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How to fix instagram story quality


Are Your Instagram Stories Blurry? Top 13 Ways To Fix

Instagram is undoubtedly the hottest, hippest lifestyle and photography social media app in the world. So it’s a shame that its Instagram Stories feature sometimes results in blurry, stretched, upside-down, or otherwise ruined photos.

If you aren’t happy with the quality of the photos in your Instagram stories, one of these tips might just clear things up for you.

Table of Contents

    Instagram Stories Recapped

    Instagram Stories are a separate feature from regular Instagram posts that appear in your feed. The main feature of these special posts is that they disappear after 24 hours.

    You can document things that happen during your day and post as much as you like without cluttering your feed. Stories come with various text and drawing tools to let you be creative with your posts, and you can connect with your most active followers on what’s essentially a separate channel. If you want to know more about Stories, check out What Is An Instagram Story & How To Make One.

    1. The Problem Is With Instagram

    Before you start poking around your phone or app settings, consider that the problem isn’t you but Instagram itself. Check Instagram’s official Twitter Account for any announcements, or see if any other Instagram user complains of the same problem. If it’s a server-side issue, that could be why Instagram Stories are coming out blurry. All you can do is wait it out and keep an eye on any official announcements.

    2. Update the Instagram App to the Latest Version

    While this is not a fix specific to the blurry image problem, it’s always a good idea to check if a new app version is available for updating in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. If you haven’t updated your app in a long time, it may no longer be properly compatible with the service. The latest update may also be fixed if the issue is caused by a bug that Instagram has discovered.

    3. Your Image Is Formatted Incorrectly

    Instagram Stories have a fixed image format. If your image isn’t cropped correctly, Instagram will crop it for you. This could result in a stretched or pixelated image. So you’re better off cropping your image yourself before uploading it.

    Instagram Story Videos and Instagram Photos have a 9:16 aspect ratio. Instagram limits these media to 1080×1920 pixels at the high-quality end of the scale. Your phone’s image editing app should have cropping templates for various aspect ratios, so choose 9:16. Your video size must be, at minimum, 600×1067. This offers good quality while saving on bandwidth.

    It’s okay if your image has a higher resolution than 1080×1920 since Instagram will just resize it down. However, if the image is lower, it will be scaled up, leading to quality loss. A poor quality source will result in a poor quality result.

    The best practice here is to take photos that are 9:16 and set your camera app to take high-quality images. Then there should be minimal quality differences. Your image must be no larger than 1MB, so don’t go too high with the quality settings.

    4. If Your Story Is Upside Down, Upload It Upside Down

    Sometimes users encounter a weird bug where certain photos are upside down once uploaded. We’re not entirely sure why this happens, but you can try to upload the images upside down in the first place so that they are correct once uploaded.

    Based on what we’ve seen, it’s usually only a particular image in the group that turns upside down, so open it in your phone’s editing app and rotate it, then upload it and see if that fixes the problem.

    5. Disable Data Saving Features

    VIdeos and images can be data hogs, and if you’re on a mobile data connection, you may have a data cap in place. To help lower your bandwidth, the Instagram app has a feature where lower-quality versions of videos and photos are displayed but have significantly less impact on your cellular data use.

    If you’re seeing photos that seem too blurry or low-quality, you can either switch to a Wi-Fi internet or turn off the mobile data saver feature.

    Go to Instagram Settings > Account > Data Usage, then toggle. Use less mobile data off.

    6. Enable High-quality Uploads

    If you’re not happy with the quality of your video uploads, you can also change Instagram’s settings to upload a larger, better-quality video. This affects both Wi-Fi and mobile connections. Be aware that the video will take longer to process and upload.

    Go to Instagram Settings > Account > Data Usage, then toggle High-quality uploads on.

    7. Send The Photo or Video to a Friend or Post it to Another Social Media Platform

    Your photo or video may be blurry because the original content on your phone is blurry to start with. Try sending the content to a friend and have them tell you if it looks blurry at the other end. The source material has an issue if the photo appears blurry after sending it to a friend.

