An Instagram bug deleted Story highlights and archives for some, and there's no fix

On the back of a new rectangular layout for ‘Posts’ tab and missing date and time details on posts, Instagram users have been hit with yet another unwelcome surprise: their Story highlights and archives have gone poof, leaving behind only a disheartening message that their cherished memories are no more. This glitch, which has affected users across the platform, has caused Story highlights and archives to disappear, leaving many feeling like their personal photo diaries have been erased.

For those who treat Instagram Stories as a way to chronicle life’s little moments — from sharing poolside snaps to showcasing their latest music obsessions — this bug has been nothing short of a disaster. Story Archives, usually a safe haven for these fleeting posts, have suddenly become a black hole, swallowing up years of memories.

“This story is no longer available,” the ominous message users are seeing reads. “Due to a technical issue, this story is no longer available. While we’ve since fixed this issue, your story can’t be restored. Stories affected by this issue will be automatically removed from your archive by July 2025.” In other words, those lost memories are gone for good.

This issue has left many frustrated and searching for answers. Some users have noticed that their archived stories have simply stopped loading, with a persistent “loading” icon taunting them on their screens. Others have seen their stories grayed out or marked with an exclamation point, signaling that their content is permanently deleted.

Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has acknowledged the bug but declined to say how many users were affected. According to a CNN article, they did, however, confirm that only those who lost their Stories will see this notice. For anyone wondering what caused this digital vanishing act, Meta isn’t spilling the details. All we know is that the bug has been squashed, but the damage is irreversible.

For Instagram aficionados who rely on their Story Archives to revisit fond memories or curate their Story highlights, this is a major blow. Stories, after all, aren’t just fleeting posts — they’re often personalized with music, GIFs, text, filters, and interactive features like polls. Losing these snapshots feels like losing a part of your social media history.

Some users have tried everything — reinstalling the app, logging in and out, clearing cache — but nothing seems to bring back their missing stories. Unfortunately, those affected by the glitch are out of luck; once your Story is gone, it’s gone for good.

So, if you’ve been greeted by that stark black screen telling you your Stories are no longer available, it’s time to say goodbye to those memories. Whether you were hoping to relive a fun day at the beach or simply wanted to keep a digital scrapbook of your life, Instagram’s latest hiccup has made that impossible. Let’s hope this is the last time our Stories get lost in the ether.