Photo Recovery

Restore Deleted or Lost Instagram Photos and Videos

Written By Sumona Chatterjee
Approved By Rohit Arora
Updated on 6 Jun, 2024
Min Reading 6 Min
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Summary: Have you deleted Instagram photos or videos? Are your Instagram photos or reel videos disappearing? This blog is a step-by-step guide to recover your lost or deleted Instagram photos and videos on Android, iPhone, and computer.

You love Instagram. The magical medium not only connects you with your loved ones but also to your favorite celebrities, brands, and interesting people around the world. Further, it is fun to view and share photos with augmented reality, amazing filters, and stickers etc., that grab ‘likes’ and attention. However, with so much to offer, sometimes managing so many Instagram photos and videos also becomes a strenuous task.

accidently delete Instagram posts — _{eMarketer reported, with over 1.07 billion active users in 2021, Instagram became one of the most used photo/ video sharing app. Another study by Statista Research, says Instagram was the most popular social media site used by U.S. teens and young adults in 2020 Pandemic year, after YouTube.}

You may accidentally delete Instagram posts or suddenly notice Instagram photos are disappearing. Your Instagram reel drafts are deleted. Videos you created for uploading in the app can also go missing from your device due to virus attacks, formatting, or other reasons.

So is it possible to restore lost or deleted Instagram photos, videos, stories, IGTV videos, or reels? Thankfully yes.

Watch this video to know how to see deleted Instagram posts

Here in this blog you will know the different ways to restore lost or deleted Instagram photos and videos on Android, iPhone, iPad, and computer.

How to Recover Photos & Videos from Instagram

One way to recover Instagram photos and videos is from the app’s ‘Recently Deleted’ or ‘Archive’ folder. Another location where you should look for the Instagram files is in the photo albums of your device such as Gallery, Download folder, File Manager, Camera Roll, or others. You may also search for missing photos and videos in backup folder such as iCloud or Google Photos.

If you don’t find the deleted Instagram photos and videos at any location on your device or cloud backup, use a photo and video recovery software to retrieve the lost Instagram files from the storage device.

Way 1: Recover from ‘Recently Deleted’ folder on Instagram

‘Recently Deleted’ feature of Instagram helps to restore deleted content in the app. Photos, videos, IGTV videos, reels, and stories deleted from your account are first moved to the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder. The files stay in this folder for 30 days, except the stories, which remain only for 24 hours.

If you wish to undo the deletion and restore Instagram photos and videos during this 30 days period, do it by following the below steps. Before that, just make sure you are using the latest version of Instagram.

Open Instagram and click to follow Settings > Account > Recently Deleted.
Tap on the required photos and videos and click on the 3 dots at the top-right corner.

Click on Restore option. Confirm the action in the pop-up box to restore the deleted photos and videos.

If you choose Delete option, it will permanently delete the files from your Instagram account.

Way 2: Recover photos from Instagram Archive

Instagram launched the ‘Archive Posts’ feature in 2017 which proved to be of great help as it allowed the users to hide any photos and stories from being seen by anyone. You can also recover ‘deleted’ photos from the archive folder. However, if you delete a photo from the archive, there’s no guarantee that you can recover it again.

Follow the below steps to unhide or recover the deleted Instagram photos and videos from Archive:

Open Instagram app and click on your profile picture the bottom.
Click on the Menu icon at the top-right corner and select Archive.
As the Archive folder opens, click on the drop down and select from Stories archive, Posts archive, or Live archive options, from where you lost photos or videos.

Now click on the required image and click on the 3 dots. Choose Show on Profile. You will get the lost videos and photos back to your feed.

Way 3: Recover Instagram photos from Gallery/Albums on Android or iPhone

Whenever you upload any photo or video on Instagram, it gets automatically saved in Gallery Album of your Android under ‘Instagram’ named folder. On iPhone the uploaded file is saved in Albums in the Photos app.

If you have accidently deleted or can’t find photos or videos on Instagram, look for them in the ‘Instagram’ folder in Android Gallery or iPhone’s Album.

Way 4: Restore Instagram files on Android from File Manager

If Instagram photos have disappeared, check and restore them from the File Manager on your Android device.

Follow the below steps to recover Instagram files from File Manger on Android:

Go to My Files > Pictures.