    You can also try posting your photo to another platform such as Snapchat. If the other app uploads your picture correctly, but Instagram doesn’t, the issue must be either with the Instagram app or the service.

    8. Download a High-Quality Version of the Photo

    If it turns out that your photos are blurry because the copy on your phone is low quality, you may want to check your Google Photos or Apple iCloud galleries to download the original quality asset. It’s possible that if you have a data saver option enabled or you’ve restored your phone from a backup, the high-quality versions of the image haven’t been downloaded yet.

    On an iPhone, browse your gallery for the photo and tap on it, it should download the full-quality version automatically, and you should see a difference in crispness compared to the preview image.

    If you’re an Android user, open the Google Photos App, search for the image you need, and then download it to your gallery manually.

    9. Test With a Fresh Photo

    Another good way to check if the problem is only happening with older photos on your phone or photos restored from a previous backup is to take a new image and share it with your stories. If that doesn’t work, it likely means that there may be something wrong with your camera hardware, poor camera quality, or the camera app settings need adjustment.

    10. Check Your Camera Settings

    If your freshly-taken photo is blurred, the problem must be your camera or camera app. The only real action you can take regarding your physical camera hardware is to ensure that your lenses are clean.

    When it comes to your camera app, you should check the quality settings to ensure that you are taking the highest quality photos you can. Camera apps differ by brand and phone model, so there are no universal steps we can provide here.

    Start by making sure you’re using the correct camera mode, that the photo is in focus, and that you aren’t accidentally shaking the camera when you take your snap. Some phones suffer from significant shutter lag, so it’s possible to start moving the camera when you think the photo has already been taken and then mess up the shot.

    11.

    Take Photos With the Instagram Camera Itself

    The Instagram app has a built-in camera function. If you’re having problems with your photos or videos getting garbled in the upload process, it may be worth using the Instagram camera app rather than the default camera app. This way, you’re guaranteed that the format will be perfect and that there’s no need for any quality loss during the conversion.

    Of course, this also means that you won’t have a high-quality original or benefit from the image processing features of your phone’s camera software. However, that’s still better than a blurry or garbled image ending up in your story’s upload.

    12. Try a Different Internet Connection

    While we aren’t entirely sure why this makes a difference, some Instagram users have reported that having an unreliable internet connection can cause blurry uploads. Whether this is the case or not, it can’t hurt to switch internet connections and try again.

    13. Delete and Reinstall Instagram

    Sometimes mobile apps just go wrong, so you may want to delete the Instagram app and download it again from the app store. This should clear out any weirdness accumulated in the app’s cache and ensure you have a fresh copy of the latest version. You’ll have to log into your Instagram account again, but hopefully, this last-ditch effort will be why your Instagram Stories are blurry.

    How to Fix Blurry Instagram Stories (Android + iPhone)

    Alexandra | Sep 27, 2021

    Is your Instagram Story photo or video bad quality after you upload it?

    Instagram Stories can become blurry on iPhones and Android.

    Let’s look at 9 tricks you can try to fix this issue.

    • The reasons why Instagram Stories are blurry
    • Trick #1: Send a test photo to a friend
    • Trick #2: Update the Instagram app
    • Trick #3: Test a new photo or video
    • Trick #4: Use your mobile data only
    • Trick #5: Adjust your camera settings
    • Trick #6: Turn off “Data” saver in the Instagram settings
    • Trick #7: Turn on the “High quality upload” settings on Instagram
    • Trick #8: Use the Instagram camera
    • Trick #9: Upload your Stories in Preview App

    Why are your Instagram Stories blurry?

    Instagram Stories can become bad quality because of one or more of these issues:

    • You recently backed-up your phone, some of your photos and videos might not have backed-up properly and are corrupted
    • Your Internet connection (most common issue)
    • Your phone automatically takes higher resolution photos and Instagram automatically crops or lower it 
    • Your Instagram version could have an issue
    • You need to change your Instagram photo and video quality settings

    Let’s look at how to fix blurry Instagram Stories.

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #1. Send a test photo to a friend

    First, let’s check if the issue is or is not your phone.

    Send the photo you want to post in your Instagram Story to a friend, as a private message.

