Instagram has a feature called Recently Deleted that allows you to recover recently deleted posts, including photos, videos, reels, and stories.
Since last year, deleted items on Instagram stay in your "Recently Deleted" folder for 30 days. After that, they are auto-deleted forever. The only exception is deleted stories, which will stay in the Recently Deleted folder for 24 hours before they too are gone for good. Here is how to find Instagram's Recently Deleted folder and restore any deleted posts.
How to access Instagram's Recently Deleted folder
Follow the steps below to access Instagram's Recently Deleted folder:
- Open the Instagram app
- Tap on your Profile icon in the right corner
- Tap on the three lines in the right corner
- Tap on Your Activity
- Scroll down to and select Recently deleted
How to restore content you've deleted from Instagram
- Tap on the Profile icon on the right to go to your profile
- Tap the three lines on the right
- Tap on Your Activity
- Scroll down to and select Recently delete
- Tap thephoto, video, or story you’d like to restore or permanently delete
- You may be able to filter the type of content you’d like to restore or permanently delete
- Tap thethree-dot icon on the right on the post
- Tap Restore
Instagram will ask via email or text to verify you're the account owner when permanently deleting or restoring content from Recently Deleted.
Which deleted posts can you recover on Instagram?
You can recover the following content from your Instagram account if you've deleted it within the last 30 days:
- Photos and videos from your profile
- Photos and videos from your Instagram story*
- Instagram stories from highlights and your story archive
- Reels
- Direct messages
Note: Deleted stories will stay in the Recently Deleted folder for up to 24 hours. Everything else will be automatically deleted 30 days later.