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Instagram fixed its iOS repeating Stories bug with a new update

Instagram fixed its iOS repeating Stories bug with a new update

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If Instagram Stories have been acting up and you use an iPhone, just update the app to fix it.

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They play over and over and over and over.
They play over and over and over and over.
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Instagram Stories have been misbehaving for some users on iOS, making it so that they have to rewatch all of someone’s stories before they’re able to see new ones. The issue has affected several Verge staff members since Monday, and some Reddit users have reported the same thing is happening to them.

On Wednesday morning, Instagram released an update in the App Store that seems to have resolved the issue. If you’re having issues, make sure to check for the update and see if your app is on the latest version, which is 239.1. The update’s notes merely say, “The latest version contains bug fixes and performance improvements,” but Verge staffers and others on social media say it has brought the repeating Stories problem to an end.

Meta spokesperson Christine Pai told The Verge in an email that the company is “aware that some people are having trouble accessing Instagram Stories.” Pai said Instagram is “working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible” and apologizes for the inconvenience.

The root issue seems to be that Instagram doesn’t remember where you left off when viewing someone’s stories. For example, if one of my friends has posted five stories and I look at four of them before swiping away, the next time I tap on their icon, I should see their fifth story. Instead, Instagram is currently making me go back through the four I’ve already seen each time I go to view the story. The problem also crops up when someone posts a new story to their feed.

It’s unknown how many users have been affected. There are plenty of people on Twitter reporting that they have to rewatch stories, but Instagram isn’t trending like I’d expect it to if a major feature were broken for everyone.

Update June 14th, 6:24PM ET: Added statement from a Meta spokesperson.

Update June 15th, 8:20AM ET: Added information about the update to the Instagram iOS app that fixes the problem.