4 Fixes for Instagram Not Loading in Browser

Quick Tips

• Temporarily disable your browser extensions to check if one of them is preventing Instagram from loading.
• Ensure JavaScript is enabled in your browser, and try clearing your browsing data to see if that helps.
• Consider clearing the DNS cache on your Windows or Mac if the issue persists.

Try Basic Fixes

• Check if Instagram is down: If Instagram servers are facing an outage, it may keep showing the “There’s an issue and the page could not be loaded” error message in your browser. You can check Instagram’s server status on Downdetector to see if others are experiencing similar issues.
• Temporarily disable VPN: While VPNs are excellent for privacy, they can occasionally disrupt your network connection. When this occurs, websites, including Instagram, may not load or work as expected. You can try disabling your VPN connection temporarily and see if that solves the problem.

Fix 1: Turn Off Browser Extensions

If you are using any extensions to view Instagram in dark mode, block ads, or enhance your experience in any other way, it could impact your browser’s ability to load Instagram. If that’s the case, turning off all extensions and re-enabling them one at a time can help you identify which extension is causing the problem.

In your browser, type chrome://extensions (Google Chrome) or edge://extensions (Microsoft Edge) in the address bar at the top and press Enter. Then, use the toggles to turn off all the extensions.

Restart your browser after this and re-enable your extensions one by one. Try loading Instagram after enabling each extension until the issue occurs again. Once you’ve identified the problematic extension, consider removing it.

Fix 2: Ensure JavaScript Is Enabled

Have you turned off JavaScript in your browser? If so, Instagram may have trouble loading certain interactive elements in your browser, affecting its functionalities. It’s best to ensure JavaScript is enabled in your browser to avoid this.

Enable JavaScript in Chrome

Step 1: Open Google Chrome, type chrome://settings/content/javascript in the address bar, and press Enter.

Step 2: Under Default behavior, select the Sites can use Javascript option.

Enable JavaScript in Edge

Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge, type edge://settings/content/javascript in the address bar, and press Enter.

Step 2: Turn on the toggle next to Allowed.

Fix 3: Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

This rudimentary fix can help fix most browser-related issues, including this one. Clearing browser data will help remove any corrupt or outdated cache and cookies that may be causing loading issues with Instagram.

To clear the browser cache in Chrome or Edge, press the Ctrl + Shift + Delete keyboard shortcut on your keyboard.

In the “Clear browsing data” panel, click the drop-down menu to select All time. Tick the Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files checkboxes. Then, hit the Clear data button.

Similarly, you can clear cache and cookies in Safari, Firefox, and other browsers. After that, Instagram should load fine.

Fix 4: Flush the DNS Cache

A DNS cache on your computer is a database that stores information about your recent visits to websites and domains. If this data becomes corrupt, Instagram Web may not work as expected. In that case, you will need to clear the existing DNS cache on your Windows or Mac to solve the problem.

On Windows

Step 1: Right-click the Start icon and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.

Step 2: In the console, type the command shown below and press Enter.

ipconfig /flushdns

On Mac

Step 1: Press the Command + Space Bar keys to open the Spotlight search. Type in terminal and press Enter.

Step 2: In the terminal window, type the following command and hit Enter.

sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Step 3: Type in your password and press Enter again.