Select the Instagram folder. If you’re able to find the lost photos, restore select and restore them

Way 5: Recover from ‘Recently Deleted’ on iPhone or iPad

You can recover deleted Instagram photos on iPhone or iPad from the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder. The Photos app on the iOS device has the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder that keeps the deleted images and videos for 30 days. You may find here the photos and videos that you posted on Instagram but now deleted from the account.

Follow the below steps to restore Instagram photos from ‘Recently Deleted’ on iPhone/ iPad:

On your iOS device, launch the Photos app.
Tap on Albums > Recently Deleted.

Tap on the required photos or videos and select Recover.

Way 6: Restore Instagram Photos and Videos from Backup

This is where the Backup files serve the purpose. When you can’t find your Instagram files, then restore them from the backup present in cloud or storage drive. Check in iCloud, DropBox, Time Machine, or any other backup drive you use. If you have the required photos and videos, simply restore them, else follow the other method.

Way 7: Utilize a Software for Instagram photo recovery

The best bet to restore lost, deleted, or disappearing Instagram photos is to use an Instagram photo recovery software — Stellar Photo Recovery. It is a media files recovery tool, which can recover deleted photos from a PC, Mac, pen drive, SD card, or other media. By using the software you can retrieve bomb Instagram images, archive photos, or other posts, provided you have anytime saved them on your storage drive. With the robust scanning algorithm and straightforward recovery process, the software ensures deleted photos and videos of any format are back on your computer.

Further, Stellar Photo Recovery has a Free Edition with which you can restore up to 10 Instagram photos or videos.

To know the quick steps to recover lost/ deleted Instagram photos and videos using Stellar Photo Recovery click here.

Tip: How to save Instagram Photos to Phone to avoid Photo Loss

Go to your profile and tap.
Tap Settings > Account > Original Photos (iOS) or Original Posts (Android).
Tap next to Save Original Photos (iOS) or Save Original Posts (Android) to turn it on.

When you turn on Save Original Photos or Save Original Posts, each photo with the post also is saved to your phone’s library.

Learn more Tips to Keep Your Videos and Photos Safe on Social Media

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I recover permanently deleted pictures from Instagram?

If the photos are permanently deleted from your Instagram handle, search for them in your device storage and backup locations by using the methods given in this post. You can also use Stellar Photo Recovery software to recover the photos from computer, pen drive, memory card etc. Once you recover the pictures, you have the option to upload them again on Instagram.

Can I recover deleted Instagram posts?

Yes, you can restore the deleted Instagram posts from the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder in your Instagram account. For steps, read method 1 in the blog.

How to get back deleted Instagram Story?

Restore the deleted Instagram Story from the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder of your Instagram account

How can I recover a permanently deleted Instagram account?

If the Instagram account is deleted or deactivated due to some reason, you cannot recover it. However, there’s an option to contact Instagram support for help to reactivate the account.

How to repair Instagram reel?

To repair Instagram reel videos, update to the latest version of the app, and clear all the cache. Learn more methods to repair Instagram reel.

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About The Author

Sumona Chatterjee

Sumona is a tech blogger, avid photographer, & technogeek with vast experience in writing about media file recovery tips and tutorials. She has over 10 years of experience in media file recovery/media file repair technology. She is passionate about Photography, Creative Designing, Music, and Exploring lesser-known destinations.

57 comments

Allison says:

May 17, 2019 at 1:18 am

Hi Sumona,
I took a boomerang video using Instagram and didn’t get the chance to save it. Can it be recovered?
Thanks!

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  May 17, 2019 at 3:12 am
  
  Hi Allison, No, if you didn’t Tap the save button. We can’t help you. Thanks
  
  Reply
Rakshanaa says:

March 30, 2019 at 8:32 am

How to un-report or bring back a post which is been reported on instagram?

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  April 2, 2019 at 3:05 am
  
  Hi Rakshanaa,
  
  From your activity log. Firstly you find the notification of report(the photo which you reported) and then edit on that.
  That means un-report it. I hope this helpful for you!
  
  Reply
Bert says:

March 25, 2019 at 12:06 pm

Hi I’ve accidentally pressed X while editing in my instagram story, is there a way to recover what I have recorded?

