Instagram Archive 101: Hiding Posts Without Deleting Memories

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Oct 23, 2023

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

As an Instagram influencer, your profile is an extension of your brand. Every post, reel, and story has meaning to your Instagram followers and brands seeking to partner with you. As such, keeping your page neat and organized is vital by removing posts that don’t fit anymore. But what if you want to save those old posts to bring them back later? That’s where the Instagram archive feature comes in handy.

This guide will explain how to use the Instagram archive feature to organize your account to boost your Instagram reach. You’ll also learn how to keep your profile looking great, archive posts when necessary, and recover your archived posts. So, let’s dive right in!

An Instagram influencer archiving a post.

What Does Archive Mean on Instagram?

Many influencers often ask, “What does archive mean on Instagram?” In simple terms, to archive means to hide something. The Instagram archive feature enables users to hide posts (photos and videos) from their main profile without permanently deleting them. And the best part? It doesn’t have an expiration date! You can keep your archived posts for as long as you wish. This feature is especially beneficial for Instagram influencers.

It lets you organize and maintain a clean and professional Instagram profile. You can hide posts that no longer fit your style or niche, ensuring your profile accurately represents your brand image. For instance, you may want to temporarily clear some of your previous posts during an influencer marketing process.

Moreover, archiving offers more privacy on Instagram. When you archive a post, it becomes invisible to other users, including your followers. Furthermore, your archive is a memory book where you keep precious moments and milestones. You can later revisit and share these cherished moments with your audience to build a deeper connection with them.

Overall, Instagram’s archive feature enhances your influencing journey by providing flexibility in profile management, privacy maintenance, and memory preservation.

How To Archive a Post on Instagram

The first step to becoming an influencer is to organize your profile to look professional. The Instagram archive feature allows you to maintain a sleek and professional profile by removing irrelevant posts from your profile. Here’s how to archive a post on Instagram:

  1. Open the Instagram app and log in to your account.
  2. Click your profile picture at the bottom right corner of the home page. This will take you to your profile.
  3. Scroll through your profile to find the post you want to archive. Then, tap on the post to open it.
  4. Tap the three dots icon in the upper right corner of the post. Then, select “Archive” from the menu.
  5. Instagram will ask for confirmation. Confirm your action by tapping “Archive” again in the pop-up message.

That’s it! You can archive the posts you don’t want others to see on your profile. Remember, you can always recover these posts in the archive folder, thus offering flexibility and control over your content. However, sometimes, you may need to wipe out all your Instagram posts. In such cases, manual archiving won’t work. So, is it possible to archive multiple IG posts at once? Let’s find out!

Can I Archive Multiple Instagram Posts?

Yes, you can archive multiple Instagram posts. In fact, you can archive all your Instagram posts simultaneously. Archiving multiple posts simultaneously is like organizing files into folders on your computer. It simplifies the process, saving you time and effort. Let’s see how you can archive your Instagram posts at once. 

An Instagram influencer archiving multiple posts on his mobile phone.

How To Archive All Instagram Posts

If you’ve ever gone through the process of archiving posts individually, you should know how strenuous it is. Thankfully, you can archive multiple Instagram posts at once without stress. Here’s how to do that:

  1. Open the Instagram app on your mobile device and log in to your account.
  2. Tap on your profile picture at the home page’s bottom right corner.
  3. Tap the three horizontal lines (the hamburger menu) at the screen’s upper right-hand corner to open the menu.
  4. Select “Your Activity” from the menu. 
  5. Tap “Post” to view all your previous Instagram posts.
  6. Tap the blue “Select” option at the screen’s upper right-hand corner to select multiple or all your Instagram posts.
  7. After selecting your posts, tap the “Archive” option at the bottom left corner of the screen.
  8. In the confirmation pop-up, select “Archive” again to confirm.

Congratulations! You have successfully wiped out all your Instagram posts. Note that you don’t have to archive your Instagram stories, as Instagram automatically adds them to your archive after they disappear. However, this is not the case for Instagram Reels. You need to add them yourself. Let’s explore how to archive your IG Reels.

