If your Instagram reels have disappeared from your profile, there are a few things you can try to get them back. The most common reasons for missing reels are that they were deleted or archived either by you accidentally or by Instagram automatically. Fortunately, it’s often possible to restore deleted reels within 30 days if you act quickly.
Check if you archived your reels
The easiest way for your reels to go missing is if you archived them yourself. On Instagram, archiving posts keeps them out of your main profile grid but doesn’t delete them. To check your archived reels:
- Go to your profile and tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
- Select ‘Archive’ from the menu.
- Scroll through your archived posts. If you see your missing reels here, you can tap on them individually to unarchive.
See if Instagram removed your reels
Instagram may have automatically archived or deleted your reels if they violated community guidelines around nudity, hate speech, bullying, or other prohibited content. You would have received a notification about removed posts at the time.
If you think Instagram wrongly removed your reels, you can appeal the decision within Instagram. Go to your profile, tap the three dots in the top right, select ‘Account’, then ‘Content that was removed’, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Restore recently deleted reels
If your reels aren’t in your archive and you didn’t get a notification about removed content, they may have been deleted. The good news is you can restore recently deleted Instagram posts, including reels.
Deleted Instagram posts are stored for up to 30 days before being permanently erased. To attempt recovery:
- Go to your Instagram profile and tap on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
- Select ‘Settings’ then scroll down to ‘Account’ and tap on it.
- Tap on ‘Recently deleted’ to view your deleted posts from the past 30 days.
- Find your missing reels and tap ‘Restore’ to put them back in your profile.
This is the only official way to recover deleted Instagram reels. If it’s been over 30 days, they cannot be retrieved.
Try reinstalling the Instagram app
A glitch with the Instagram app itself could also be preventing your reels from displaying properly. If you can’t view the reels in your archive or recently deleted, try reinstalling the app.
- Delete the Instagram app from your phone.
- Download the app again from the app store and log in to your account.
- Check if your reels are now visible in your profile or archive.
Reinstalling the app can clear out bugs and data issues that may hide posts like reels.
Use a third-party recovering tool
If your reels were deleted more than 30 days ago, unfortunately Instagram provides no way to recover them. However, third-party tools exist that can sometimes find and restore deleted Instagram posts by scouring your account data.
Apps like iMyFone D-Back and FoneDog Toolkit offer Instagram recovery features alongside data backup services. While not free, they can rescue old deleted posts beyond the 30-day window.
To use:
- Download and install the recovery app on your phone or computer.
- Connect your Instagram account.
- Scan for deleted reel files that may still be recoverable.
- Preview and restore any found reels back to Instagram.
These tools aren’t perfect and depend on residual data remaining for your lost reels. But they offer one last option when all else fails.
Check if your reels are still visible to others
One last possibility – your reels may still be live and visible to other people, even if they disappeared from your own account feed. This can happen if there’s a display bug or connectivity issue just for you.
To check, open Instagram in a different browser or device while logged out of your account. Search for your profile and see if your reels are still present and playable for the public. If so, your reels aren’t really lost and should reappear in your own view once any app or connectivity problems are resolved.
Prevent reels disappearing in the future
To avoid losing reels again, be cautious when deleting or archiving posts in your profile. Consider setting up automatic backups of your account data to external services, so you always have a copy of your reels and photos.
Most importantly, abide by Instagram’s community guidelines with the content you share – inappropriate or dangerous reels are at highest risk of being removed without warning.
By understanding where your missing reels may have gone and taking steps to restore or backup your content, you can keep your Instagram profile intact and avoid losing your creative work.