How to See Old Instagram Stories and Save Them in 2024?

How to See Old Instagram Stories

As you all know, Instagram stories are temporary content that disappears automatically after 24 hours. Now, the question is how to see old Instagram stories of ourselves or other Instagram users. Well, this is what I am going to tell you in the following sections. 

You might wonder why someone would want to see old Instagram stories in the first place. Well, sometimes you might share some photos on your stories and then delete them from your phone for some reason. Then, Instagram can be a good way to get them back. 

Also, if you want to grow your Instagram account organically, you might sometimes need to repost some stories. So, looking at old stories that you or others have posted can help you create content and connect with your followers.

Now, let’s see how to see old stories on Instagram.

How to See Old Instagram Stories in-app

Luckily, Instagram lets you see all the stories you’ve ever posted, as long as you didn’t delete them before they vanished on their own after 24 hours. But how to see old Instagram stories using the app? Just follow these simple steps for Android devices:

1. First of all, you have to go to your stories archive. To do so, open your Instagram profile and tap on the three-line icon on the top right side of the screen.

How to find old stories on Instagram - step 1

2. Then, tap on the “Archive” icon.

How to see someone's archived stories on Instagram - step 2

3. After that, tap on the “Stories Archive” on top of the screen.

How to view old Instagram stories - step 3
How to See Old Stories on Instagram 

4. You can now select and tap the story you want, save it to your gallery, or repost it on your story or as a post.

Additionally, if you want to see old stories on Instagram on iPhone devices, follow the steps below:


1. First, tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner.

2. Then, tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.

3. Here, tap Your activity under How you use Instagram.

4. Next, tap Archived under Removed and archived content.

5. Finally, tap Posts/Stories archive at the top and choose Stories archive.

Also read: How to Mass Archive Instagram Posts and Stories?

However, when you reshare the story on your own story in this way, the story will look like the following image:

How to see old stories on Instagram - reshating memories

So, the only way that remains to share a story just as usual, without these borders and usernames is to save them and re-upload them to your story. Now, let’s go to the next section and find out how to see old Instagram stories and repost them quickly!

How to See Old Instagram Stories of Someone Else

Unfortunately, using the official Instagram app, you cannot view someone else’s old Instagram stories, unless your target users save the stories in the highlight section (below their bio.) If they haven’t, simply ask them to share the specific story you want to view.

Since users tend to share their content on different platforms, another way to see old stories on Instagram is to check their other social media accounts, such as their Facebook. 

Or if the person you want to check is a celebrity, you may also check their fan accounts to see if they have posted old stories from the intended account or not.

Read More: How to Save Someone’s Instagram story? Safest Tool

How to See Your Old Instagram Stories that Have Been Deleted and Repost Them Directly?

As discussed in the previous sections, Instagram only allows users to access and repost old stories that have not been deleted before being automatically expired. But what if you have deleted a story unintentionally? Is there a way to repost it without uploading it again? Or what if you want to repost your story without the borders that Instagram creates?

If you have accidentally deleted a story on Instagram, unfortunately, there isn’t a built-in feature to repost it without uploading it again. Once a story is deleted, it’s typically gone for good, unless you’ve saved it to your device before deletion.

However, there are a few workarounds you can try:

1. Use Third-Party Apps: Some third-party apps claim to recover deleted Instagram stories. These apps might help you retrieve your deleted content, but be cautious as they may not always be reliable and could potentially compromise your account security.

2. Ask Followers to Share: You can ask your followers if anyone saved your story before it was deleted. If someone has it saved, they can share it with you, and then you can repost it.

Regarding removing the borders that Instagram adds to stories, unfortunately, there isn’t a way to do this within the app itself. Instagram automatically adds borders to fit your story into the required aspect ratio. If you want to repost your story without these borders, you would need to edit the story externally using a photo or video editing app before reposting it on Instagram.

How to Save Someone’s Instagram Highlights?

Now it’s time to know how to save highlighted Instagram stories of other Instagrammers! As you may already know, Instagram doesn’t support any repost and reshare features for Instagram stories unless you have been mentioned in them. There are two main ways to save someone’s Instagram Highlights:

1. Using built-in methods (for Public Accounts Only):

Taking Screenshots: This is the simplest method but results in static images, not videos. Open the desired highlight and take a screenshot using your phone’s button combination (usually power + volume down).

Screen Recording:  This method captures the entire highlight video. Open your phone’s screen recording function (refer to your phone’s manual if needed) and start recording. Then, open the Instagram highlight and let it play through. Stop the recording when finished. The video will be saved in your phone’s gallery.

2. Using Third-party Apps and Websites (Caution Advised):

These services allow you to download Instagram highlights from public accounts. Be cautious, as some sites might be unreliable or ask for login information, which could be a security risk. Here’s a general guideline:

Search for terms like “Instagram highlight downloader” or “save Instagram stories.” These services typically involve entering the username of the public account you want to download from. Proceed with caution and only use reputable services with good reviews. 

Note: Downloading content from private accounts or violating Instagram’s terms of service is not recommended. 

How to See Old Instagram Stories of Others Without Them Knowing?

To see old stories on Instagram without them knowing, you can try checking their Story Highlights. Story Highlights are collections of past Stories that users choose to showcase on their profile permanently. 

If someone has saved their Stories as Highlights, you can access them without alerting the user. Simply visit their profile, and if they have Highlights, you can browse through them to see their past content.

Not all users save their Stories as Highlights, so this method might not always work. Additionally, if the person has a private account, you won’t be able to view their Highlights unless they’ve accepted your follow request.

Can You View Instagram Story Archive of Others

No, you cannot view Instagram story archive of others. The story archive is a private feature that only the user can access. The stories that the user has posted in the past 24 hours are automatically saved in the archive, where they can view them, delete them, or reshare them.

Final Thoughts on How to See Old Instagram Stories

 In this blog post, you learned how to view old Instagram stories, either your own or someone else’s. To see old Instagram stories, you must go to the Instagram archive and view all the stories you have shared using your account. 

You also discovered that you can use the highlights feature to see other people’s saved stories. By following these tips, you can enjoy viewing old Instagram stories and relive the memories or discover new content.