Why Can’t I Comment on an Instagram Story? Causes and Fixes

The Instagram app is a powerful tool for connecting with others. You can see very important puppy and cat images and videos and vice versa, you can view stories to see what people are eating within a day, and you can use the messaging feature to slide into DMs.

But you may also come across some issues on the app, such as your Instagram story not uploading or the app logging you out . You may also wonder, “Why can’t I comment on an Instagram story?”

If this happens to you, here are some potential causes and the steps to fix it.

Why can't I comment on an Instagram story?

One reason you may be unable to leave a comment on a story is that privacy settings have been changed. Instagram has left the power in users’ hands to decide who can and can't view their content. In addition to private profiles, users can hide people from seeing their Instagram stories.

By default, Instagram has made it so that anyone can reply to an Instagram Story with a message. So if you are unable to reply to one, it may be because the user has restricted access via their Instagram settings .

Here's how to fix it: The only way to fix this is to reach out to the person directly. They can check if replies to their stories are turned off. They may have accidentally blocked your access.

Another potential reason? Your Instagram app isn’t up-to-date.

Instagram is keen on constantly making bug fixes and enhancements to the app. This helps ensure that users have the most recent features in their hands.

However, if you’re behind on updating the app, you may not be able to access certain features. This includes replying to a person’s Instagram Story.

How to fix it: Visit the app in your smartphone’s app store to check and see if an update is available.

Some people may have violated the community guidelines.

Since Instagram wants to foster a safe and positive environment for users, they have community guidelines . For example, there are rules against spam and “hate speech, bullying, and abuse.”

If those rules are violated, Instagram may restrict your ability to comment on users’ Instagram posts or stories.

There are additional rules that Instagram has users follow. They includes:

1. You can't include more than five @ mentions in a single comment.
2. You can't include more than 30 hashtags in a single comment.
3. You can't post the same comment multiple times (including emojis).

Here's how to fix it if you believe you have been restricted: Check your account settings to see if there are community guidelines against your account. If you are getting a messaging error, check to see that you haven’t broken the rules above, such as including more than five mentions in a single comment.

You may have to reach out to Instagram support for additional help.