Facebook is a social media platform that allows users to share their stories, pictures, and videos with friends and family. Over time, these stories may become valuable memories users want to revisit. Fortunately, Facebook has an archive feature that allows users to view their old stories. This guide will explain how to view old stories on Facebook step-by-step.
Why Should You View Old Stories on Facebook?
Viewing old stories on Facebook can have several benefits. Here are a few reasons why you might want to do so:
- Nostalgia: Old stories can remind you of good times and happy memories you may have forgotten about.
- Self-reflection: Looking back at old stories can help you reflect on your life and how far you’ve come.
- Reconnect with old friends: You may find old stories featuring friends you’ve lost touch with. Viewing those stories may inspire you to reach out to them and reconnect.
- Personal growth: By revisiting old stories, you may be able to identify patterns in your behavior and make changes to improve your life.
Overall, viewing old stories on Facebook can be a fun and insightful way to revisit your past and gain perspective on your life.
How do you View Old Stories on Facebook?
Is it possible to access old content that has been posted on Stories, given that they disappear after 24 hours?
Fortunately, Facebook and Instagram have an Archive feature that automatically saves your Stories to a designated folder after 24 hours. This feature is typically enabled by default, so even if you haven’t specifically enabled it, your old Stories may be accessible through the Archive folder. Another way to view old Stories is through Highlights, which only applies if you manually saved them to your Profile. Depending on your device, the steps to access these old Stories may vary, so we will provide instructions for both smartphones and computers to ensure you can find what you’re looking for.
See Old Stories using a Smartphone.
Accessing your old Stories from your Android or iOS device is simple. Whether you have manually or automatically saved your Stories, you can find them in the Archive folder. Here’s how you can view them:
1. To begin, open Facebook or FB Lite app on your Mobile Phone, tap the three lines menu, and press your username to go to your Profile.
2. Once in your Profile, tap the three dots next to the “Edit Profile” button below your Profile Picture.
3. select the “Archive” option on your Profile Settings.
4. After that, to access the old Stories, press the “Story Archive” option from the top.
Once you have accessed your Archive folder, you can view all your previous Stories and their history. The date each Story was published and expired will also be displayed. To watch an old Story, simply tap on it, and it will play automatically.
It’s important to note that even though your old Stories may have expired, you can still see the views they received for up to 14 days after you uploaded them. This means you can still get an idea of how many people viewed your Story, even if it’s no longer available for others.
5. If you want to share again, open it and tap the “Share Story” option from below. Now, select “Share to Story” and publish it like a new Story.
6. To delete an old one from your Archive, open it and press the three dots from the top right corner. Now, press the “Delete Photo” option.
You can also locally save those Stories on your device by selecting the “Save photo” or “Save video” option.
7. If you want to make an old Story your highlight, tap the “Feature” icon from the bottom right corner.
Now, make a new highlight or add to an existing one, and they will automatically appear on your Profile page.
It’s important to remember that Highlights are visible to everyone unless you manually change your Privacy Settings. Unlike regular Stories, Highlights do not disappear after 24 hours.
To find old Stories on your Facebook account, you can browse through your Highlights, which are just below the Details section on your Profile page. Here’s how you can access them:
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- Go to your Profile page by clicking on your profile picture.
- Scroll down to the section labeled “Highlights.”
- Browse through your Highlights to find old Stories that you have saved.
If you haven’t saved any Stories as Highlights, you won’t be able to find any old Stories using this method. In that case, you can try accessing your Archive folder, as we discussed earlier.
See Old Stories using a PC (Windows or Mac)
It is also possible to find old Stories using the Facebook web on your PC. So, if you have a computer or laptop, follow the steps below.
- Open Facebook.com on your desktop web browser and go to your Profile page.
2. Next, on the right side of the menu bar, press three dots below your Profile Photo and choose the “Archive” option.
3. click “Archive” on the left panel and select “Story Archive” from the menu.
4. You should now see all your expired Stories on the right panel. To refresh your memory, click on any of them to see it.
If you want to use Highlights to find old Stories, you can also check the Intro section on your Profile Page. This section displays some of your selected Highlights, and you can view them by clicking on them.
However, it’s worth noting that customizing old Stories using Highlights is easier on a Smartphone since there aren’t as many options available on a PC in the Archive folder. Therefore, using a Smartphone to customize old Stories and Highlights is best.
How to View Old Stories of Others on Facebook?
Unfortunately, there is no direct way to view old Stories of others on Facebook unless they have saved them as Highlights on their profile. However, if the person has saved their old Stories as Highlights, you can find them by visiting their Profile page and browsing through their Highlights section.
