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Forum Discussion
Exporting to Instagram problem
I use dropbox to move pictures from my mac to my iphone, and then export them to instagram. Recently, however, when I go to export from my phone, I get a message that dropbox is linking the file and then it posts directly on instagram, instead of letting instagram open the picture. It doesn't let me crop or edit in instagram. Any ideas what to do?
- I had similar issue in an Android phone. Try these
1. Make sure you have given storage access to both apps Dropbox and Photos app. Just double check usually it’s on.
2. Go to Dropbox app and tap on ‘3 dots icon’ or More options icon. Then select make available offline.
3. Now go back to Instagram and select the file location of Dropbox to select your image file. It should open now.
It seems Instagram can’t access direct dropbox files yet. They must be on storage somewhere. Cheers
I have been exporting images to instagram from dropbox for a little while now. However, in the last few days I keep getting an error saying ' unable to load image' and then it fails.
Anyone got any ideas about how I can solve this issue?- I had similar issue in an Android phone. Try these
1. Make sure you have given storage access to both apps Dropbox and Photos app. Just double check usually it’s on.
2. Go to Dropbox app and tap on ‘3 dots icon’ or More options icon. Then select make available offline.
3. Now go back to Instagram and select the file location of Dropbox to select your image file. It should open now.
It seems Instagram can’t access direct dropbox files yet. They must be on storage somewhere. CheersHas this changed in the last few days?
I have tried on S8 and S20 phones and neither works now.
Here's what I have been doing for the last 2 years successfully :
open dropbox
select the photograph
three dots : select 'export'
choose 'Instagram Feed'
in the past, this has always worked and exported the photograph easily and quickly.
now, I get an error message saying : 'unable to load image'
Do I now need to save the image to the phone and then send to insta?
Maybe it's a samsung thing.
- Walter
Dropbox Staff
Hi PHec000; welcome to our Community!
I'll be glad to help with this; could you forward me a screenshot of the exact error you get so I can get a visual too?
By the way, are you on an Android device or on an iOS one? Have you updated both apps from your app store and your device's OS to the latest versions?
Let me know what you find and we'll take it from there.
Hi Walter,
I am having the same problem exporting a photo to my Instagram feed from Dropbox on my Android phone. Yesterday this worked fine. When I select a photo in my Dropbox, go to Export, go to Instagram Feed, I receive a message stating, "unable to load image." Any suggestions? Thank you.
Since 2 days Instagram isn't able to open photos i exported from Dropbox. I turned of the phone, I reinstalled Instagram, I emptied the cache.
I can post photos from my phone, just not from my dropbox folder.
Any help is much appreciated.
Take care FreekUntil today, I had been successfully uploading images to Instagram from Dropbox on Samsung Android phone, by clicking IG Feed button for a number of years. Today, when I click the button, i get the error message 'unable to load image'. IG opens and then closes, with the error message. The only difference I can see, is that IG updated on my phone yesterday. I can do a work around by downloading images to my phone and then sharing the images from there, but it is inconvenient and adds an extra unnecessary step. anyone got a suggestion why this is happening and how to solve it? I have reinstalled IG etc, and all the usual.. many thanks
- Daphne
Hello FreekDirkx, I hope you're having a good day so far!
So I can have a better idea of the steps you're taking, can you let me know a little more info on how you're exporting the files from Dropbox to Instagram? Are you using the steps outlined here?
Also, if you're getting any error messages, please send me a screenshot (excluding any personal info) of what you're seeing.
Let me know what you find!
Hi Daphne,
Thx for your response. Hope you are well.
What I always did:
1. Open Dropbox app
2. Select a photo
3. Hit the 3 dots upper right
4. Select Export
5. Select Instagram Feed
6. Instagram opens and gives the message "Unable to load message"
7. Returns to Dropbox
The last 2 steps are new........
Saw a posting about this marked SOLVED but the solution does not work for me, trying new discussion. I have had NO problems uploading photos from my dropbox into Instragram until about a month ago. Now when I try, a message "unable to load image" flashes briefly. The proposed solution says to add the photo to your device, which I assume is the same as selecting the 'Make available offline' option, which I have done; makes no difference. I've tried two ways to add to Instragram: (Method 1) Open Dropbox, navigate to the picture and select it, open the 3 vertical dots menu, select Export, select Instagram Feed. (Method 2) In Instagram, click the New Post Button, click the down arrow for more options at top, choose other, choose Dropbox, navigate to picture and click.
Both methods display the brief "unable to load image" message.