    • Does your friend see the photo in good quality or bad quality?
    • Ask them to post the photo in their Story: is it good quality or bad quality?
    • If they see a good quality, then it might not be your phone’s photos fault.
    • If they see bad quality, then your phone needs help.

    Keep reading to see what you can try.

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #2. Update the Instagram app

    Second, let’s check if it’s an issue with your Instagram version.

    Sometimes, Instagram does a new update that changes the quality of Instagram Stories.

    • Go in your App Store / Google PlayStore app
    • Search for Instagram
    • Check if there is an “Update” button you can press
    • After the update, post in your Instagram Story again 
    • Check if it is better quality

    If it is not better quality, try trick #3.

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #3. Test a new photo or video

    This trick is for you if you recently backed up your phone.

    Sometimes, a backup can change / corrupt photos and videos.

    So let’s check if it is an issue with your old photos and videos.

    • Take a new photo or video
    • Post it in your Story
    • If it is still bad quality: go to trick #4
    • If it is good quality: it means your old photos and videos have been corrupted. They will always look blurry. But you can try trick #11.

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #4. Use your mobile data only

    This is one of the most common reasons why Instagram Stories look blurry.

    It happens to me so many times.

    And when that happens, there’s only one solution:

    • Use your phone’s mobile data – not your WiFi (turn off your WiFi and make sure you are using your mobile data only).
    • Post in your Instagram Story
    • If it is good quality: congratulations, you found the solution!
    • If it is still bad quality: go to Trick #5

    Usually, mobile data has a more stable Internet connection.

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #5. Adjust your camera settings

    On Android:

    • Open the default Camera app on your phone
    • Press on the Settings icon (it’s the gear icon)
    • Adjust the picture and video size to the highest quality

    On iPhone:

    • Open your iPhone Settings app
    • Find “Camera”
    • Adjust camera quality and toggle the “Smart DHR” on

    Other iPhone trick:

    • Take photos using the 16:9 option, like this:

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #6. Turn off “Data” saver in the Instagram settings

    Instagram usually automatically turns off your mobile data usage. This can make your photos and videos take longer to upload on Instagram. And it can make your Instagram Stories blurry.

    Do this:

    • Open your Instagram settings
    • “Account”
    • “Data usage”
    • Turn off “Use less mobile data”

    Post your Story:

    • If it is good quality: awesome, you’ve fixed the issue!

    If it is bad quality: go to Trick #7

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #7. Turn on the “High quality upload” settings on Instagram

    Under “Use less mobile data” you should see “High-quality uploads“

    Turn this on.

    This will help Instagram upload higher resolution photos and videos.

    Post in your Stories:

    • If it is good quality: awesome, you’ve fixed the issue
    • If it is bad quality: go to Trick #8.

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #8. Use the Instagram camera

    If none of the tricks worked so far, there are 2 more tricks you can try:

    Trick #8 and Trick #9 below.

    Trick #8: Use the Instagram camera.

    Why?

    Because you will take photos and videos that are exactly the official Instagram Story size, for the best photo and video quality.

    The official Instagram Story size is:

    • 1080×1920

    That is:

    • Width: 1080 pixels
    • Height: 1920 pixels

    This size will not crop or stretch your Instagram Stories. 

    The photo or video will be Instagram-ready.

    You can post now, or press on the “Save” button to post it later.

    Fix Blurry Insta Story Trick #9. Upload your Stories in Preview App

    Use Preview App if:

    • Your photos or videos have been damaged after a backup, or
    • You want to post with Instagram’s requirements.

    Here is what to do:

    • Press on the Insta Story button
    • Press +
    • Upload a photo or video
    • The photo or video will appear in Preview

    You can post the Story now or later.

    To post on Instagram:

    • Press on the Story you want to post
    • Press on the “Share” button
    • Choose “Story” to post in your Story

    That’s it!

    I hope one of these tricks will work for you to fix blurry Instagram Stories.

    If one trick worked for you, please let us know which one in the comments below to help other people.

    And if you know any other tricks that work, please share too!

    All about Instagram news, strategies and tricks: 

    Click here.

