Encountering the error “Couldn’t load image. Tap to retry.” can be frustrating. And the worst part about it is that it doesn’t tell you why this is happening.
Generally, the internet connection causes this error message to appear.
But sometimes the internet connection is fine and there are other reasons for this error which we will discuss in this guide. And we will see some ways that you can try to fix Instagram error “Couldn’t load image. Tap to retry.”.
Reasons: Why “Couldn’t load image. Tap to retry.” Error Occurs On Instagram?
The most common reason why you get “Couldn’t load image tap to retry” on Instagram dm is a poor internet connection.
Another reason behind this error prompt is that the Instagram app server is down.
If the image/photo has been deleted from the owner or if she/he has deactivated their account then also you will receive this error.
You don’t need to worry as there are some solutions that will help you to get rid of “Couldn’t load image” error on Instagram.
How To Fix Error “Couldn’t load image. Tap to retry” on Instagram
Here I have listed some practical ways to solve this issue. I hope they will work for you.
- Way #1: Switch Internet Connection
- Way #2: Check Status Of Instagram App
- Way #3: Restart Your Android/iPhone
- Way #4: Update Instagram App
- Way #5: Clear Cache of Instagram
- Way #6: Try Using VPN
- Way #7: Modify Your APN Settings (For Koodo)
- Way #8: Turn On All Permissions For Instagram
- Way #9: Log Out And Re-login To Instagram
- Way #10: Reinstall Instagram
- Way #11: Use Instagram Web
- Way #12: Contact Instagram Support Team
Way #1: Switch Internet Connection
As you know that Instagram needs a stable internet connection to load pictures and videos. Hence, if your device is connected to a poor internet connection then you should first switch the network.
So, if you are using cellular data then you should switch to Wi-Fi connection or vice versa.
Steps To Switch Between Cellular Data And Wi-Fi On Android:
- Go to the quick settings menu and hit on Wi-Fi icon to disable it (if you are using a Wi-Fi connection) and then turn on mobile data.
- And if you are using mobile data then simply turn off mobile data and then tap on Wi-Fi and connect to Wi-Fi network.
Steps To Switch Between Cellular Data And Wi-Fi On iPhone
- On your iOS device, open the Settings app.
- After this, choose the Wi-Fi option and connect to your network (if you are using cellular data).
Way #2: Check Status Of Instagram App
If there is no problem with the internet connection then you should check the Instagram app server. As sometimes it goes down and you may face difficulties.
To check the Instagram app server status you can visit the Downdetector website. If many users have reported issues in Instagram app then it is clear that this error is occurring due to this.
If this is the case with you then you can’t do anything. You need to just wait until it gets fixed by Instagram Team.
If the app server is not down then you need to follow the below solutions.
Related Read: Fix Instagram Error “Couldn’t Post Comment. Tap To Retry”
Way #3: Restart Your Android/iPhone
It might be possible that there are minor bugs on your phone due to which you face this error.
So, to solve this, you need to just restart your iPhone or Android device.
Once you restarted the device, open the Instagram app again and check the image is loading or not.
Way #4: Update Instagram App
Outdated applications also cause many problems including couldn’t load media on Instagram. Hence, you need to check the pending update for the Instagram app.
To update Instagram app on Android, open the Google Play Store app and then tap on the magnifying glass and input the app name. If you get the Update button next to the app then hit on it to install the update. But if you find Open button then it means that you are using the latest version of app.
If you are an iPhone user then you need to open App Store and then hit on your profile. Then enter the name of the app in the search section and tap on Update.
Way #5: Clear Cache of Instagram
If you have not cleared the cache files of the app for a long time then it can also cause this issue.
Therefore, clearing the cache of the application may solve this error. Below are the instructions to do the same.
Step 1: Open the Settings app and tap on Apps.
Step 2: After this, select the Instagram app and tap on it.
Step 3: Then select Storage.
Step 4: At last, hit on the Clear Cache button.
Way #6: Try Using VPN
You can also try using a VPN as it can fix network issues that you might be encountering in your mobile data or Wi-Fi network due to which you get this error message.
All you need to do is go to Google Play Store/App Store and enter “Free VPN” or “VPN”. And then download and install it. Next, open it and hit on Connect so that you can connect to it.
Once you have successfully connected then force close the Instagram app and then launch it again.
Now check whether it is loading the pictures or not.
Related Read: 15 Methods To Fix “Unfortunately, Messenger Has Stopped” Error On Android
Way #7: Modify Your APN Settings (For Koodo)
If you are using Koodo mobile then you can change your APN settings to Koodo’s recommended ones.
It might be possible that your APN settings is different from Koodo’s recommended ones and this cause this error to trigger. Hence changing the APN settings might solve this error.
You can change it by going to your APN settings and then match it again the Settings from here.
Way #8: Turn On All Permissions For Instagram
If you have not allowed all the permissions for Instgram app while installing it then you may come across this issue.
So, to resolve this issue you need to allow all the permissions for it.
Here are the instructions to do the same:
Step 1: On your smartphone, open the Settings app.
Step 2: Then go to Apps and then select Instagram app.
Step 3: Next, tap on the Permissions option.
Step 4: Now, allow all the permissions that you have not allowed earlier.
Way #9: Log Out And Re-login To Instagram
If you are still unable to view the image because it didn’t load then you should log out from Instagram and then login to it again. Doing this can solve the problem.
Here are the steps that you need to follow:
- Open the Instagram app and hit on your profile icon.
- After this, tap on 3 horizontal lines.
- Next, hit on Settings
- Then, scroll down and hit Log Out.
- After few seconds login to it again and check whether the error is gone away or not.
Way #10: Reinstall Instagram
If logging out and re-logging didn’t work for you then you should now uninstall the app and then install it again.
To uninstall Instagram, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Uninstall. Once it gets uninstalled, go to Google Play Store or App Store. Enter the name of the app in the search bar and hit on Install button to install it again.
Related Read: Fix “Unfortunately, Google Play Services Has Stopped” On Android
Way #11: Use Instagram Web
If you are unable to view pictures on Instagram then you can use Instagram web for this. Though this will not fix the error but, you will be able to view the image on the web.
For this, simply visit the Instagram web on any browser and log in to it using your Instagram account details. Now, you can easily access your account and you will find the pictures were loading properly.
Or you can simply copy the link of that image and then paste it on the search bar of a browser. Now, it will display that image whose link you have pasted.
Note: You can only see the images of a public account. If the copied image link is from a private account then you can’t get the image or find the “Sorry, this page isn’t available” error message.
Way #12: Report Problem
If none of the above-listed solutions fix failed to load photos issue then the last option you can try is to contact the Instagram Support team by reporting the problem on Instagram.
Here are the steps to do so:
- Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile picture icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Tap on 3 horizontal lines and then select the settings and privacy option.
- After this, scroll down, and under More info and support hit on Help option.
- Then you can go back to where you saw the issue and shake your smartphone to report the problem, or you can just hit on Report problem without shaking and follow the onscreen steps to do so.
Sum Up
We hope that you might have fixed Instagram “Couldn’t load image. Tap to Retry” error. In this post, we have discussed the top 12 ways to solve this error and the various types of reasons responsible for it.
So simply try these methods and if they will help you then don’t forget to share this post with others.