It’s also important to note that unless the person has made their Highlights public, you may not be able to view their saved Stories. In that case, you would need to be their friend on Facebook and have access to their Highlights.
If the person has not saved their old Stories as Highlights and expired after 24 hours, then there is no way to view them on Facebook.
How to Save Your Old Stories on Facebook?
If you don’t want to lose your Stories, we recommend saving them beforehand. There are numerous ways to save your old Stories, which we will briefly review below.
1. Turn on the Archive Feature
The Archive feature allows you to automatically save your Stories after 24 hours. So, enabling this feature is a must for your account.
To enable the Archive feature, go to Settings and open the Profile Settings on your Facebook. Next, scroll down and select the “Story Settings” option under the “Stories” heading.
Now, open “Story Archive” from the next page and toggle on the “Save to Archive” option.
After enabling this feature, you can find all your old Stories in the Archvie folder of your FB account.
2. Download Photos and Videos on Facebook
It’s always a good idea to keep a backup of your important data, including old Stories on Facebook. If Facebook malfunctions or your account is deleted for any reason, you won’t lose your precious memories.
To download your photos and old Stories on Facebook to your local drive, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- Go to your Profile page.
- Click on the “Photos” tab.
- Choose the photo album that contains the old Stories you want to download.
- Click on the three dots icon at the top right corner of the screen.
- Select “Download Album” from the drop-down menu.
- Choose a location on your local drive where you want to save the photos and old Stories.
- Wait for the download to complete.
Once you have downloaded your old Stories and photos to your local drive, make sure to keep a backup in a safe place for emergencies. This way, you can revisit your memories even if your Facebook account is not accessible for any reason.
3. Change your Stories to Highlight
If you want your friends to see your old Stories on Facebook, you can save them as Highlights on your Profile. Unlike regular Stories, Highlights are visible to anyone, depending on your Privacy Settings.
Here’s how you can create a Highlight from an old Story on Facebook:
- Go to your Profile page.
- Click on the “Archive” icon at the top of the screen.
- Browse through your old Stories and select the one you want to save as a Highlight.
- Click on the “Highlight” icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose a cover photo for your Highlight, add a title, and select an audience for it (Public, Friends, Only Me, or a custom audience).
- Click on “Add.”
Your Highlight will now appear in the featured section of your Profile, and your friends can see it if it’s set to a public or friend audience. Highlights won’t disappear after 24 hours, so you don’t have to worry about losing your old Stories.
FAQs
Can I retrieve old Stories that have expired?
Unfortunately, if your old Stories on Facebook have expired after 24 hours, there is no way to retrieve them. Once a Story has expired, it is automatically deleted from Facebook’s servers, and there is no way to recover it.
However, there is a way to prevent losing your old Stories in the future. You can save them as Highlights on your Profile, as mentioned earlier. This way, even if your Stories expire after 24 hours, you can still access them as Highlights and share them with your friends.
It’s also a good idea to download your old Stories and photos from Facebook to your local drive and keep a backup, as mentioned earlier. This way, you can still access your memories even if your Facebook account is not accessible for any reason.
Can I use a third-party application to retrieve old Stories?
We do not recommend using third-party applications to retrieve old Stories on Facebook, as they can be risky and potentially harmful.
Facebook does not allow third-party apps to access user data, including Stories, without the user’s consent. Therefore, any app claiming to retrieve old Stories without your consent will likely be fake or a scam.
In addition, third-party apps can compromise your account’s security and privacy. They may ask for your Facebook login credentials, which can be used to access your personal information, send spam messages, or even hack into your account.
Therefore, we advise against using third-party apps claiming to retrieve old Stories on Facebook. It’s best to use Facebook’s built-in features, such as the Archive and Highlight features, to manage and access your Stories.
Is it possible to organize and manage my old Stories?
You can use the Archive folder to organize and manage your old Stories. However, we recommend using a Smartphone to access your Archive folder because Facebook offers fewer customization options on a PC.
Conclusion
In conclusion, viewing old stories on Facebook can be done in several ways. One of the easiest ways is to use the “Your Archive” feature, which allows you to view and download all of your Facebook data, including your old stories. Another method is to use the “Activity Log” feature, which allows you to see all your activity on Facebook, including your old stories. Additionally, you can try searching for your old stories using keywords or manually going through your old posts. It’s important to note that not all stories may be available due to privacy settings or other factors, but with a little effort, you can still access many of your old Facebook stories.
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