How to See Archived Stories on Facebook (Phone and Computer)

Stories vanish after a day, which is lovely for casual posts and frustrating when you want an old behind-the-scenes clip back. If you've got story archive switched on, Facebook has kept a private copy for you, and finding it takes a few taps.

If you post stories for a business, this archive is useful as a content library. Below are the steps from Facebook's help centre for a phone and a computer, what's different if you deleted a story, and how to switch the archive on or off.

What the Facebook story archive holds

Facebook's help centre says your stories stay visible for 24 hours to the audience you choose for each story. If you turn on your story archive, they're saved automatically when they disappear. Only you can see your story archive.

There's a manual route too. If your archive is off, you can still archive an individual story. Facebook says that when you do, the story is removed from your active story immediately.

Finding your Facebook story archive on Android

The Android steps from the help centre are:

1. Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook, then tap your name.
2. Tap Options.
3. Tap Archive.
4. Tap Story archive at the top.

Your old stories appear there. If you've got a lot of them, scroll down to go further back. I haven't read a separate iPhone version of this article, and menus vary by app version, so on an iPhone look for the same route: your profile, then Options, then Archive, then Story archive.

Finding your Facebook story archive on a computer

1. From your Feed, click your profile picture in the left-hand menu.
2. Click Options.
3. Click Story Archive.

That's all there is to it. The archive lives under your profile Options, so it's a different place from your posts or photos, which is why people often search for ages without finding it.

What you can do with an archived Facebook story

The help centre says that while you're in your story archive, you can feature a story on your profile. It also lists related articles for saving an archived story to your device and for deleting one.

To delete an archived story on Android, Facebook's steps are:

1. Open your story archive as above.
2. Tap the photo or video you'd like to delete.
3. Tap Options, then tap Delete photo or Delete video.
4. Tap Delete.

I haven't opened the save-to-device article, so I won't give steps for it. If you want to reuse a story elsewhere, search the help centre for Save your archived story on Facebook to your device.

Why a Facebook story is missing from your archive

Here's the point that explains most disappointments. Facebook says that if you delete a story before it disappears, it won't be saved to your archive. If you'd like to save it, you have to archive it manually instead.

Other reasons a story may not be there are more likely than any glitch:

• The archive was switched off when you posted the story.
• You deleted the story before it expired.
• The story was posted on a different profile or as your Page, which has its own story archive setting.
• You're looking in the wrong place, such as your posts or photos, rather than Story archive.

Facebook's related articles list a separate one for turning on your Page's story archive, so a Page and a profile don't share a switch. The first two reasons come from Facebook's own help article, and the rest are common sense.

Turning the Facebook story archive on or off

If you want future stories saved automatically, check the setting. The help centre's Android steps are:

1. Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook, then tap your name.
2. Tap Options.
3. Tap Archive, then tap Story archive at the top.
4. Tap Settings in the top right.
5. Toggle Save to archive on or off.

Facebook adds a detail worth knowing. When a story has been archived, any options you added to it, such as stickers or filters, may be compressed and may lose their features. So an archived story may not look quite the same as the original.

Archived stories versus archived Facebook posts

People mix these up. A story archive holds the photos and videos from your stories. Archived posts are a separate thing, and my walkthrough of finding archived Facebook posts covers where those live.

If you want to bring a favourite short video back, Reels you've saved are a third place to check. My guide to finding saved reels on Facebook shows where to look.

Using your Facebook story archive for a business

If you run a small business, treat the archive as a private library. You can feature good ones on your profile so they stay visible. Keep in mind the compression note above: if a story matters, keep your original photo or video as well.

It's also worth remembering that only you can see the archive. If a customer asks for a story you've posted, you may need to copy it or post it again, because they can't browse your archive.

If you want the full set, start at the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

Where is my story archive on Facebook?

On Android, tap Menu, tap your name, tap Options, tap Archive, then tap Story archive. On a computer, click your profile picture, click Options, then click Story Archive.

Who can see my Facebook story archive?

Only you. Facebook's help centre says only you can see your story archive.

Why is my story missing from the Facebook archive?

Facebook says a story you delete before it disappears won't be saved to your archive. It also won't be saved automatically if your archive was switched off.

How do I turn on story archive on Facebook?

Open your story archive, tap Settings in the top right and toggle Save to archive on.

Can I delete an archived story on Facebook?

Yes. Open the story archive, tap the photo or video, tap Options, then Delete photo or Delete video, and tap Delete to confirm.