While the Instagram app for Android and iOS is mostly bug-free, users can still sometimes encounter problems. Recently, many Instagram users have reported that Instagram Stories appear blurry.
If you are dealing with the same problem and wonder why your Instagram Stories are Blurry, you may find this guide helpful. Below, we have shared some of the best ways to resolve the blurry Instagram Stories problem.
Note: We have used an Android smartphone to demonstrate the steps; iPhone users must follow the same steps.
Why are Instagram Stories blurry?
Before looking into the troubleshooting steps, it’s important to know why your Instagram Stories are blurry. Below, we have shared some prominent reasons that lead to blurry Instagram Stories.
- Slow or No Internet Connection.
- The servers of Instagram are down.
- Your Instagram app has the wrong settings.
- Data Saver is Turned On.
- The Instagram App has a corrupted cache file.
These are some prominent reasons for blurred Instagram stories on Android and iOS.
1. Force Stop Your Instagram App
Before trying any other methods, make sure to force-stop your Instagram app. You can reopen the Instagram app, but a simple restart won’t eliminate all background processes.
Force-stopping the Instagram app will ensure no related app process runs in the background. The app will also make a fresh connection to Instagram’s server, which could resolve the issue.
2. Check if Your Internet is Working
If the force stop method didn’t help, you need to check if your internet connection is working and stable. Maybe the Instagram Stories are blurry just because they haven’t been loaded properly.
When the internet connection is slow, Instagram stories may take time to load. When they fail to load properly, you may see a blurred screen.
Another important thing to note is that Instagram automatically reduces the quality of stories if the Internet speed is slow while uploading. This could be another reason as well. Therefore, check your internet connection before trying any next methods.
3. Check if Instagram’s servers are down
Like every other social networking platform, Instagram can sometimes face server outages. When this happens, most of the app’s features won’t work.
For example, if Instagram’s servers are down, you won’t be able to check your feed, you can’t log in to your account, the stories won’t load, stories may appear blurry, etc.
The best thing you can do is check Instagram’s status page on downdetector. The site will confirm whether Instagram is facing any server outages.
If Instagram’s servers are down, you must wait until they are restored. Only then will you be able to check or post Instagram Stories again.
4. Don’t Add Music, stickers, or other media to Stories
If you don’t know, Instagram has set criteria for the size limit. The stories you upload on Instagram are automatically compressed to a certain size limit.
So, if you try to upload a story with music, stickers, or GIFs, the story size will increase. As a result, Instagram will reduce the quality and maintain the size limit.
If you want to add music to your Instagram Stories, it’s recommended to use a third-party video editing app. The goal is to edit the video with the third-party app and post it directly to the Instagram Story.
5. Turn off the Data Saver Mode
Instagram has a data saver mode that tries to save your data as you use the app. This feature is useful, especially if you have limited internet, but it can interfere with many app features.
For example, stories won’t play automatically if the Data Saver Mode is turned on. The Data Saver Mode also compromises the media quality when uploaded using mobile data.
If you upload a story only to find a blurry screen, the Data Saver is likely to be the culprit. Hence, disable the Data Saver option and upload the Instagram Story again.
1. Open the Instagram app and tap on the Profile Picture.
2. This will open the Profile page. Tap on the hamburger menu at the top-right corner and select Settings.
3. On the Settings screen, tap on Account.
4. On the Account screen, tap the Cellular data use option.
5. On the Mobile data settings, toggle off the ‘Data Saver‘ mode.
6. Enable Highest Quality Uploads
Instagram app for Android and iOS has a feature that always uploads the highest quality photos and videos, even if uploading takes longer. This feature will ensure high-quality uploads and fix the Instagram Stories Blurry issue.
1. Open the Instagram app and tap on the Profile Picture.
2. This will open the Profile page. Tap on the hamburger menu at the top-right corner and select Settings.
3. On the Settings screen, tap on Account.
4. On the Account screen, tap the Cellular data use option.
5. On the Cellular data settings screen, turn on the toggle for Upload at highest quality
7. Make Sure Your Image is formatted properly
When you post an Instagram story, the recommended resolution for the media content is 1920×1080 with an aspect ratio of 9:16. Yes, you can post an image with a higher resolution than 1920×1080 because Instagram will resize it before posting.
However, if your image needs higher resolution, Instagram will attempt to scale up the media file, leading to quality loss. As a result, you may see Instagram Stories blurry.
The best way to get out of these things is by using a dedicated Instagram Story editor app. Instagram Story editing apps follow all rules and provide the best output. You can use such an app to edit your stories and post them directly on the Instagram app.
8. Update the Instagram App
Sometimes bugs in a specific app version of Instagram also leads to Stories blurry problem. However, if the Instagram Stories are blurry due to a bug, a large group of users will be affected.
You can check the Instagram Support page to see if others are complaining about the same thing. The best way to deal with bugs is to update the Instagram app version.
Head to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and update the Instagram app. This could fix the Instagram Stories Blurry problem.
9. Clear the Instagram App Cache
An outdated or corrupted app cache is also known for triggering an issue with Instagram Stories not working on Android. So, if Instagram Stories are still blurry, you can try clearing the Instagram app cache. Here’s what you need to do.
1. First of all, long press on the Instagram app icon and select App Info.
2. On the App Info screen, tap on Storage Usage.
3. On the Storage Usage, tap on the Clear Cache option.
10. Reinstall the Instagram App
If all of the above methods fail to resolve Instagram Stories’ blurry issue, the only remaining option is to reinstall the app.
Reinstallation is the best way to deal with Instagram app problems such as Stories not working or appearing blurry.
However, reinstallation will cause you to lose all your saved data and login credentials. Hence, you may need to enter the login details again to use the app.
To reinstall the Instagram app, long press the Instagram app icon and select ‘Uninstall’. Once uninstalled, install the app again on your Android or iPhone.
FAQs
Instagram Story Quality Settings
Instagram Story videos and Photos have different settings. Instagram Photos have a 9:16 ratio, whereas the video size must be at least 600×1067.
In addition, the videos should have a minimum frame rate of 30fps and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. The file size limit for videos less than 10 minutes is 650MB.
Why are my Instagram stories blurry on Android?
If Instagram stories are blurry only on the Android app, turn off the data saver mode.
Instagram’s Data Saver mode tries to save your mobile data as you use the app by reducing the quality of videos. You can follow our fifth method to turn off the Data Saver mode.
How to improve Instagram story quality Android?
The Instagram app has a feature that lets you upload photos and videos of the highest quality. The feature is disabled by default, but you can enable it manually.
To enable the highest quality upload on Instagram, follow the steps shared in Method 6.
Why is my Instagram story blurry when I add music on Android?
Adding music to a story means adding more data to it. This leads to blurriness because there’s more data to upload to Instagram.
Instagram reduces the quality of your videos to balance the server load. The best way to deal with this issue is to create a video using a video editor and then upload it.
These are some of the best ways to resolve blurry problems with Instagram Stories. If you need more help in resolving Instagram Stories blurry issue, let us know in the comments below. Also, if the article helped you, share it with your friends as well.