How To Archive Instagram Reels

Archiving your Reels helps you keep them for future reference. Like your archived posts, your archived Reels won’t appear on your profile; you can access them anytime. Here’s how to archive your IG Reels:

  1. Log on to your Instagram account and swipe right from anywhere in your feed to access your Reels.
  2. Tap the three dots icon at the bottom right of the Reel. A menu will pop up with various options.
  3. Choose “Reels Manage” from this menu.
  4. Inside the “Reels Manage” section, you’ll find the “Archive” option. Tap on it to move the selected Reel to your archive.

How To Check Instagram Story Archive

Do you want to return old memories or revisit your past Instagram Stories? The Instagram Story archive feature allows you to do just that. Here’s how you can check the IG story archive.

  1. Launch the Instagram mobile app and log in to your account.
  2. Tap on the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen to access your Instagram profile.
  3. Tap the three horizontal lines at the right corner of the screen.
  4. Select the “Archive” option from the menu.
  5. Tap ‘Story archives’ at the top of the Archive screen. 
  6. Scroll through your Instagram stories to find the one you want to view or share.

Following these steps, you can open your IG story archive and relive your favorite moments. Additionally, you can also check your Instagram Reels archive and Live archives. All you have to do is tap on the dropdown menu at the top of the screen. Then, you can easily switch between your Instagram archives (Reels, Stories, and Live.)

How To Unarchive Instagram Posts?

Unarchiving Instagram posts allows you to restore previously hidden photos or videos to your public profile. If you want to bring back your archived posts, reels, and stories, here’s how to do it:

  1. Log in to your Instagram account and tap the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen.
  2. Tap on the three horizontal line icons at the top right corner of the screen. Then select “Archive” from the dropdown box.
  3. Go through your archives, select the post you wish to unarchive and tap on it to open it.
  4. Tap the blue “Select” option at the screen’s upper right-hand corner to select multiple or all your Instagram story archives. You can skip this step if you want to unarchive one story.
  5. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the post’s top-right corner.
  6. Choose “Show on Profile” from the menu.

Instagram will restore your post to its original position on your profile, along with the original caption, likes, and comments. 

 An Instagram influencer searching for the archive feature on his smartphone.

Why My Instagram Archive Is Not Showing

If your IG archive is not showing, it may be due to corrupted caches, an outdated app, or connectivity issues. However, there’s no need to worry; you can still access your valuable archive posts within the app. Here’s how to do so.

  1. Ensure your Instagram app is up to date. If your app is outdated, visit the Apple or Google Play Store to update it to the latest version.
  2. Log on to your Instagram account.
  3. Go to your profile page and tap the three horizontal lines.
  4. Tap “Your Activity.”
  5. Choose “Archive” from the dropdown menu.

Alternatively, from Step 2, select “Settings and Privacy,” and finally, “Hidden Archive.” You can now access all your archives. However, if the problem persists, contact the Instagram help center. They can provide guidance and support to resolve any issues to ensure you have uninterrupted access to your archive posts.

The Instagram app icon on a mobile device.

How To Boost Your Instagram Presence With Path Social’s AI Targeting

The IG archive feature is a versatile feature every influencer should know how to use. It lets you maintain a clean profile, ensuring your content aligns with your brand image and resonates with your audience. Whether you’re looking to hide your posts or save memorable content, the Instagram archive covers you.

Now, as you’ve fine-tuned your profile, it’s time to focus on growing your Instagram presence through organic growth strategies. Building a loyal and active Instagram follower base is vital to your success. To achieve this, you should consider partnering with reputable growth agencies like Path Social.

Path Social has an in-house platform consisting of influencers and a proprietary AI targeting algorithm. This powerful combination allows them to target and reach interested and engaged users precisely. Path Social is your trusted partner for lasting and sustainable growth on Instagram. So, start growing and gaining Instagram followers today.