Facebook allows users to archive their posts and stories after 24 hours so they are no longer visible on their profile page or timeline. Archiving can be useful for removing content you no longer want public but still want to be able to access privately. Retrieving an archived Facebook story is easy to do through the Activity Log feature. In this article, we’ll explain what archiving does, how to archive a story, and the steps to retrieve an archived story on Facebook.
What does archiving a story on Facebook do?
When you archive a Facebook story, it is removed from public view on your profile and is no longer visible to other users. Archiving a story does the following:
- Removes the story from your timeline and profile page
- Prevents the story from showing up in friends’ News Feeds
- Stops notifications and comments on the story
- Keeps the story only visible to you in your archives
The story remains in your Activity Log and is retrievable for your viewing at any time. Archiving is different than deleting in that the content is saved rather than permanently erased. You have the option to unarchive a story to make it public again.
How to archive a Facebook story
Archiving a Facebook story is easy to do right from the mobile app or desktop site:
On Mobile:
- Open the Facebook app and go to your profile page
- Tap on the story you want to archive
- Tap on the three dots “…” icon in the top right corner
- Select “Archive” and confirm when prompted
On Desktop:
- Go to your Facebook profile page and click on the story
- Click on the three dots “…” icon next to the date
- Choose “Archive” and click Archive again to confirm
How to retrieve an archived story on Facebook
Retrieving an archived Facebook story to view it again is a simple process:
On Mobile:
- Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu icon
- Scroll down and select “Activity Log”
- Tap on “Your Posts” at the top of the screen
- Browse posts until you find the archived story you want to view
- Tap on the story to open it and view the content
On Desktop:
- Go to your profile page and click on “Activity Log” in the left menu
- Click on “Your Posts” at the top of the page
- Scroll through the list of your posts
- When you find the archived story, click on it to open and view it
- You can also search for specific words in the search bar to find the story faster
Once opened, you can view the archived story like any other post. You have the option to unarchive it directly from the Activity Log too. Archived stories remain visible in your Activity Log unless you choose to delete them.
Reasons people archive Facebook stories
There are a few common reasons people choose to archive their Facebook stories:
- To remove posts with sensitive, controversial, or inappropriate content from public view
- To take a break from certain people seeing your content without deleting it entirely
- To digitally declutter your timeline by removing unimportant or irrelevant old posts
- To preserve memories and posts you want to keep privately but not publicly
- To manage your social media presence and edit old content from your profile
Archiving allows you to essentially hide stories without erasing them in case you later decide to re-share something. It gives more control over your Facebook presence.
Tips for managing archived Facebook stories
Review your archives periodically
It’s easy to forget what you’ve archived over time. Occasionally browsing your Facebook Activity Log under “Your Posts” lets you evaluate whether you still want certain stories saved privately or if you’re ready to delete them.
Unarchive stories you want to share again
If you come across an old archived story you want to reshare publicly, you can unarchive it back to your timeline. Just open the story from your Activity Log and select “Unarchive”.
Delete irrelevant or outdated archives
Don’t let old archives clutter up your Facebook account. If you find archived stories that no longer matter, go ahead and delete them for good.
Back up important archives
For archived memories you really want to preserve long-term, you may want to download or screenshot them as a backup before deleting the archive from Facebook.
Adjust your archive habits
If you find yourself constantly archiving and unarchiving the same posts, reconsider whether you should be archiving so many stories in the first place.
Archiving vs. deleting Facebook stories
Archiving and deleting stories on Facebook both remove content from your profile, but there are some key differences:
| Archiving | Deleting |
|---|---|
| Content is hidden from others but remains retrievable in your Activity Log | Content is permanently erased and no longer retrievable |
| Can unarchive a story to make public again | Can’t recover a deleted story |
| Useful for temporarily removing content from view | Better for permanently removing content from existence |
In general, archiving is best for content you might want to revisit or reshare later on. Deleting is best for content you want gone for good that you have no need or desire to see again.
Conclusion
Archiving your Facebook stories is an easy way to manage your social media presence and save memories privately without cluttering up your public profile. Whenever you need to access an archived story in the future, you can quickly retrieve it through the Activity Log feature. Just be sure to periodically review and purge irrelevant archives to keep your Facebook tidy. With the ability to archive and unarchive as needed, you have lots of control over what you share while still preserving special moments.