How to See Someone's Archived Posts on Instagram: Step Guide
Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps, especially among people who like sharing images and videos with their friends, family, or public. However, your life may change over time and you might find the old photos and videos irrelevant and cringe; yet, sometimes, they hold sentimental value.
In such situations, archiving a post or story is the best option. Archive post on IG to keep your old posts on the platform, but hide them from being viewed by others.
If you’re wondering, “What does archive on Instagram mean?” “How to archive on Instagram” or “How to see someone's archived posts on Instagram?” this article answers all of them for you.
Before we share the details into how you can see someone’s archived post on Insta, let’s tell you archive meaning on Instagram.
Part 1. What does Archive on Instagram Mean
Archiving a post on Instagram is an excellent choice for people who want to hide an older memory or wish to arrange their Insta grid in a particular manner by removing some posts. Here’s what archived posts on Instagram means:
#1.What are archived posts on Instagram
Archiving an IG post refers to hiding a post from your Instagram profile without deleting it. It not only saves the activity (comments, likes, shares) on the original post, but also enables you to restore it whenever you want. If you’re wondering, “How do I archive a post on Instagram” Here’s how you can archive post on IG in three easy steps:
Step 1. Open your Instagram profile and click on the post you want to archive.
Step 2. Tap the three dots in the top right corner.
Step 3. Select ‘Archive.’
Besides Insta posts, you can also archive your Instagram stories with this method:
Step 1. Open your profile and go to ‘Menu.’
Step 2. Click on ‘Settings.’
Step 3. Select ‘Privacy’ in Settings.
Step 4. Pick ‘Story’ from the options and tap ‘Save story to archive.’
#2. Archiving vs. Deleting
Archiving is a suitable choice when you’re not sure if you want to remove the post from Instagram forever, because you cannot restore the posts you delete from the platform.
Deleting Instagram posts removes them from Insta permanently; you cannot see them or the activity on those posts (likes, comments, and shares).
So, you should only delete Instagram posts when you do not plan to ever post them again. Otherwise, archiving can be a better pick.
Part 2. Can You See Someone's Archived Posts on Instagram
From the poster’s perspective, archived posts are a blessing because they can be posted again and shared with other users anytime. However, from the follower’s perspective, it is no different than deleted Instagram posts.
You cannot see someone’s archived posts on Instagram as they are only visible to the account owner.
However, some third-party apps can be helpful in seeing someone else’s archived Instagram posts.
Part 3. How to See Someone's Archived Posts on Instagram
Seeing someone’s archived stories is possible with third-party aps and exploring other options on Insta like their story highlights. We’ve explained how you can use both to view archived posts.
Method 1. Use Instagram viewer-Msafely
Msafely is a parental control app that allows you to monitor kids who do not share their whereabouts or social media activity with you. While we understand that kids also want privacy, parents need to keep a close eye on the kids to ensure they don’t get exploited online.
Sometimes, your kids might share a story with close friends and later archive it, or post a picture they don’t want to show you; this makes it difficult to know their online activity – but not when you have Msafely.
Msafely enables you to view your child’s archived Instagram posts besides numerous other features. You can see all of their activity on Instagram, giving you access to the posts they have archived as well.
With the following three steps to track your child’s archived Instagram posts:
Step 1. Register for a free Msafely account with your email.
Step 2. Select a plan and connect the target phone with Msafely.
Step 3. Go to your Msafely Control Panel to start monitoring the target device.
Besides Instagram, Msafely can help you monitor other activities on someone’s phone, such as:
Check sent and received texts, call times, durations, and contact details.
Monitor chats and media files on platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and more.
Get live GPS updates and view location history.
See websites visited, including timestamps and frequency.
Access saved photos and videos on the device.
Track how often and how long apps are being used.
Capture typed inputs to uncover hidden information.
With Msafely’s versatile features, parents and partners can stay informed while maintaining a balance between privacy and safety.
