Thanks to the Archive feature, you can hide your Instagram photos if you’re ever unsure about them. You’ll always have the option to retrieve them at a later stage too.
Continue reading to find out how to hide photos on Instagram without deleting them.
How Instagram’s Archive Feature Works
Instagram is a visually-focused app, and having a seamless, carefully-curated photo grid makes you stand out.
But achieving this feat isn’t always easy. Maybe you’ve uploaded a photo on Instagram, then later felt unsure about whether it was a good idea. Or maybe you uploaded the perfect photo but after some time (and more uploads) it didn’t seem like a good match for your Instagram grid.
This is common among Instagram users, and understandably so—you want to present yourself or your profile in the best possible manner. Thankfully, Instagram recognizes this and provides a solution in the form of its Archive feature.
Archive allows you to remove photos from your Instagram grid. They will always be on your profile in case you decide to retrieve them in the future and display them on your grid again.
How to Archive Photos on Instagram
Follow the steps below to get started on archiving any photos you want to temporarily hide on your Instagram account.
Launch the Instagram app on your mobile phone. Tap the profile icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. This will lead you to your Instagram profile grid. Select the photo you want to hide from your feed. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Now tap Archive, the second option on the pop-up menu. Your photo will no longer appear on your Instagram feed.
How to Retrieve an Archived Photo on Instagram
If you ever change your mind and decide that you want your archived photo to appear on your feed again, simply follow the steps below:
From the Home page, tap the profile icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Tap Archive on the pop-up menu. If you need to switch section, tap Posts/Stories Archive at the top. Select the photo you want to remove from Archive. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen, and then tap Show on profile. Your photo will now appear on your Instagram grid again.
Should You Archive or Delete Photos on Instagram?
It is not uncommon to change your mind about a photo you’ve uploaded on Instagram. You can hide a photo if you’re unsure about whether it’s a good fit for your grid, or delete it outright. You might opt for the latter action if a photo no longer represents you well, or if it fails to reflect the current aesthetic of your grid.
But deleting a photo is permanent, so it should probably be your last resort. Archiving is your best bet until you’re certain that you no longer want a particular photo to appear on your grid again.
Because you can still access an archived photo, you’ll have plenty of time to consider whether you want to delete it permanently.
