Facebook introduced the Stories feature in 2017, allowing users to post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. Since then, Stories have become a popular way to share quick updates and moments. However, unlike regular posts which remain visible on your profile unless deleted, Stories disappear after a day.
This led many users to ask if there is a way to save or download your Facebook Stories after they disappear. The answer is yes – Facebook provides the ability to view and manage your story archive.
What is the Facebook story archive?
The Facebook story archive allows you to view and manage the stories you have shared to Facebook after they disappear from the app. It’s a private archive that only you can access, allowing you to look back on your past stories.
The archive includes all photos, videos, reactions, and comments on your stories. You can view your story archive on both desktop and mobile. However, you can only download your archived stories from the desktop site.
When can I access my Facebook story archive?
There are two main requirements to access your Facebook story archive:
- You must have shared at least one story on Facebook.
- At least 24 hours must have passed since you shared a story.
Stories that have disappeared within the last 24 hours will not yet be available in your archive. Facebook needs at least a full day to process and archive your stories after they expire.
So if you shared a story yesterday at 5 PM, you’ll be able to view it in your story archive after 5 PM today, once the 24-hour period has passed.
How to view your Facebook story archive
To view your Facebook story archive:
- Go to facebook.com from your desktop browser and log into your account
- Click on the down arrow at the top right and select ‘Settings’
- On the left menu, click on ‘Your Facebook Information’
- Under the ‘Stories’ section, click on ‘View Story Archive’
This will open your story archive in a new tab, where you can browse through your expired stories.
On Mobile
The story archive is also available on mobile via the Facebook app:
- Open the Facebook app and tap on the menu (three horizontal lines) icon
- Scroll down and select ‘Settings & Privacy’
- Tap on ‘Settings’
- Scroll down to ‘Your Facebook Information’ and tap on ‘View Story Archive’
Features of the Facebook story archive
Once you access your story archive, here are some of the key things you can do:
- Browse stories: Scroll through your expired stories sorted by date posted.
- Search: Use the search bar to find a specific story.
- View reactions: See the reactions and comments you received on each story.
- Download stories: From the desktop site, you can download your archived stories to your device.
- Delete stories: Remove any story from your archive that you don’t want saved.
- Manage audience: Change past stories from public to friends/only me if desired.
The archive allows you to relive memories and take back control of your story privacy settings. You can download stories to keep forever or delete any you don’t want stored.
How long are stories kept in the archive?
Stories are stored in your Facebook story archive indefinitely, unless you explicitly delete them. There is no limit on how many stories can be archived or how long they are retained for.
Even years later, you’ll be able to scroll back and view your story archive to revisit memories and photos from the past. The only exception is if you permanently delete your Facebook account – this also deletes your story archive.
Can I download my full story archive?
Yes, you can download your entire Facebook story archive to keep it permanently saved offline. Here’s how:
- Go to your story archive on the desktop site
- On the top right, click on the three-dot menu beside ‘Your Archive’
- Select ‘Download Archive’
This will download a copy of your story archive in ZIP file format to your device. You can then access the stories offline at any time, even without a Facebook account.
Note
Downloading your full story archive is only possible on a desktop computer. The download feature is not available in the Facebook app.
Can I save individual Facebook stories?
If you don’t want to download your entire story archive, you can also save individual stories:
- Open your story archive and find the story you want to save.
- Click on the three-dot menu in the top right corner of the story.
- Select ‘Save Photo’ or ‘Save Video’ depending on the story format.
This will save the individual story to your device so you can access it even after it’s deleted from your archive.
Do stories saved in the archive still disappear after 24 hours?
No, stories stored in your archive do not have an expiration date. Once a story appears in your story archive, it will remain there indefinitely unless you explicitly remove it.
The 24-hour expiry only applies to active stories on Facebook. Once a story enters your archive, it is preserved for as long as you want.
Can I repost archived stories back to Facebook?
Unfortunately, you cannot directly re-share an archived story back to Facebook as a new story. However, you have a couple of options:
- You can download and then re-upload the story like a regular photo/video post.
- Screen record your archived story and share the new video.
While not as seamless as reposting, these workarounds let you share old stories back on Facebook if you want.
Do deleted stories get archived?
If you delete a story before the 24-hour expiry period, it does not get archived. The story is permanently deleted and will not be available in your story archive.
Only stories that expire naturally after 24 hours get processed and stored in your archive. So be sure to leave any stories you want saved online for at least a day before removal.
Can I auto-save my Facebook stories?
There is no native setting on Facebook to automatically save your stories to the archive. You need to wait for them to expire after 24 hours before they become available in your archive.
However, there are third-party apps like StorySavebox that can automatically download and save your stories for archive purposes.
Pro tips for using your Facebook story archive
Here are some tips to take full advantage of your Facebook story archive:
- Check your archive weekly or monthly to manage old stories.
- Delete embarrassing/pointless stories your past self shared.
- Download your favorite life moments before deleting them from the archive.
- Change settings on old stories from public to friends/only me.
- Occasionally download your full archive as a backup.
- Use your archive to create custom albums, photo books or videos.
Conclusion
The Facebook story archive provides a way to reminisce on memories,take back control of your story privacy, and preserve special moments even after they disappear from the app. Simply wait 24 hours after posting a story before it becomes available in your permanent archive.
Check your story archive regularly to manage, download, and delete old stories as desired. Use the archive to save important life events and create custom mementos.
| Story Posted | Available in Archive |
|---|---|
| Monday 9 AM | Tuesday 9 AM |
| Wednesday 6 PM | Thursday 6 PM |
| Friday 12 AM | Saturday 12 AM |
With the Facebook story archive, your stories can live on forever even after their short 24-hour lifespan. It provides a searchable history of your shared story moments to look back on and reminisce.
Use the archive consistently to decide what to keep and what to let go. Download any precious stories you want to hold onto forever before removing them from your archive.
While stories disappear after 24 hours on Facebook, the story archive gives you back control and lets you manage what gets permanently saved. Enjoy scrolling down memory lane!
Facebook’s story feature has become incredibly popular, with over 300 million people using it daily. But the ephemeral nature of stories means they disappear in 24 hours.
Thankfully Facebook saves your expired stories in the story archive, so you can revisit these memories anytime. Simply wait a day after posting before stories get added to your permanent archive.
Manage old stories by downloading favorites, changing privacy settings, or mass deleting. Use your archive to create custom albums, mementos, or posts. The story archive lets you take back control of your story history.
So embrace the story format to share fun everyday moments, knowing your story archive saves them even after they vanish from the Facebook app.Your Facebook story history is always available to rediscover, reminisce, and shape however you want.
The story archive feature provides a searchable home for all your expired stories. Use it consistently to decide what precious memories to preserve forever and which ones to let fade away after their 24 hours of fame.
Facebook’s stories may disappear after a day, but your story archive keeps them saved indefinitely. Use it to manage, shape and keep your Facebook story history.