    Click here to use it

    ☹ Why Instagram stories are of poor quality and how to deal with it - LiveDune Blog

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    How to deal with poor video quality in stories

    The amount of content posted on Instagram is not as important as its quality. And we are not talking about useful information for subscribers, but about the quality of shooting. After all, even if the video was originally of good quality, when uploaded to stories, it can become much worse. Let's figure out why this happens and how to deal with it.

    Why Instagram ruins video quality in stories

    How to improve the quality of Instagram stories

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    Why Instagram spoils the quality of videos in stories

    Android smartphone owners are more likely to experience poor quality stories than iOS users. Depending on the brand or model of smartphone, the default video quality settings on Android are different.

    Instagram has its own requirements for video format, size, frame rate, and so on, so the social network compresses and optimizes the video for itself, which is why the quality deteriorates. On the iPhone, the default settings are more suitable for Instagram requirements. In addition, it is believed that the iPhone camera API is better and transmits a higher quality video stream, so problems with the quality of stories are less common.

    There is no 100% way to solve the problem with low quality stories on Android, since the reasons for each user may be different, so we recommend experimenting and gradually eliminating each possible option.

    How to improve the quality of stories on Instagram

    The described options are most relevant for those who create content in advance or shoot videos not on the phone. For those who shoot instant content (here and now), the easiest way to do this is with the internal camera in the Instagram app. This is the easiest way not to get a compressed pixelated video and not to bother with proportions and formats for stories.

    For owners of Android smartphones, before shooting, it is important to set the parameters for vertical video in the settings, which correspond to the dimensions of stories: aspect ratio 9:16, the optimal size is 1080 x 1920p at 30 fps.

    Also try switching the video codec to MPEG4 (HEVC) in the camera settings. If this function is not available on your smartphone, you can install the Open Camera application, set the codec there and shoot video in the application.

    The video is saved in MP4 format on Android and MOV format on iPhone. This can also be the reason for the poor quality of the uploaded video in stories. There is a version that MOV is preferable for Instagram, as this is the standard video format on the iPhone. You can convert MP4 or any other format (for example, if the video was shot with a professional camera) to MOV using the Convertio service.

    Due to slow internet speeds, Instagram can also compress videos mercilessly. The social network is interested in fast video loading, so if the file weighs a lot and the Internet speed is low, Instagram optimizes it, reducing the weight at the expense of quality.

    Prioritize uploading videos to stories when connected to good Wi-Fi. When in doubt about speed (for example, if connected to public Wi-Fi), compare mobile Internet and Wi-Fi using the Speedtest app (Android, iOS). Where the speed will be higher - through this connection and download.

    To prevent Instagram from compressing the weight of the video on its own, try to compress large videos yourself. You can use the Clideo service. It allows you to reduce the size without quality loss from any device: Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows, Google Drive or Dropbox. This doesn't guarantee that Instagram won't compress the video, but at least it won't be so barbaric.

    When editing video in third-party programs and applications, when applying filters or effects, as a rule, the video quality becomes worse. Try to upload original videos, if you cannot do without it - when saving, specify the video settings the same as in the original or lower, for this use the VN or Inshot applications.

    For example, if the original video is in 4K resolution, it can be compressed to 1080p. If the original recording had a resolution of 720p, it makes no sense to set 1080p, such manipulation will only worsen the quality of the recording. Always leave the frame rate as in the original, for example, if the video was shot at 30 fps, then leave it.

    In addition to the above options to improve the quality of stories, do not abuse the wide-angle camera when shooting. In stories, such videos can freeze a lot. Also, 4K videos are completely useless for stories - Instagram still won’t transmit the desired quality, and you will have to compress it additionally.

    Avoid third-party story enhancement apps that require you to enter your username and password. This is not safe for your account. Better experiment and try the above methods to solve the problem with the quality of the uploaded video in stories.

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    How to improve the quality of stories on Instagram on Android

    January 22, 2022

    3 minutes

    Read the article Hide

    Why the quality of stories on Instagram suffers

    Sometimes the coolest, most interesting and thoughtful video can spoil the poor quality. Instagram can also degrade the most beautiful, soulful photo by compressing it to an incredibly small size. Why is this happening? Blame Instagram or device?

