewed stories again before the latest one is displayed. Gadgets 360 has reached out to Instagram for comment, and this article will be updated when the company responds.