Despite being the leading photo-sharing app in the world, Instagram still has many issues that require attention for a better in-app experience. Indeed, the app regularly gets new features, but what is also true is users face problems due to existing bugs & glitches.

Recently, many Instagram users have been found facing problems while loading images. According to a few users, some images on the Instagram app won’t load and show ‘Couldn’t Load Image. Tap to Retry’ error screen.

If you are experiencing the same problem on your Instagram app, continue reading the guide. Below, we have shared all the working methods to fix the ‘Couldn’t Load Image. Tap to Retry’ Instagram error. Let’s get started.

1. Make Sure Your Internet Is Working

Before you move to the next methods, ensure your Android or iPhone is properly connected to the internet. Even when connected to an active internet, ensure the connection is stable.

Like every other social networking and instant messaging app, Instagram also requires communication with the servers to present the images/videos.

Hence, if your internet connection is unstable, the media files will fail to load and may show you ‘Couldn’t load image. Tap to Reply’ error screen. You can visit fast.com or any other speed check website to check whether your internet works.

2. Restart Your Smartphone

If your internet is working but you are still getting the Instagram image error, you need to restart your Android or iPhone.

Restarting your Android or iPhone will rule out minor operating system glitches that may prevent Instagram images from loading.

3. Force Stop the Instagram App

If the above two methods didn’t work for you, the next best thing you can do to resolve ‘Couldn’t load image. Tap to retry’ error is to force stop the Instagram application.

Force stop will close the app and all its background processes. This would also remove bugs preventing the Instagram app from functioning properly.

1. Long press on the Instagram app and select App Info.

2. On the App info screen for Instagram, tap the Force Stop option.

This will force stop the Instagram application on your Android. Once force stops, open the app and use it again.

4. Check if Instagram is down

Like every other social networking and image-sharing app, Instagram can also face occasional downtime.

So, when Instagram’s servers are down, the media files won’t load in the app. You may also encounter the ‘Couldn’t Load Image. Tap to Retry’ error message while viewing Instagram photos.

Hence, you need to open this webpage and check the real-time status of Instagram’s servers. If the servers are down globally, wait until the servers are restored.

5. Switch from Cellular Data to WiFi

Even if your internet is working, it’s still recommended to switch from Cellular Data to WiFi or Vice versa.

This will help you eliminate any glitch in the network connection and establish a fresh one.

You just need to switch from Cellular Data to WiFi or vice versa and see if it loads the image.

6. Disable the VPN App

VPN apps are another prominent reason behind ‘Couldn’t Load Image. Tap to Retry’ error on Instagram.

A VPN app routes your phone’s internet traffic through third-party servers. This process increases the connection time and sometimes results in a failed connection.

When the connection to the Instagram server fails, most of the app’s features won’t work, the media won’t load, DM won’t fetch new messages, etc. So, if you are using any VPN app, disable it and then try to load the images again.

7. Clear Instagram Cache and Data

Clearing the Instagram cache and data is another best option to deal with Instagram images not loading problems. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Long press on the Instagram icon on your home screen and select App Info.

2. On the App Info screen, tap Storage usage.

3. On the Storage Usage, tap on the Clear Cache and then the Clear data option.

8. Update the Instagram App

It’s essential to keep your apps up to date. This ensures better performance and stability, removes existing bugs, and provides access to new features.

So, if the error is due to a bug, you can easily resolve it by updating the Instagram app.

To update the Instagram app, open the Instagram app listing page on your Android or iPhone’s App Store and tap on the Update button.

9. Reinstall the Instagram App

If the problem is still not resolved, the last option is to reinstall the Instagram App. Reinstallation may fix the app’s core files that might have been corrupted.

The app installation files can be corrupted for various reasons, such as malware infection, adware, or a problem with the operating system. Before reinstalling the app, remember your account credentials, as you will be asked to log in.

So, long press on the Instagram App icon and select Uninstall. This will remove the app from your smartphone. After uninstalling it, download & install the app again from the App Stores.

Also Read: How to Copy Text from Instagram Post

Instagram is mainly a photo-sharing app, and when the images fail to load, it can frustrate you. So, follow all the methods we shared in the article to resolve the problem.