On Instagram, many people use Stories as one of the best ways to share quick updates, helping smart brands and marketers on social media where spending reached 362 billion.
These Stories often vanish in 24 hours, and once gone, forever, they seem disappeared, but this article will explain how to see and access them to relive cherished moments.
It’s a fantastic way to keep followers engaged without cluttering the feed with extra posts or reels, and you can save, repost, and enjoy those fleeting moments even after they’ve faded, with no matter what there’s no need to worry.
Understanding Instagram Stories
On Instagram, users often want to see old stories or posts, but since a story is temporary and tends to disappear after 24 hours, it may feel like it’s gone to their followers. Still, built-in features allow them to access and view this information, which is important to understand because it shows how the platform’s feed and tools actually work.
Method 1: Accessing Instagram Story Archive
When you want to view old posts or Stories on Instagram, the Archive feature is the easiest one of many ways to get back what expires, as it automatically saves content once the option is enabled, and the summary feature helps in the use of organizing everything for a long time.
Open Instagram
Open Instagram and launch the app on your mobile device.
Go to Your Profile
When you want to view your old stories, simply tap the profile icon at the bottom right corner of the screen to open your archive.
Menu Access
When you open Instagram, then click the three vertical dots or the hamburger icon in the upper right corner to continue.
Select Archive
From the Instagram menu, the option of archive appears, and when you select it, you can see a list of previous story records that are sorted by date.
Check your story
To check an old Instagram story, simply pull from the archive inventory to find the exact one you want and view it again.
Method 2: Highlighting Stories for Easy Access
One great way to keep your favorite Stories on Instagram is by adding them to Highlights on your profile, so you can revisit old ones anytime they are pinned and easily accessed, which helps when you often want to know how to save certain memories over time and do what you consider important.
Open Instagram:
Launch the Instagram app and go to your profile.
Access Story Archive:
Follow the steps mentioned earlier to access your Story Archive.
Select a Story:
Choose the Story you want to add to a Highlight.
Create a New Highlight:
When you tap the option at the bottom of the screen, you can add your story to an existing Highlight or create a new one, and if you like, start a New Highlight for easy access.
Name Your Highlight:
When you give a story a new Highlight, simply choose a name, pick a cover image, and customize it the way you want so that your profile looks more organized and further enhances it.
Save and View:
When you add Stories to Highlight, they will appear below the bio on your profile, and others can view it anytime; just tap save and now the Story stays in the right place for quick access.
By using Highlights, you not only preserve your favorite Stories but also make them easily accessible to anyone visiting your profile.
Method 3: Viewing Stories of Others via Highlights
Instagram allows users to save other people’s posts and see if they’ve been added to their Highlights. If you are trying to view an old Article from someone else’s profile, follow these steps:
View their profile
If you want to see an old story, simply go to their Instagram profile where that person has saved it, and from there you can view everything in the section easily.
Check for Highlights
To check old Stories, look at the highlights under the bio, where circular circles with an icon are usually placed, showing their past content as summary points, and tapping any of these reveals them.
Tap on a Highlight
To open a highlight, simply tap or click on the circle, and at that point you can view the Story with all the information already stored in it.
This option is especially useful for keeping up with favorite influencers for brands who use Highlights to curate important content.
Method 4: Requesting Content from Friends
If you know that a friend or someone you follow posted a Story that you missed or want to revisit, you can always ask them to send it to you. Here’s how you can approach it:
Message Them Directly:
If a person has posted a Story that you missed, send a direct message or DM and politely ask them to share the Story again.
Receive the Story:
When someone has a saved Story, they can share it with you on Instagram using the DM feature, and this way the content is delivered easily for quick access.
Save It for Yourself:
When a Story is sent, you can save it directly to your device or add it to Highlights for easy future viewing, keeping it safe on your own profile.
Method 5: Third-Party Tools and Apps
On Instagram, third-party apps and tools are designed to help you manage content and view older posts, but some popular applications still used may be outdated and could violate the terms of service, so with caution keep up only those that match the native features and provide plenty to support and organize.
Story Reposter:
Allows you to view and repost stories anonymously.
InstaSave:
Allows you to download Stories and save them to your device.
StorySaver:
New app that allows you to save and view Stories even after they expire.
Remember, when using third-party apps, always make sure that they are reputable and that you are not compromising the security of your account.
Method 6: Downloading Stories Before They Expire
Consider downloading before it’s too late to avoid the hassle of searching for old information. This can be done easily in the Instagram app:
Post a Story:
Make and post a comment as usual.
Save the Story:
On Instagram, a Story lasts for a 24-hour period then expires, but by tapping the three dots at the bottom, you can select Save to choose and save an image, a video, or the entire Story with multiple items from the article including photo and video.
Access Saved Stories:
The story will be archived in your device’s gallery or camera roll, where you can view it at any time.
By saving Stories before they disappear, you ensure you always have them on hand, ready to revisit whenever you like.
Conclusion
On Instagram, Stories may feel like fleeting moments, but that doesn’t mean they are lost forever, because by using Archive and Highlight features, different methods and techniques help you easily access and view old posts whenever you wish, making revisiting your own memories or those of others a powerful tool for sharing that will ensure your favorite content is never out of reach.
FAQs
How can I create highlights from old Instagram Stories?
To create highlights from old Instagram Stories, go to your profile, tap the “+” icon under “Story Highlights,” select the stories from your archive that you want to include, name the highlight, and choose a cover image.
Can I view someone else’s old Instagram Stories?
You can view someone else’s old Instagram Stories by checking their Story Highlights on their profile, looking for reposts on their other social media platforms, or directly asking them to share the story with you.
How do I save my old Instagram Stories?
To save your old Instagram Stories, open the story in your archive, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner, and select “Save photo” or “Save video” to download it to your device.
Can I repost my old Instagram Stories?
Yes, you can repost your old Instagram Stories by opening the story in your archive, tapping “Share,” and then choosing to repost it as a new story or as a post on your profile.