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  March 26, 2019 at 4:42 am
  
  Hi Bert, Yes you can use Archive methods at any time in Settings.
  To turn Stories Archive on or off:
  1. Go to your profile and tap.
  2.Tap Settings > Privacy and Security > Story Controls.
  3. Next to Save to Archive, tap.
  Note: Only you can see the stories saved in your archive after they disappear from your story. If you delete a photo or video from your story before it disappears, it won’t be saved to your archive.
  
  Reply
Jakob G. says:

March 7, 2019 at 10:22 pm

Hello,
What should I do if all the Instagram Posts have been deleted and I want to recover them with all the likes and comments they had before?
For the public, I am willing to pay if anyone can solve this problem for me.
All the solutions you have given do not solve this problem.

Best,
Jakob

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  March 8, 2019 at 3:23 am
  
  Hi Jakob, There could be an issue on their side that’s causing your account/photos to disappear. Down below link are steps to fix this problem. Read More
  
  Reply
deni says:

February 18, 2019 at 3:48 pm

when i’m going to post insta story, it suddenly disapeared when i click “send to your story”, it was never posted at all, can i get it back?

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  February 20, 2019 at 2:15 am
  
  Hi Deni, I suggest you can check the archive Instagram feature. Thanks!
  
  Reply
Nicole says:

February 13, 2019 at 8:08 am

My ex deleted old Instagram photos and now I want them back. But that was about 2 years ago. Is there any way possible to get them back??

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  February 14, 2019 at 2:44 am
  
  Hi Nicole, Please Follow the given Steps:
  1. Login to Instagram Account
  2. Go to the Setting under Privacy and Security
  3. Click Photos of You
  4. Use Archive Feature and recover of any deleted photo from archive album.
  
  Reply
  1. Keesha says:
    
    April 23, 2019 at 12:40 pm
    
    Hi Sumona. I accidentally deleted a post that was very special to me last night on instagram from my iphone. It was my pregnancy photos. Is there anyway to get them back on my page with the likes & comments?
  2. Sumona Chatterjee says:
    
    April 24, 2019 at 3:28 am
    
    Hi Keesha, you can try archive method – Please Follow the given steps:
    
    Go to your profile.
    1.Tap the post you’d like to archive.
    2.Tap (iOS) or (Android) in the top right.
    3.Select Archive.
    Once you’ve archived a post, you can choose to show it on your profile again. The post will return to its original spot on your profile.
    To show an archived post on your profile:
    1.Go to your profile and tap in the top left (iOS) or top right (Android).
    2.Tap the post you’d like to show on your profile.
    3.Tap (iOS) or (Android) in the top right, then select Show on Profile.
silvi says:

February 9, 2019 at 4:41 pm

My post got deleted after reactivating my account on Instagram. Can I get my post back on Instagram profile??

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  February 11, 2019 at 2:47 am
  
  Hi Silvi, Please Check Instagram Archive feature on your Android or iOS mobile phone.
  
  Reply
Bia says:

January 20, 2019 at 5:33 pm

If I do one of these methods, the photos will be uploaded on my instagram? or i just get the deleted photos in my phone, but they arent on instagram
i mean like u archive and unarchive photos
will they be on my insta again?
pls answer 😀 thanks

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  January 22, 2019 at 3:34 am
  
  Hi Bia, You can archive a post you’ve shared to hide it from your profile and make it so your followers and other people on Instagram can’t see it. When you archive a post, it keeps all its likes and comments.
  
  To archive a post:
  
  Go to your profile.
  Tap the post you’d like to archive.
  Tap (iOS) or (Android) in the top right.
  Select Archive.
  
  To show an archived post on your profile:
  
  Go to your profile and tap in the top left (iOS) or top right (Android).
  Tap the post you’d like to show on your profile.
  Tap (iOS) or (Android) in the top right, then select Show on Profile
  
  Reply
RV says:

November 4, 2018 at 8:42 pm

This information just saved my life. Accidentally deleted a post and thank God I found your article ❤️❤️

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  November 5, 2018 at 2:24 am
  
  Hi RV, Thanks for your appreciation!
  
  Reply
Mudit Purani says:

November 4, 2018 at 6:33 pm

Hi..by mistake my two photos are deleted from the instagram , so how can i get back these two photos in instagram again?

Reply
1. Sumona Chatterjee says:
  
  November 5, 2018 at 2:26 am
  
  Hi Mudit, Please follow the methods as we described in our blog!
  
  Reply