If you post something to Instagram and delete it later, it’s not completely gone. You can recover and restore deleted Instagram posts within 30 days of their original deletion. This was introduced in an update, so make sure you have the latest version of the app before attempting to use this feature. You can find it on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
There are some apps that claim to let you view another person’s deleted content, but there’s no official way to do this. There are a few workarounds, but a good rule of thumb is this: If someone deletes a picture from their Instagram account (or any social media platform), respect their privacy and don’t try to find the picture.
How to Recover Deleted Instagram Photos
If you accidentally delete an Instagram post you want to keep, you still have access to it for 30 days and can recover it at any time. You’ll need to do this from the Instagram app on iPhone or Android device, as the web browser version doesn’t allow you to access deleted content. Here is a step-by-step tutorial.
- Open Instagram and tap the Instagram profile icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to access your profile page.
- Tap the three-line icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Tap Your activity.
- Tap Recently deleted. This will open the deleted folder.
- Select one of the deleted posts, then tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner of the screen and tap Restore, then tap Restore again.
- To either permanently restore or delete content, you will need a one-time password sent to you. This is to prevent hackers from wreaking havoc on your profile. You can choose to have it sent to an email or phone number.
- After you choose where to receive the OTP, enter it in the field and tap Confirm.
This will bring the photo back to your profile. You can restore pictures, reels, and more this way. On the other hand, if you need to take something down from your main profile without completely deleting it, take advantage of the Instagram archive feature.
How to Archive Instagram Posts
Archiving a post will remove it from your feed, but not delete it entirely. You can also archive Instagram stories and live content. Here’s how to archive posts.
- Open Instagram and select the photo you want to archive.
- Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
- Tap Archive.
You can view archived content by going to your Instagram profile.
- Tap the three lines in the top-right corner.
- Select Archive.
- Any archived posts will appear here. You can tap Posts archive at the top of the screen to switch to the Stories archive or the Live archive.
Your posts archive is only available to you. If you need to remove a post temporarily but want to bring it back later, store it in the archive.
How to View Someone Else’s Deleted Instagram Posts
There’s no official way to view someone’s deleted Instagram posts. Instagram functionality is designed so that once they remove it from their profile, it’s gone for good. If they remove their profile, there is no way to see any of their content.
If you suspect content will be deleted, you can take a proactive approach to save it. You can take a screenshot of a photo and store it in your phone gallery, photos app, or to your Google Photos account. On the other hand, live content requires a few more steps.
There is a third-party application called Storysaver.net that can be used to download Instagram stories. While you can access it through your Android or iOS device, it’s better to use a Mac or PC.
- Navigate to StorySaver.net.
- Enter the Instagram account username into the field and select Download!
- All recent stories will be shown on the page, and you can choose to save all of them or choose individually between the stories you want to keep.
You can also use a third-party application to download live video content, like IGTV videos.
- Navigate to https://bigbangram.com/content/instagram-downloader/instagram-video-downloader/.
- Enter the URL of the video you want to save in the format of instagram.com/p/XXXX.
- Select Download.
Note that you will need to sign up for an account before you can use this tool.
Instagram pictures and videos aren’t meant to last forever. While it’s not quite as ephemeral as Snapchat, Instagram is designed to let you delete images you no longer wish to keep. If you do so accidentally, though, you have up to 30 days to restore the content before it’s gone forever. If you’re afraid of losing pictures, try to create a dedicated Instagram folder on your phone or PC.