What Does Archive Mean on Instagram?

Creating content for Instagram can be fun and exciting, but it’s never easy. People have different inclinations and preferences on the type of content they want to see. The majority prefer funny content, while others like creative or informative content. 

Striking a balance is critical if you want to please your followers equally. If you take a casual approach, you might have to delete your posts every time if they don’t achieve the desired effect.

Deleting your post after all the hard work you put into it can be disheartening and downright exhausting. Some people even quit after realizing their efforts are not bearing fruit. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be you. 

Instagram’s archive feature lets you store your non-performing or “old” posts in a private repository without deleting them. You can access and review them later before posting again. So, what does it mean to archive a post on Instagram?

This tutorial explains how to archive Instagram posts, so you don’t have to delete them. You will also learn how to retrieve your archived posts for reposting.

What is Archiving on Instagram?

Archiving on Instagram refers to hiding your shared feed posts, stories, and reels from the public glare. The feature allows you to keep old posts away from your followers and other Instagram users without you changing your visibility settings. The best part is you can also archive Instagram chats too without erasing them.

Naturally, as you progress in your Instagram journey, you will likely make mistakes. You may post a photo or video on Instagram, only to realize it has a slight error or something is off. Sometimes, you may share a post ahead of schedule when your followers are inactive, meaning they might not see it when they finally log in. 

While deleting the post from your profile is an option, archiving it is less radical. It ensures you keep it safe where it is only visible to you. You can access and review it any time before reposting it again at the right time.

Previously, you could only archive posts on the Instagram mobile app. However, you can now archive photos and videos on the desktop version. The only issue is that you cannot show archived posts again (known as unarchive) from your computer. You can only access this feature from the app.

So, what happens when you archive a post on Instagram? The archived post retains likes, comments, tags, mentions, and other relevant insights. Your followers or other Instagram users can’t like or comment on the archived post going forward, though, since it is no longer available. 

How to Archive Instagram Post – Single

Archiving an Instagram post is fast and straightforward. You can access the archive feature on the Instagram app for Android or iPhone, or from the desktop version.

Here is how to archive a single post on Instagram:

Android/iPhone

1. Open the Instagram app on your device
2. Log into your Instagram account
3. Tap your profile picture at the bottom-right
   
4. Find and tap the post you’d like to archive
5. Tap the three dots at the top-right
   
6. Tap Archive
   

 Computer

1. Open a web browser on your PC
2. Go to www.instagram.com
3. Log in to your Instagram account
4. Click the More button (three horizontal lines) at the bottom-left
   
5. Click Your Activity
   
6. Click Photos And Videos
   
7. Click Posts at the top
   
8. Click Select at the top-right corner
   
9. Click the post you would like to archive
   
10. Click Archive at the bottom
    
11. Click Archive again to confirm
    

How to Archive Instagram Posts – Multiple

The main benefit of the archive tool on Instagram is that you can archive multiple posts simultaneously, saving time and effort.

Here is how to archive posts on Instagram in multiples:

Android/iPhone

1. Open the Instagram app on your device
2. Log into your Instagram account
3. Tap your profile picture at the bottom-right
4. Tap the More button (three horizontal lines) at the top-right
5. Tap Your Activity
6. Go to Content You Shared
7. Tap Posts
8. Tap Select
9. Tap the selection button on each post you would like to archive
10. You can filter your posts by tapping Newest To Oldest or All Dates
11. Tap Apply
12. Tap Archive at the bottom
13. Tap Archive again to confirm your selection

 Computer

1. Open a web browser on your PC
2. Go to www.instagram.com
3. Log into your Instagram account
4. Click the More button (three horizontal lines) at the bottom-left
5. Click Your Activity
6. Click Photos And Videos
7. Click Posts at the top
8. Click Select at the top-right corner
9. Click the selection button on each post you’d like to archive
10. You can filter your posts by clicking Sort & Filter, then Apply
11. Click Archive at the bottom
12. Click Archive again to confirm

How to Archive Instagram Stories

Aside from regular feed posts, you can tell Instagram to archive stories automatically once they disappear from your profile after 24 hours. However, this option is not available for all accounts. Moreover, you can only archive Instagram stories on the mobile app.

Here are the steps:

1. Open the Instagram app on your device
2. Log into your Instagram account
3. Tap your profile picture at the bottom-right
4. Tap the More button (three horizontal lines) at the top-right
5. Tap Your Activity
6. Tap the three dots in the top-right
7. Tap Settings
8. Tap the toggle next to Save Story To Archive
9. Instagram will automatically save your stories in your archive once they disappear from Your Story

Note: Instagram can only archive stories posted after you activate the Save Story To Archive setting.

How to Archive Instagram Reels

The archive feature is also available for reels. Here’s how to archive Instagram reels:

1. Open the Instagram app on your device
2. Log into your Instagram account
3. Tap your profile picture at the bottom-right
4. Tap the Reels icon
5. Find and open the reel you’d like to archive
6. Tap the three dots at the bottom of the reel
7. Tap Manage
8. Tap Archive to archive your reel

How to Find Your Archived Posts on Instagram

Once you know how to archive posts on Instagram, you might wonder where they all go. Instagram stores all your archived posts in their servers indefinitely, allowing you to access them whenever you want.

You can find and view your archived Instagram posts using the following steps:

1. Open the Instagram app on your device
2. Log into your Instagram account
3. Tap your profile picture at the bottom-right
4. Tap the More button (three-line menu) at the top-right corner
5. Tap Your Activity 
6. Tap Archive
7. Tap the drop-down menu to choose between posts, stories, or live archive

How to Repost an Archived Post

While you can archive your shared posts and videos, Instagram allows you to unarchive them again. You can repost your archived posts at any time. As mentioned before, the archived posts retain their likes and comments and return to their original spot once you choose to show them again.

Here are the steps on how to unarchive archived posts:

1. Open the Instagram app on your device
2. Log into your Instagram account
3. Tap your profile picture at the bottom-right
4. Tap the More button (three-line menu) at the top-right corner
5. Tap Your Activity 
6. Tap Archive
7. Tap the drop-down menu to choose between posts, stories, or live archive
8. Tap the post you’d like to unarchive
9. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the post
10. Tap Show On Profile

FAQs

Can I see someone’s archived posts on Instagram?

No, you cannot see someone else’s archived posts on Instagram. When someone archives their posts, they hide them from other Instagram users. Archived posts are only visible to the owner of the account.

Do archived posts get deleted on Instagram?

No, Instagram does not delete archived posts. Instead, it preserves them until the owner decides to unarchive or delete them.

How long do archived posts last on Instagram archives?

Instagram has no time limit determining how long you can archive your Instagram posts. Archived posts last indefinitely on Instagram until you delete them from your archives or restore them to your profile.

Will my unarchived posts appear as fresh content?

No, unarchived posts do not appear as fresh content. They return to the original spot they were before you archived them. However, you can edit them by adding captions, a location, alternative text, and tagging people after unarchiving them.

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