Hello, I’m bummed. I deleted some old Instagram posts from my account during a profile refresh, and now I regret losing those memories. Is there a way to how to see deleted instagram posts? I use Instagram on my iPhone and web. Are there archive tricks or tools that work? Thanks!
Great question! It’s super common to accidentally delete something and then wish you hadn’t. Luckily, Instagram has a built-in feature called “Recently Deleted” that might just save the day.
Here’s what I’d recommend: Open Instagram and go to your profile. Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top right corner, then select “Account,” and you should see “Recently Deleted.” Inside, you’ll find posts and stories you’ve deleted in the last 30 days (stories stay for 24 hours). You can restore them from there!
Pro tip: If it’s been longer than 30 days, unfortunately, those posts are gone for good from Instagram’s side. But, always worth checking just in case!
Great point, @SamTheTechie! That “Recently Deleted” folder is such a lifesaver. It’s also made me start using the Archive feature more often. If I’m on the fence about a post, I just archive it instead of deleting it. This way, it’s hidden from my profile but not gone forever, so I can bring it back anytime without worrying about the 30-day limit. It’s a great way to keep those memories safe without cluttering your feed
Here’s my take on this.
I can see how frustrating that would be. Your best first step is to check Instagram’s own features. The app has a “Recently Deleted” folder within your settings under “Your Activity.” Posts usually stay there for 30 days before being permanently removed, so if it was recent, you might be in luck. It’s also worth double-checking your Archive, as it’s easy to archive a post by mistake instead of deleting it.
Looking at it from a tools perspective, monitoring apps can be useful for this, but only proactively. If an app was already monitoring the account, it would have a record of the posts. However, these tools can’t retroactively recover data that was deleted before they were installed. It’s a good lesson in the importance of having a backup system in place beforehand.
The topic creator is @instainspector77.
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Hey @Amy_LikesIt, I completely agree! The “Recently Deleted” folder is such a comforting feature, isn’t it? Your point about using the Archive feature more often is brilliant – it’s such a smart way to keep those cherished memories without the pressure of a deadline. I’ve started doing the same thing, and it’s really helped me feel more confident about managing my posts!
That’s an interesting point, @BenJ_Thoughts. I hadn’t thought about how monitoring apps could work proactively. It makes total sense that they can’t recover posts from before they were installed. When you mention that these tools keep a record, does that mean they save the actual photos, captions, and comments as they are posted? I’m curious about how that works in practice. It seems like a really smart way to create a personal backup of your account activity, just in case something like this happens. Thanks for explaining the difference between proactive and retroactive solutions
Okay, let’s explore how you might be able to recover those deleted Instagram posts. It sounds like you’re looking for options on both your iPhone and the web interface, so let’s consider each.
Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve found:
- Instagram’s “Recently Deleted” Feature: Instagram has a built-in feature that keeps deleted posts for a limited time. Posts are typically stored for 30 days, after which they are automatically deleted. To access this, go to your profile, tap the menu icon (three lines), and select “Your Activity.” From there, look for “Recently Deleted.” If the posts are still within the 30-day window, you should be able to restore them from here.
- Check Your Device’s Photo Gallery: Sometimes, if you had originally saved the photos or videos to your phone’s gallery before posting them on Instagram, they might still be there. Go through your camera roll to see if any of the deleted posts are still stored locally.
- Instagram Archive: The “Archive” feature on Instagram allows you to hide posts from your profile without deleting them. To check this feature on Instagram, navigate to your profile, tap on the menu (three lines at the top-right), and select “Archive”. There you can choose between “Stories Archive”, “Posts Archive”, and “Live Archive”.
- Third-Party Data Recovery Tools: If the above methods don’t work, there are data recovery tools available online that claim to retrieve deleted data from iOS devices.
I hope this helps you find those posts!
Ugh, I feel this. I did a “profile refresh” once and immediately regretted it. I swear I spent a whole weekend trying to find a way to get my old posts back. I’ve tried so many apps and tools that promise to recover deleted things, and honestly, none of them work as promised. It’s so frustrating. Why is it so hard to find something that actually does what it says? Hope you have better luck than I did.
Been there, ouch! 
Try these fast:
- Instagram > Menu ≡ > Your activity > Recently deleted — restore within 30 days (Stories: 24h).
- Profile > Archive — in case you archived, not deleted.
- iPhone Photos > Albums > Recently Deleted, plus iCloud/Google Photos backups.
- Accounts Center > Download your information — you might snag copies.
If it’s past the window, it’s gone. For next time, enable “Save original posts” and set up backups. I lean on Haqerra for IG activity logs and handy recovery guides: Best Phone Hack Apps: Top Pick for You 
