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Have you ever faced that moment when you deleted an Instagram post inadvertently and wanted to get it back? That post, with reactions from friends and followers, can now be retrieved. The platform has rolled out a 'recently deleted' feature, allowing users to review and restore deleted posts.
To make this work, Instagram will move deleted posts, including from Reels and IGTV, to a ‘recently deleted’ folder instead of permanently erasing them. This transition folder will hold posts for 30 days, and then auto deletes. So, within that one-month window, you can retrieve your posts back. For deleted stories, the ones not in the archive will stay in the folder for up to 24 hours.
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Here's how you can retrieve your posts: get into your profile and click on the hamburger menu on the top right corner. Then, tap on settings and scroll to ‘account’. You will now see a ‘recently deleted’ folder. Tap on it to access your recently erased media.
Users can choose to restore the deleted items after verifying they are the account holder. They can also choose to ‘archive’ posts, which will be visible only to the account holder. The post can be restored from the archive in case the user changes their mind.
Hackers sometimes delete content when they gain access to an account, depriving users of any option to retrieve deleted posts. The app will also ask users to verify that they are the rightful account holders while permanently deleting or restoring content from the folder, the company stated
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The feature is similar to the ‘recently deleted’ photos feature in every smartphone, that allows users to recover media that may have been deleted by accident.
The Facebook-owned app rolled out several features last year, including the ‘vanish mode’ and its integration with Facebook Messenger. I t also introduced Instagram Lite meant for users having low bandwidth internet. Last week, Instagram confirmed it is working on a ‘vertical stories’ feed, according to TechCrunch.