Why Does Instagram Say Failure to Load Earlier Messages
When Instagram says Failure to Load Earlier Messages, it means that you were trying to load earlier messages whilst the app went down or you had no internet connection. When the app goes down, an error is shown to users who are trying to use Instagram. If there’s a problem with your internet connection, you’ll also receive this message. When Instagram is performing routine maintenance, this can cause problems with the app and the way users interact with it which is why you’re seeing this error. When you see this error, then you need to wait a few hours so that they can put the app back on the server. Once this is done, you should no longer receive the error message when you’re trying to scroll to the top of your Instagram chats.
Why Does It Say Failed to Load Earlier Messages on Instagram?
1. You’ve Been Blocked
It’s possible your messages aren’t loading because you’ve been blocked. To check, go to the conversation in question. Next, tap the name of the recipient at the top. When you go to their profile, if you can’t see their followers, following or bio and it says “User not found”, this means that you were blocked.
2. No Internet Connection
It’s possible you have no internet connection on that device. Make sure airplane mode is turned off and you are connected to either Wi-Fi or cellular data.
3. Internet Connection Weak
When your internet is down, Instagram will notify you of this error if you try to load earlier messages. In order to fix this, you need to make sure that you have a good internet connection.
4. Instagram is Down
It’s possible that Instagram’s servers are down. To check, go to downdetector.com. This website is great for seeing what servers are down, including Instagram’s servers. If there are a lot of reports of Instagram being down, this is probably the case. If so, there’s not much else you could do other than wait it out! Don’t worry; the servers should be back up within a few hours.
5. There’s A Bug
There could be some sort of bug happening with either your internet or Instagram app. There could be tens, if not hundreds, of different possible reasons that this is happening. However, following our advice and methods throughout this article is very likely to result in this issue being resolved!
6. Instagram Out of Date
Another possible reason this could be happening is that your Instagram version is out of date. If this is the case, consider yourself lucky, as this issue is very easy to fix. You simply need to update the app.
How to Fix Failure to Load Earlier Messages
If your Instagram messages aren’t loading when you scroll to the top, the best thing you can do is to try and load the message again. This problem can also be caused by your internet connection, so you’ll need to make sure that your connection is strong. You can also ask your friend if their earlier messages are able to load. If they’re not, it looks like this problem is specific to you. If it is, then Instagrams down and you’ll need to wait for the problem to fix itself.
1. Close then Re-open the App to Get Rid Of Bugs
Since there’s an issue within Instagram, the first step to take is to restart the app. When the app is restarting, things like a bug in the system of the app can be removed simply because it was restarted. It’s also an easy first step to take and it’ll let you know if there’s a deep issue within the app. After you’ve closed the app from the multitasking switch, you can open it and check if the problem has gone away. If you’re still seeing the error message, go to the next step.
2. Turn Your Device Off/On To Remove Bugs
The next thing you need to do is to turn your device off then on. Doing this gets rid of any bug in the system that causes the error message to come up every time you open Instagram. Restarting your device is very powerful as it allows the system to shut down then turn back on again which can get rid of the problems you’re going through. Once your device turns back on, you can go back on to Instagram and check if the message still pops up when you’re on your profile. If it’s still there, go to the next step.
3. Clear Instagram Cache to Get Rid of Error
The next thing you need to do is to clear the cache files in Instagram’s directory. Cache files are temporary files that are stored in Instagram’s directory which are saved there to make things load quicker when you do the same action or make that certain action again. When these files are deleted, you’ll literally notice nothing but a smoother app and the best thing about this is that clearing the cache can get rid of problems. When you clear the cache of Instagram, it’s basically the same as you deleting the apps then installing it again and logging in. It basically gets rid of the files that have been saved since the app was installed. To clear Instagram’s cache:
- Open the “Settings” app on the iPhone
- Go to “General”
- Go to “iPhone Storage”
- Tap on “Instagram”
- Tap on “Delete App” After you’ve done this, you need to go back onto Instagram and install the app again. After it’s installed, log back onto the app and see if the error message is still there.
