How Long Does Instagram Keep Removed Content?

Liam_Hartley
Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:15:58 +0000

Instagram keeps deleted posts, Reels, and videos in the “Recently Deleted” folder for 30 days, while stories without archives stay there for only 24 hours. After that, it can take up to 90 days for the content to be fully purged from Instagram’s servers, typically making recovery impossible for users.