Instagram is growing and expanding by the minute. With millions of users actively using it every day, one feature that has often intrigued everyone is Instagram Stories. From resharing posts to sharing real-time updates, Stories are an excellent way for people to keep their audience in the loop.
However, is there a way to view old Instagram Stories that you posted years or months ago? If you need clarification about it, the answer is a solid yes. You can view old Instagram stories without any hassle. And not just yours but of other people too.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore all the details of how to see old stories on Instagram.
Table of Contents
Steps to View Your Old Instagram Stories
For those who weren’t aware, Instagram stories are ephemeral, meaning that they are available for the viewers to see for 24 hours, after which they disappear from people’s feeds.
The question of the hour is, “How do you see your old Instagram stories?”
Thankfully, Instagram has a built-in feature that makes the whole process smooth and possible, provided that you know how to use it.
Here’s what you need to do to save your Instagram Stories:
- Open your Instagram app and navigate to the Profile tab.
- You will find the three stacked lines on the top right corner of the profile page. Click on it.
- Under that, click on Settings and Privacy.
- Scroll down to the “App and Media” option.
- Click on “Archiving and Downloading.”
- Besides the “Save Story to Archive” option, enable the toggle.
Once enabled, Instagram will archive and save all the stories you post on your profile. This feature is mandatory if you want to access your old stories.
Following that, you need to follow the steps to access the old stories from the archive:
- Open your Instagram app and then go to the Profile tab.
- From the three-line stacked menu, click on Archive.
Under Archive, you will find all the old Instagram stories you posted, the hidden or archived posts, and even some posts you have likely posted and deleted.
Note: Tapping on one of the old stories will also give you a rundown of its analytics, such as who liked, commented on, or shared the story.
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Can You View the Old Instagram Story of Other Users?
Not just your old Instagram stories, you can view other users’ old Instagram Stories as well. The only thing is that you need to know how.
Following are a few ways that work:
1. Cross-check the Highlights on the Profile
The most common space where creators and even non-creators on Instagram save their Instagram stories is in the highlights. When you share an Instagram story, you can also save it to the highlight. If the other user has done that, you can access those highlights to look at the older stories.
Most people organize their Highlights according to content categories, making finding the specific Instagram Story easier. However, if not, you’d need to review all the highlights to check if the story you are looking for is available.
2. Enquire about It
If you know the other user whose old Instagram story you are trying to access, you can also ask them directly. Now, this might sound awkward and put you in a position where you don’t know how to ask, but unless you are being disrespectful, asking directly about an old Instagram Story shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
Depending on availability, other users might share their Instagram stories with you directly, which adds convenience.
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Will Someone Know If I View Their Highlights to See Old Instagram Stories?
One of the most common questions people have regarding viewing other people’s Instagram highlights is about notifications. Will they be notified? Will I get in trouble?
The answer is no.
When you click to view someone’s highlights on their profile to check for old Instagram stories, they won’t be notified or even know that you might have viewed them in the first place. So, you can go ahead and check and scroll through people’s Instagram highlights without any confusion.
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Why Do People Want to View Old Instagram Stories?
There could be several reasons why people wish to access and view their old Instagram stories. Following are a few valid ones to ponder on:
Nostalgia
We often share Instagram Stories about our achievements, happy moments, and milestones. Wanting to go back in time and relive that excitement is one of the main reasons people want to view their old Instagram Stories. Viewing the stories can be a fun way to reminisce about those moments.
Self-reflection
People might use their archive to see how their style or content creation has evolved. It can be a way to gauge their progress or see how they presented themselves. This is one of the reasons why most creators have their stories saved and archived to either keep track of their old content style or see how much the quality of their content has evolved.
Content repurposing
Another one of the most common yet practical reasons behind viewing old Instagram Stories is to repurpose them for content. There might have been a pretty hit story that the audience engaged well with. You can bring that story back in reel format and share it with the audience to garner more engagement.
Remembering the old details
You may want to recall a specific event you documented in a story. Revisiting your archive can jog your memory and offer a visual reminder. Either way, accessing the old Instagram stories is a great way to keep track of the small and big moments you might have missed out on due to the rush of life.
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Conclusion
Fortunately, Instagram offers a feature that allows you to revisit your creations! You can browse through all your old stories, including photos and videos, by accessing your Archive. This is a great way to reminisce or repurpose content for future posts. If you don’t see the Archive option, don’t worry! It might be turned off. Thankfully, enabling it is a simple process within the app’s settings. In conclusion, you can relive your Instagram story history with a few taps!
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