How to See Old Stories on Instagram? View and download

Social media users have different preferences when it comes to using social networking sites. Some prefer Facebook, some like to spend their time on Instagram and some might be fond of Snapchat. Every site is distinctive in its own way. But the most common feature that every social networking site offers is the story feature. People utilize this feature to share the things they do not want to post on their feeds.

Like other applications, Instagram also has this particular story feature. Instagram users, bloggers/influencers use it to share random stuff. Instagram stories disappear in 24 hours. Many times you wish to see old Instagram stories of your friends, specifically the ones you missed but don’t know how to do it. Unfortunately, Instagram does not let its active users view old stories unless the stories are saved as highlights.

Here question that comes to your mind is, how to see old stories on Instagram?

It is rather uncomplicated. You can see the old stories in the archive menu, present at the top right corner of your screen. Your old stories will come up in the archive folder. Tap on the story you like to view and download it.

In this article, you will get all the possible answers to your questions. So, keep reading!

How to view and download your old Instagram stories?

Instagram stories that you post can be viewed within 24 hours. After that specific period, the stories get deleted from your profile. But don’t be upset about your deleted stories because they don’t get deleted permanently. There is a way to view your old Instagram stories and no there is absolutely no need to use any third-party app.

Follow the steps below to know how can you view old Instagram stories:

• Open your Instagram mobile app and head over to your profile.
• On the top right corner, tap the three horizontal lines.
• Tap ‘archive.’ There you will see every story you have posted so far.
• If you want to download the story then select the post you want to save and at the bottom left tap the three dotted lines and tap ‘save the photo.’

Through this method, you can easily view and download your old stories. These stories are saved by default in the archive after staying visible for 24 hours. But if you post a story and delete it before its expiration then that story will not appear in your archive folder.

How to view and download someone else’s old Instagram story?

The stories you post are saved in the archive folder of your Instagram account. In the same way, when someone else posts a story, it gets saved in their archive folder. But you can always view their stories from their highlight section. Many users like creating highlights and if you are lucky then you can find the old stories you are looking for there.

The following steps will help you find someone else’s old Instagram stories: 

• Open the Instagram app and go to the person’s profile you want to view the story of.
• In the story section below, you will see all the highlights.
• You will find all the old stories you have posted there. Tap on the story you wish to see

This is the only way you can view someone else’s old Instagram stories but you can not download them. If you want to save it then try asking the poster to send it to you in private.

Alternatives to view and download old Instagram stories:

Although you can view and download your own old Instagram stories by following the simple steps mentioned above. However, this is not the case when you are wanting to view and download the stories of other people.

Here are a few alternatives to help you view and download old Instagram stories of people:

• Ask the poster to send you their story

Well since there is no other way to download the old stories of others, putting your egos aside try asking the poster if they can send you their story. There is no way you can access their archive folder to retrieve their old stories. Only the poster or creator can view and download the posts from their archive folder. Send them a DM and politely request the poster/greater to share the story with you.

• Screen record or screenshot the story

Another fine option for you is screen recording or screenshotting the story. However, this is required to be done within 24 hours before the story expires. Instagram for now does not inform or notify its users when you take a screenshot. Regardless, do ask for permission or notify the person if the screenshot you are taking is of something private. The screenshot and screen recording will get saved in your camera roll and you can have access to it in your photos gallery.

Conclusion:

Viewing and downloading old Instagram stories of your own is rather easy. However, this is not the case when you want to view and download old stories of others.  How to see old Instagram stories? Well, You just have to log into your account and go to your profile. From the menu, tap archive. All your old stories will be visible there where you can also download them. Hopefully, this article helps you.

FAQs

Can you access other people’s old Instagram stories? 

No, only the poster or greater can have access to their old stories. Stories get saved in the archive folder of the Instagram account and only the user of the particular account can retrieve the stories.

Can a third-party app be useful to view old stories?  

There is no reliable third-party app or tool available that can help you with this case. Nonetheless, you can always try the ones available on the play store and app store.

Do Instagram stories get permanently deleted after 24 hours?

Instagram stories expire and vanish after 24 hours. However, they are not permanently deleted by default the stories get saved in the archive folder of your Instagram account.