If you want to remove posts from your profile without deleting them, then archiving might be the answer. This lets you temporarily hide them and possibly bring them back onto your account at a later date. In this article, we answer the question ‘How do I archive posts on Instagram?’ and any others you might have.
As with virtually any Instagram feature, knowing the archive function inside and out can help you build a better profile. Your archive is a way for you to carefully balance your brand image and is essential for preserving your posts. Experimenting with your account’s layout and setup can be the key to finding success.
What Is an Instagram Archive?
Similar to a real archive, your Instagram archive is a collection of posts you ‘file away’ from your profile. This can include old pictures with filters you no longer use or content with an old brand name. With this, you can fully refresh your account and make sure it stays consistent. The archive feature is especially useful when you can’t commit to deleting a post from your profile.
You are able to archive an unlimited number of video and photo posts. Instagram’s archive even extends to stories and highlights. Every piece of content you share will be safe without the need for you to keep a copy yourself. Personal and business accounts can both archive content that doesn’t fit them anymore. In fact, there are several benefits to archiving your posts regularly.
Your stories and live videos will automatically archive after they expire. However, you could turn this off in your settings. To do this, navigate to your account by clicking the profile icon or person symbol on the bottom right. Click the three horizontal lines at the top left to access your settings. The options to enable or disable automatic archiving will be in Archiving and Downloading.
How Do I Archive Posts on Instagram for Mobile?
As archiving involves hiding your posts and changing your layout, it helps to know how to do this correctly. One misclick could mean accidentally deleting a cherished memory, so you have to be careful when using this feature. Here is a step-by-step guide to archiving your Instagram posts:
1. Decide Which Posts to Archive
The first step is always figuring out how you want to change your profile. This could be a case of looking towards the future and wanting a fresh start without deleting anything forever. You might also wish to remove out-of-date brand posts without erasing your hard work.
2. Add the Post to Your Archive
Navigate to your profile by clicking the person symbol or your profile picture on the bottom right of Instagram’s feed. Click on the post you want to archive and tap the three vertical dots. Simply press the Archive button to instantly send this post to your account’s archive.
3. View Your Archive
You might want to check if the post is definitely safe in your archive. To do this, go to your settings by pressing the three lines on the top left of your profile. Press Archive to see any hidden posts, with a drop-down menu to view archived stories and broadcasts.
4. (Optional) Return the Post
If you want to put the post back up, go to your archive the same way as above. Click on the post you want to restore and press the three vertical dots. The Show on Profile option should bring it back. You cannot do this with stories, but you can add them to your highlights.
How To Archive Instagram Posts on Computer
You cannot currently archive your posts on Instagram’s desktop site. On top of this, your archive is not accessible or visible via your browser. The only way around this is to use a program that emulates a phone’s operating system. You can then install and log into the Instagram app, using this in place of the platform’s actual website.
The only other answer to how to archive Instagram posts on a computer is to download them onto your PC. You can then delete the post while still keeping a copy of it for future use. You will not be able to smoothly reupload the content, however. If you have a public account, various online tools can save your photos and videos.
When Should I Archive My Instagram Posts?
There are many reasons why you may want to archive your posts, and some offer more benefits than others. You might want to archive purely as a strategic move. Some posts naturally perform better than others, but a big drop in engagement may look bad to others. You could consider archiving posts when they perform poorly to help your brand image.
When it comes to brands, your posts might only refer to current deals and products. They could even be about advertising a time-sensitive event. When these posts are no longer relevant, you can archive them to avoid confusion. A post about your store closing early might only show up on someone’s feed the next day, for example.
Though a fresh start is usually tempting, people may suspect foul play if your near-empty profile has many followers. You should make sure your account still has enough unarchived posts that retain your followers’ interest, just to be safe. However, making it clear your profile is rebranding via a series of posts can help with this.
When asking, ‘How do you archive Instagram posts?’ you must also consider the correct way to approach this feature. This includes your reasoning for archiving the content and how often you should do it. To make sure your brand stays current, you might want to archive all your posts every six months or so.
Does Archiving Instagram Posts Affect Engagement?
Many factors go towards your engagement rate, including the performance of certain posts. This means photos that get many likes can make your profile more visible via Instagram’s algorithm. You can safely archive this content and reap any bonuses to your profile’s long-term growth. It is still linked to your account, though it would be difficult to get more likes and views.
However, you might choose to archive a post that performs poorly. This will not give you a boost in engagement but could make your account seem more successful. People who only see your best posts while on your profile may view your account in a better light. High like and comment rates are a type of ‘social proof’ on Instagram and can prompt more people to engage.
Archiving gives you more control over your Instagram layout. This means it is an opportunity for your profile to attract a new audience. People who enjoy this change in content and style will be much more likely to encourage it. The specific answer to ‘Does archiving Instagram posts affect engagement?’ is no. However, the changes to your profile could help its overall performance.
How To Archive Multiple Posts at Once
Instagram lets you archive several posts at once; this is especially useful when trying to remove most of your gallery. A mass archive can speed up your rebranding efforts and does not require a third-party app or website. However, there’s still no way for you to archive each and every post with just a single button press.
Go onto your profile and press the three horizontal lines in the top left. Click Your Activity, then Posts. This shows all the posts which are not in your archive. Hold on to the one you want to hide. You will see a blue tick next to the photo or video. You can then click on other posts you want to temporarily archive.
In the bottom left of the screen, the Archive button will have a number beside it. This represents how many posts you are adding to the archive. Press the button and confirm your choice to add the content you selected to the archive. However, you cannot mass restore these posts and will have to bring them back one by one.
The question ‘How do I archive posts on Instagram?’ is worth asking if you plan to change your profile’s direction. With GoRead.io’s paid followers, your account will be able to succeed even amid a rebranding.
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