    The fact is that Instagram has some important requirements for photos and videos. Quality degradation is often associated with non-compliance with these requirements. Requirements - resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels, aspect ratio of 16 by 9, frame rate of 30 fps, etc. The iPhone is much better (especially if the iPhone is from 2018). But if you have Android, especially an old one, then you will have to try to improve the quality of stories.

    Recommendations for uploading photos and videos without quality loss

    Poor quality of photos and videos on Instagram from Android due to default settings when recording. In iPhone, the problem is often related to something else. Now we will analyze what can cause loss of photo and video quality on different smartphones, and what can be used to solve the problem.

    On Android

    Initially, you must take the most important step: set the recording settings so that they fit the size of Instagram, namely the resolution is 1920 by 1080, 30 fps and 16 by 9 format. Then you should change the video codec to MPEG4.

    If the size of the uploaded video is 4K, then Instagram will compress it, because this quality is not supported in the application. Try compressing the video yourself using third-party applications or editing programs, and then the situation may improve.

    When uploading a photo or video to stories, close all additional tabs, as the problem may be in them and the smartphone is simply overloaded. In addition, the reason may lie in the old version of Instagram: try to check for updates and download if there is one.

    On iOS

    It is almost impossible to see bad quality on Instagram on iPhone, but the cameras of the seventh, sixth and SE can be disappointing, especially when using masks and additional effects for the Instagram story.

    Try not to use cute filter apps, don't use masks, and only shoot with a regular camera. This method should help.

    Bad Internet can often spoil the quality of videos and photos. Post stories for Instagram from fast wi-fi, not from mobile internet.

    How to improve the quality of stories

    Now we will move on to the most effective tips that will require a lot of time and effort, but can give a spectacular result and please you with improved quality. We will analyze them in detail, talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each of the two methods.

    Installing an old version of Instagram

    How?

    A non-obvious solution to a problem that is unlikely to come to your mind is to install an old version of Instagram. Surprisingly, this helped many bloggers, and especially owners of Android smartphones. Try version number 47, everyone says good things about it. However, keep in mind that you need to disable auto-update of the application, and forget about new features, so you will have to endure restrictions.

    Why?

    Why is it needed and why does it work? Surprisingly, Instagram did not spoil the quality of videos and photos from Android before, and in older versions it really looks much better. No one knows what this is connected with - someone thinks that this is done on purpose so that everyone buys Apple products, someone has other guesses, but the fact remains: the old version will help restore the quality of the content.

    Benefits of the method

    Helps improve quality

    Free and doesn't take too much time

    Disadvantages of the method

    Will have to give up new Instagram features

    Using additional software

    Why?

    In the most difficult situations, only third-party resources can help. But be careful and choose them wisely! You need to trust your data only to trusted services and applications. Always read reviews and ask your friends again.

    Which ones?

    Open Camera, GBInsta, Convertio. These are the three most popular services for improving video quality. You can use them or find others, but the main thing is to check each site for honesty so as not to restore access to your account later.

    Advantages of the method

    Helps to restore quality

    everything will be done for you

    Disadvantages of the method

    Sometimes paid

    Can be dangerous

    Bottom line

    Now you know everything about how to achieve good quality for stories on Instagram. If you are interested in Instagram and want to grow in this application, attract users and increase reach, check out our other articles: 50 ideas for TikTok videos, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, Everything you need to know about Instagram Reels: 10 life hacks for getting into recommendations, Video ads on Instagram to get customers and orders: 10 life hacks.

    Instagram requirements - resolution 1080 by 1920 pixels, aspect ratio 16 by 9, frame rate per second 30 fps, etc. 4K, then Instagram will compress it, because this quality is not supported in the application

    Did we help in solving the problem of quality loss?

    Yes

    Partially

    Not

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is it worth changing the device if the quality cannot be returned?

    You can export not with a visual, but with an interesting idea and implementation. However, if money allows, you can change the device to a more modern one, one that will meet the standard requirements.

    Learn more