Method 2. Checking saved stories or highlights
Sometimes, your child might share a post as a story as well and keep it in Saved Stories or Story Highlights. When you open a profile, you’ll see some images in circles under the bio section. Click on the image to see a story highlight; one highlight may have one or multiple stories. You might find the image/ video you’re looking for.
Part 4. [Bonus] How to Manage Your Archived Posts
Now that you know how to see someone's archived posts on Instagram, you might want to know “How do I find archived photos on Instagram?” Check all the details here:
#1. How to view your own archived posts on Instagram
Viewing archived Instagram photos is just as simple as archiving them. Follow these four steps to view your archived posts on IG conveniently:
Step 1. Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile icon.
Step 2. Click on the three-line menu at the top right of the profile.
Step 3. Tap ‘Archive’ to see all the posts and stories you have archived so far.
Step 4. Click on the ‘Story archive’ or ‘Post archive’ at the top to toggle between the two.
#2. How to unarchive your posts on Instagram
You can easily unarchive your posts whenever you want. Here’s how to unarchive posts on Instagram:
Step 1. Go to your profile and tap ‘Menu.’
Step 2. Select ‘Archive’ and click on the post you want to archive.
Step 3. Tap the three dots and choose ‘Show on profile.’
This often leads to another important question, “What happens when you unarchive a post on Instagram?”
When you unarchive a post on Insta, it becomes visible to all your followers (if private profile) and everyone (if public profile). Users can also see the likes and comments on the post.
#3. How to make bulk changes
Instagram not only lets you archive posts that you want to keep away from your profile for a while, but also allows you to archive or unarchive multiple posts at once. Follow these steps for bulk changes on Instgram.
Step 1. Open your profile in the Instagram app and click on three lines for menu.
Step 2. Tap ‘Your activity’ and choose ‘Posts’ from the options.
Step 3. Click on ‘Select’ in the top right corner and select all the posts you want to archive.
Step 4. Once you choose the posts you want to hide, select ‘Archive’ at the bottom and tap ‘Archive’ to confirm.
Part 5. FAQs
Q1. Can you see someone's archived posts on Instagram?
Archive posts are visible to the account owner only, and their followers or other users cannot see the posts. However, you can check their story highlights or use third-party apps like Msafely to see someone’s archived posts on Instagram.
Q2. How do I see someone's old Instagram posts?
To see someone’s old Instagram posts, you can scroll through their photo grid or reels until you reach the earliest content. However, Instagram doesn’t offer a feature to view deleted posts. If you need a more efficient solution, you can use Msafely to access and track Instagram activity seamlessly.
Q3. Can you see someone else's Instagram story archive?
If someone archives their story, you might not be able to view it. However, you may be able to see it if they have saved it in their story highlights. Open their profile and tap on the circled images below their bio to see the story highlights. There may be multiple, so make sure you check all of them.
Q4. How to archive on desktop Instagram?
Instagram does not offer the feature to archive your stories or posts on desktop yet. You can use the Android or iOS Instagram app to archive your IG posts and stories.
Q5. When you unarchive a post on Instagram does it repost?
Yes, archiving a post on Instagram shares it back on your profile. Your followers can see the post along with the likes and comments on the original post.
Part 6. Conclusion
Archiving posts on Instagram is an excellent alternative to deleting your posts when you do not want to remove them from the platform permanently. Archiving allows you to keep the photos and videos safe for posting later while hiding them for as long as you want. You can archive post on IG by simply tapping on the post, clicking the three dots, and selecting ‘Archive.’ This saves the post in the ‘Archive’ folder you can find in the Menu (three lines on the top right corner).
If you want to monitor your child’s online activity and thinking, “How to see someone's archived posts on Instagram,” Insta does not offer this feature yet. However, you can check their story highlights to see if you can find a trace there. Alternatively, use a third-party viewer like Msafely to view archived IG stories and posts. You can get it from the Msafely website and enjoy its user-friendly interface to monitor your child’s online activity. With Msafely, you can monitor their activity on other social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and LINE.