3. Wait for Instagram to Fix Itself
When Instagram goes through routine maintenance, or their server is down, then you need to wait for the app to correct itself before you stop seeing the error. The best way to check if Instagram is down is either by searching ‘is Instagram down’ and checking what people are saying on Down Detector, or you can ask friends to see if they’re experiencing the same thing. Usually, Instagram goes back up a few hours after it came down so if your error was showing up due to Instagram being down, the only thing you can do to fix the problem is to wait.
4. Use Instagram.com
One possible solution is to try using the website instead of the app. Open your browser of choice and go to Instagram.com and sign in. If the issue is resolved on the website, the issue probably has something to do with your application.
5. Log Out Then Back In
If you’ve already tried reinstalling your app, you can also try logging out then back into your Instagram account.
- To do this, in the Instagram app, press the icon located in the bottom right corner of your screen.
- Press the 3 lines at the top right of your profile, then tap settings.
- Next, scroll down to the bottom and log out. Before you do this, make sure you know your username and password! Write it down if you have to, just make sure you do this before you log out so you don’t get locked out of your account.
6. Delete Instagram
Another possible fix is to reinstall Instagram. To reinstall Instagram on iOS, go to your home page. Hard press on the Instagram icon until the mini menu pops up. Press Delete App, then go to the app store. Search ‘Instagram’ and re-download it. To reinstall Instagram on Android, go to the Google Play Store and search up Instagram. Click on the Instagram icon on the top of the store page, and next to open press Uninstall. Wait for it to finish uninstalling, then simply press install again.
7. Forget This Network
One method that is worth using anytime your device is having network problems, is to re log into your Wi-Fi. This can be done on both iOS and Android in the default settings app, and the process is very simple and should only take a minute to complete. Just make sure you know your Wi-Fi password, as you’ll be asked to log back in afterwards. With that being said, here’s how to go about this process! How to Forget a Network on iOS: How to Forget a Network on Android: You’ll now have to reenter your password to connect back to your Wi-Fi, and you’ll be good to go! Any possible issues your device was having connecting to your network should now be sorted out.
8. Reset Network Settings
Another possible fix is to reset your network settings. This can be done on both iOS and Android devices! A network settings reset will, however, erase all internet and network related data stored on your phone, including names and passwords of Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices you’ve previously paired with, network preferences, and vpn settings. If you haven’t already, you should first try turning on and off airplane mode. This acts as a soft reset for your phone’s connection to the Wi-Fi. Next, restart your phone and Wi-Fi as well as your router. If you’ve tried all these things already and nothing helped, then it’s definitely necessary to reset your network settings. Here’s how. Reset network settings on iOS: This process shouldn’t take long to complete, and before you know it, your network settings will be reset. You’ll need to reconnect to your desired Wi-Fi and re pair your Bluetooth devices, but it’s likely to at least improve your network performance. How to reset network settings on Android: Your network settings will now be reset, and just like on iPhone, you’ll have to reconnect to your desired Wi-Fi and re pair all Bluetooth devices.
9. Contact Instagram About the Bug
If all else fails, let Instagram know. It’s entirely possible it’s a bug that they don’t even know about on their end, and they may end up fixing the problem or give you tips on possible methods to fix your issue.
Conclusion
There could be many different reasons as to why your Instagram messages aren’t loading, just as there are many possible fixes to these problems. It could be because you are blocked, or Instagram’s servers are malfunctioning. However, more often than not, the issue stems from some kind of network issue, which can be fixed by turning on and off airplane mode as well as your Wi-Fi and data. If all else fails you can try resetting your network data. That being said, it’s always possible it’s something you just can’t fix. If so, don’t be frustrated! Sometimes these issues sort themselves out with time, and if not, you can contact Instagram customer support.