I am using a Galaxy S6 phone model SM-G920V, Android 7. All updates have been installed. Have tried on various pictures, various sizes, makes no difference. Turning the phone off and on has no effect.
- The only 'solution' I've found is to upload to Later.com and then schedule to Instagram but unless you have a paid version of Later, it doesn't Autopublis and you have to type in the text.
- I'm surprised that works. I had been using the preview app and that does the same type of thing and that wasn't working either.
- Lusil
Hey SMSchmidt1, thanks for checking in with us.
I'd be more than happy to help look into this, I'll just need some additional info, such as:
- What are the exact steps you're following to export these photos?
- Could you send me a screenshot (without any personal info) of the error?
Looking forward to hearing back from you!
Hi, Ive encountered exactly the same problem. Since yesterday, I am unable to export my photos to IG feed, but can do so using IG Direct, or Google Photos.
I haven't had time to figure this out. I'll try using one of those two options. Thanks.
Now I can't upload pictures from dropbox to instagram. Now its disturbing. I am trying from android mobile. Its disturbing from 1 week. Please solve this problme.
Hi everyone,
I've used dropbox for years and years, and always have been very happy with it. But since a few days I can't download photos from dropbox to my phone anymore. I can't upload them to instagram, and I can't download them directly to my phone. It says 'unable to load image' in Instagram, and I just get a black photo when I download it to my phone directly.
I tried restarting my phone (an oneplus 3T), reinstalling Instagram and dropbox, but nothing changed. I can still upload the photos from my phone to Instagram, so I suspect something changed at the dropbox side of things.
Does anyone have the same problem? Or maybe a solution?
Thanks in advance!
Rein- Walter
Hi all; thanks for your reports and happy Friday!
I think DezignerDude is on to somehting here, so could you try the steps he mentioned to try to export the files in question after offlining them and let us know if this works for you?
Thank you all for your cooperation!
thanks for the suggestion, but couldnt get @DezignerDude suggestion to work either...
hello, i think there is a problem in the dropbox app in the 'share' function. I can't share a photo in the instagram feed.Before this function worked correctly- Walter
Hi there Tommaso Cilo; thanks for joining our Community!
As your inquiry seems to echo what has been discussed on this thread, I moved your comment here.
Whenever you get the chance, please take a look and let me know if you have any follow up questions.Thanks!
- I've been having the same problem for about a week. Ever since the last Instagram update I cannot upload from Dropbox directly using the export feature or Hughes photos originating from Dropbox uploaded via the preview app. I've also tried going through Instagram in selecting Dropbox is the folder from where the pictures are that doesn't work either. I've uninstalled and reinstalled Instagram Dropbox and preview app. But it appears that it's a Instagram issue and based on the comments I'm seeing here it might be the version of Instagram for Android as I've yet to try it on an Apple device ir see comments that its not working there..
I did send it email to Instagram.
I am trying to send files (jpeg) from dropbox to Instagram. I hit export to Instagram feed and then the file looks like it's downloading and then I get a message that says "unable to load image". Please help me figure out any way to transfer the jpeg files from dropbox to my phone storage, as I can not seem to open any image transfered from dropbox.
- Instagram just pushed out another update within the past few hours but apparently this issue was not addressed so I don't see it being fixed anytime soon unfortunately
So annoying, how do we know they are aware of this hitch? It's been nearly a month now...:(
Same problem here with Android 8.1.0 on ASUS Zenfone.
It's been working for years, but since 2 weeks ago it doesn't work anymore.
Both methods keep failing: 1) exporting a picture from Dropbox to Instagram feed; 2) creating a new post on Instagram and selecting a picture from my Dropbox folders.
I already tried to uninstall and re-install both Dropbox and Instagram (also wiping their data and cache), but the problem is still there.
The only workaround is to save the pictures on the device and then upload them to Instagram, but it's not practical and it's a huge waste of time.
I hope this will be fixed soon.
My export to Instagram is working now. Samsung s9 running Android 10.
It works again! Thanks everybody for your participation. Happy posting!
Schmidt: Still a problem with iOS13. I export from Dropbox to Instagram. Screen message says "Open Instagram app" and you'll see it there. Except I can't find the jpg PHOTO anywhere under the "recents" drop down. THe Dropbox option has 2 photos in it that are years old, and I can't delete them.
I deleted the Instagram app and reinstalled it. No luck. Is there some way to reauthorize Dropbox access in Instagram? Or reinstall the library?
Thanks
