Instagram Stories and Posts Fail to Upload for US Users in Widespread Outage

Users across the United States encountered a major Instagram disruption on Tuesday night. Many could not upload new Stories or posts to the platform. Reports of the problem began flooding in just before 10 p.m. Eastern Time.

The issue sparked immediate speculation of a platform-wide outage. Meta Platforms, Instagram’s parent company, did not immediately provide an official statement or cause. According to Reuters, the problem affected a significant number of users simultaneously.

User Reports Detail Widespread Frustration

According to DownDetector, a service that tracks online outages, problem reports spiked sharply. The majority of user complaints centered on an inability to upload content to Stories. Some users also reported failures when trying to post Reels or standard feed posts.

Social media was quickly filled with user frustrations. One user in Minnesota reported a photo was “stuck on uploading” for their Story. Another user stated their upload froze consistently at 86% completion. A third simply posted, “Can’t post to my stories,” reflecting a common experience.

Outage Follows Major Earlier Internet Disruption

This Instagram incident occurred just hours after a separate, major internet outage. Earlier on Tuesday, a problem at Cloudflare, a key internet infrastructure company, disrupted many popular platforms. Services like ChatGPT, Uber, and X experienced widespread issues as a result.

Cloudflare’s technology helps protect websites from traffic overloads and attacks. The company’s Chief Technology Officer publicly apologized for the earlier outage. He acknowledged the “real pain” caused and vowed to prevent a recurrence. It is unclear if the two technical incidents were related.

The disruption to Instagram uploads highlights the widespread dependence on a few major social platforms. When these services experience technical difficulties, it immediately impacts millions of users and creators who rely on them for daily communication and content sharing.

Info at your fingertips

How can I check if Instagram is down?

You can visit outage tracking websites like DownDetector. These sites show real-time user problem reports and outage maps. Checking social media platforms like X for “#InstagramDown” can also provide immediate user confirmation.

What should I do if my post won’t upload?

First, check your own internet connection to rule out a local problem. Then, close and restart the Instagram app completely. If the issue persists, it is likely a wider platform problem requiring a wait for Meta to resolve it.

Was the Instagram outage related to the Cloudflare problem?

Meta has not confirmed a link. The Instagram upload issues began hours after the core Cloudflare outage was resolved. While the timing is notable, the two events have not been officially connected by the companies involved.

Which features were most affected?

User reports indicated the Story upload feature was the most commonly broken. Many also reported failures when trying to post Reels. Basic photo posts to the main feed were also failing for a significant number of users.

Did Meta comment on the cause?

At the time of widespread reports, Meta Platforms had not issued a public statement on the cause. The company typically acknowledges and provides updates on technical issues through its official communications channels or status page.