It can be frustrating when you log into Facebook and notice your News Feed is not updating with new posts. Instead, you keep seeing the same posts over and over again. There are a few potential reasons why this happens and some steps you can take to fix it.
Your Internet Connection
One of the most common reasons your Facebook feed gets stuck is an unstable internet connection. Facebook loads posts dynamically as you scroll down. If your connection drops while scrolling, Facebook may fail to load new posts. Here are some things to check:
- Make sure you have a strong WiFi or cellular data connection. Try toggling your WiFi on and off or cellular data on and off to refresh the connection.
- If you’re on public WiFi, the connection may be too slow to load new posts reliably. Try using a personal hotspot if you have that option.
- Restart your phone or computer to refresh the network connection.
- Check if other websites and apps are having trouble loading. If so, you may have a broader connection problem.
A poor internet connection can cause Facebook to get stuck while scrolling. Try moving to a location with better reception or connect to a stronger network.
Out of Date App
Another culprit for a stale Facebook feed could be an outdated version of the Facebook app itself. Facebook is constantly releasing new versions of its apps with bug fixes and improvements. If your app is out of date, you may experience problems like a feed that stops updating.
Make sure you are running the latest version of the Facebook app for your device. On your phone, open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) and check if there are any updates available for Facebook. On your computer, check your browser extensions and make sure you have the latest version of the Facebook plugin installed.
Updating to the newest Facebook app release can help resolve feed issues in many cases.
Corrupt Cache
Facebook loads a lot of information dynamically into the News Feed as you scroll. To improve performance, Facebook caches some of this content on your device so it doesn’t need to reload everything from scratch each time.
If this cached data becomes corrupted or outdated, it can cause errors – like getting stuck on the same posts. Clearing your Facebook cache forces the app to freshly reload your News Feed from Facebook’s servers.
Here are instructions to clear the Facebook cache on some common platforms:
- iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Facebook > Clear Cache
- Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Clear Cache
- Web: Log into Facebook on your computer, click the arrow at the top right > Settings > Clear Browser History
Clearing your Facebook cache can force the app to freshly load the News Feed and may resolve feed errors.
News Feed Preferences
Facebook allows you to customize your News Feed preferences and prioritize posts from certain people and Pages. If you have tweaked these settings, it could explain why you constantly see the same posts.
Go to your News Feed Preferences menu and make sure you have a good mix of “Favorites” (people/pages you want to see first) and “Acquaintances” (people/pages you want to see less of). If you only have a couple Favorites, your feed may be dominated by their posts.
You can also navigate to News Feed Settings and make sure you did not accidentally hide posts from a friend or page. This will prevent their posts from appearing in your feed.
Check your News Feed preferences and settings to make sure they are configured as you intend.
Facebook Algorithm
The Facebook algorithm controls what appears in your News Feed and in what order. It is designed to show you the most relevant and engaging posts for you.
Sometimes, the algorithm can get stuck showing you the same posts repeatedly if it thinks those are the most interesting to you. Some ways to help vary the algorithm:
- Engage with a wide variety of posts – react to posts, comment on them, share them, etc. This signals different interests.
- Follow, react to, and engage with a diverse set of people and pages on Facebook.
- Check for an option called “Show Older Posts” at the bottom of your feed and click it to load different content.
- Use the Feed Filter at the top of the feed to switch between algorithmic and reverse chronological sorting.
Leverage these options to encourage Facebook to mix up the posts it shows you in your feed.
Logged Into Multiple Places
If you are logged into Facebook on multiple devices simultaneously, it can sometimes cause syncing issues that result in your feed getting stuck. For example, you log in on your phone and computer at the same time.
When you scroll on one device, the feed position does not always sync properly to the other devices. This can cause one device to get stuck showing the same posts over and over again.
Try completely logging out of Facebook on all your devices, then log back in to just one device at a time. Use Facebook only on that device for a while and see if your feed starts updating properly again.
Corrupted Feed Settings
In rare cases, your personal News Feed settings may become corrupted. Even if you clear your cache and log out everywhere, your feed continues showing the same posts.
If no other troubleshooting steps are working, you can try fully resetting your News Feed. This clears all corrupted settings and resets everything back to default.
To do this, go to the News Feed Preferences page and click “Reset to Default.” Confirm you want to reset your entire feed, including favorites and preferences. This should resolve any corrupted settings.
Site Issues at Facebook
In some cases, widespread technical issues at Facebook can also cause problems with News Feeds updating improperly. If a server or database failure occurs, it can disrupt feeds for many users globally.
Check the Facebook Status Page to see if they have reported any known issues with News Feed or site stability. If so, the problem may not be on your end and you will need to wait for Facebook’s engineers to resolve the issue.
You can also visit Downdetector to check for spike in reported Facebook problems. If many users are reporting issues around the same time, it likely indicates a broader Facebook outage.
Wait It Out
Sometimes, your Facebook News Feed can just get temporarily stuck while scrolling. The app may fail to load new stories for a short time before resolving itself.
In these cases, try simply closing and reopening the Facebook app, or refreshing your browser if you’re on desktop. Give it a few minutes and your feed may start updating normally again on its own.
Temporary disruptions can happen if the Facebook servers are under heavy load. Have patience and wait awhile before troubleshooting further.
Contact Facebook Support
If you have tried all the troubleshooting steps and your Facebook feed is still stuck, your last resort is to contact Facebook support directly. Describe the issue you are seeing and steps you’ve taken to resolve it.
Keep in mind Facebook does not offer phone support. You will need to use their contact forms or social media accounts:
- Facebook Help Community – post questions to get help from other users
- Facebook Bug Reporting – report technical issues
- @FacebookApp or @FacebookSupport on Twitter
Facebook support may be able to diagnose the cause of your stuck feed or escalate the issue internally. Be patient as it may take time to receive a response.
Prevent Feed Freezing
To help avoid your Facebook feed becoming frozen in the future, follow these best practices:
- Ensure you have a stable, high-speed internet connection
- Keep your Facebook apps updated to the latest versions
- Don’t log in from too many devices simultaneously
- Clear your Facebook cache and history occasionally
- Engage with diverse people and pages on Facebook
Following these tips will minimize the chances of your News Feed getting stuck on the same posts again.
Conclusion
A News Feed that is frozen and fails to update can certainly be an annoyance. In most cases, the causes are fairly straightforward – an unstable connection, outdated app, or corrupted cache. Try the troubleshooting steps outlined above to identify and resolve the issue.
Preventative measures like updating your apps, managing your login devices, and engaging broadly on Facebook can help reduce future occurrences. And if all else fails, contacting Facebook support provides another option to get your News Feed moving again.