How to Hide/Archive Your Instagram Posts and Stories
Have you ever felt “Why did I post this?” looking at your old Instagram posts? Do you want to check your old story that is not available anymore? That’s where Instagram’s archive feature comes in. You can hide your old posts and also get back thestoriesyou have published before. Here’s how to archive Instagram posts and stories, the differences between archiving posts and stories, what happens when you archive, and also how to access and restore your archived posts and stories.
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How to Hide/Archive Your Instgaram Posts
The process to archive Instagram posts is similar on iPhone and Android. Also, you can archive any type of post whether it is a photo, video, reel, or even if the post contains multiple photos and videos. Once archived, the post will be removed from your profile. If you change your mind later, you can also restore the post and it will be back on your profile in the same place with all the likes and comments.
1.To archive, open Instgaram and tap on theprofile iconat the bottom right corner. Now on your profile, scroll down to the post that you want to archive and tap on it.
2.Now tap on thekebab menu (three-dot menu)at the top right corner of that post and then select theArchiveoption.
That’s it, within a few seconds, your Post will be archived. Remember, you will not be able to archive reels when they are playing in full-screen mode. So make sure to access the reel from the profile page and tap on the three-dot menu to access the archive option.
How to Access and Restore Archived Instagram Posts
When you archive a post, it will be removed from your profile page and no one except you may access that. But the advantage of archiving instead ofdeleting Instagram postsis that (only) you can still access the post, its likes, comments, etc. Also, you can restore it whenever you want.
1.Open the Instagram app and tap on theprofile iconat the bottom right corner. Now tap on theHamberger menuat the top right to open the menu.
2.Now in the menu that opened, select theArchiveoption.
3.Now tap on the drop-down at the top and select thePosts archiveoption. Here you will see all the archived posts.
4.To restore any of the archived posts, select the post that you want to restore.
5.Now, tap on thekebab menu (three-dot menu), and then tap onShow on Profileoption.
How to Hide/Archive Your Instagram Stories
You can’t archive Instagram stories like Instagram posts. On Stories, there is no option to archive existing stories. When a story expires after 24 hours, if you want to check that story, you can still access it from the archive section. But in order for your old stories to be saved in the Archive section, you need to make sure the Archive Stories feature is enabled.
1.Open the Instagram app and tap on theprofile iconat the bottom right corner. On the profile page, tap on thehamburger menuat the top right corner.
2.In the menu that opened, select theSettingsoption.
3.In the Instagram settings, selectPrivacyand thenStory.
4.Scroll down to the Saving section and then ensure the toggle besideSave story to archiveis enabled.
Now all your stories will be saved even after expired. Anyhow, only you can access these stories.
To check archived stories on Instagram and make them live again:
1.Open the Instagram app, tap on theprofile iconat the bottom right corner, and then tap on thehamburger menuat the top right corner.
2.Here select theArchiveoption. On the Archive page, tap on the drop-downat the top and select theStories archiveoption.
3.Here you should see all your stories. You can also check archived stories in the calendar and map views.
4.To upload an archived story as a post, just open that story, tap on thekebab menu (three-dot menu)at the bottom right of that story, and then select theShare as postoption. On the next page, you can edit the post before publishing it.
5.To re-upload them as a story again, tap on thekebab menu (three-dot menu)at the bottom right and then select theShareoption. On the next page, you can edit the story and publish it.
How to Hide Your Story From Specific People
While you do not have any option to archive a story, you do have the option to hidestories from specific people.
1.Open the Instagram app, tap on theSearch icon, and find the account that you want to hide your story from.
2.On the account page, tap on thekebab menu (three-dot menu)at the top right corner and select theHide your storyoption. That’s it, your stories won’t be visible to that account holder anymore.
Along with this, you can also publish your story to specific or limited accounts or only your close friends only. We have discussedhiding stories on Instagram in this article.
Also check,how to watch someone’s Instagram story without them knowing.
Archiving Posts and Stories on Instagram
The archive feature on Instagram works differently for posts and stories. you may hide your posts from other people and then restore them whenever you want. But for stories, you cannot hide existing stories. But with the help of the archive feature, you can check your old stories and also reupload them as a post or a story again.
Did you know on Instagram, you cannotarchive DMs, but you can long-press on any DM and select Move to general to remove it from the Primary view?
Ravi Teja KNTS
Tech writer with over 4 years of experience at TechWiser, where he has authored more than 700 articles on AI, Google apps, Chrome OS, Discord, and Android. His journey started with a passion for discussing technology and helping others in online forums, which naturally grew into a career in tech journalism. Ravi’s writing focuses on simplifying technology, making it accessible and jargon-free for readers. When he’s not breaking down the latest tech, he’s often immersed in a classic film – a true cinephile at heart.
