- Using your activity log to see old Facebook posts on a computer
- Finding old Facebook posts in the activity log on Android
- Which activity log category holds your old Facebook posts
- Seeing old Facebook posts through the Memories feature
- Who can see your old Facebook posts when you look back
- Old Facebook posts for a business or creator account
- If you can't find an old Facebook post
- Frequently asked questions
To see old Facebook posts, click your profile picture, choose Settings & Privacy, then Activity Log, and open Activity history. Use the Date filter to pick a year and month. You can also open Memories from the left menu in your Feed to see past posts Facebook picks for the day.
Every so often I need to find something I posted on Facebook a long time ago. It might be a client announcement, a photo from an event, or a comment I want to check before I reply to someone. Scrolling down your profile for years is slow and it rarely gets you there.
Facebook gives you two better routes, and they work in different ways. One is your activity log, which is a record you can filter by year. The other is Memories, which shows you old content on its own schedule. Here's how each works, based on Facebook's help pages.
Using your activity log to see old Facebook posts on a computer
Facebook's help centre describes the activity log as the place to review and manage what you share on Facebook. It lists your activity in order, so it's the closest thing to a complete list of your old posts.
- Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
- Select Settings & Privacy, then click Activity Log.
- Click Activity history on the left.
- Click Date, then use the Year dropdown to pick the year you want to look at. You can then filter by month.
- Click Save Changes to see that period.
You'll now see what you did in that window of time. The help centre says the log covers things you've created, such as posts, along with likes and other interactions, so it isn't only posts. Use the categories to narrow it down.
Finding old Facebook posts in the activity log on Android
The help centre gives a different route in the app. I'm giving the Android wording as Facebook prints it, and menus can differ between app versions, so if yours looks different, look for the Menu and Options labels first.
- Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook.
- Tap Options below your profile picture.
- Tap Activity Log.
- Tap Activity History at the top to show your activity history.
From there you can tap into the activity types listed. If you're on an iPhone, Facebook has its own help page for that device, so check the app's help menu if the steps above don't match what you see.
Which activity log category holds your old Facebook posts
The log is split into types. The help centre lists these:
| Category | What Facebook says it's for |
|---|---|
| Your activity across Facebook | Posts you've created, likes and other interactions |
| Personal information | Info you gave when you set up your account |
| Connections | How you've connected with people |
| Security and login information | Technical information and logged activity on your account |
| Apps and websites off of Facebook | Posts from apps and websites |
| Preferences | Actions that customise your experience |
| Logged information | Things like your location and search history |
For old posts, start with Your activity across Facebook. Then click the category you want, for example Posts. The help centre gives an example of going from Posts to Videos you've watched, which shows how deep the menus go.
Seeing old Facebook posts through the Memories feature
This one works the opposite way round. You don't search it. Facebook decides what to show. According to the help centre, you'll see things like your own Facebook posts, posts you were tagged in and anniversaries.
- Open Facebook on a computer and go to your Feed.
- Click Memories in the left menu.
Two honest limits apply. If nothing is listed, the help centre says it may be because Facebook has nothing to show for that particular day, so check again the next day. And you can't turn Memories off, though you can control what you see in it. It's a nice way to bump into old content, but it won't find a specific post on demand.
Who can see your old Facebook posts when you look back
Here's a detail I find reassuring. The help centre says only you can see your activity log. But it adds a warning: the posts and other content in your activity log may appear elsewhere on Facebook, such as on your profile, in Search or in friends' Feeds. So looking at a post in the log isn't the same as hiding it.
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If you find something you'd rather not leave on show, the same log is where you manage what you've shared. And if you're trying to reach posts you tucked away earlier, my guide to finding archived Facebook posts covers where those go.
Old Facebook posts for a business or creator account
If you run a Page, remember that you may be looking at a Page's content rather than your own profile. Facebook's help centre has a separate article for a Page's activity log, which I haven't covered here, so use the Page's own help menu if the steps above don't match.
A habit that helps small businesses: once a quarter, scroll back through your own old posts and note which ones got the best replies. Old posts show you what your audience liked. I'd also check links in older posts, because pages move and websites change. If you've saved reels along the way, my guide to finding saved reels on Facebook shows where those live.
If you can't find an old Facebook post
- Check the year. The log filters by Year and then month, so a post from December can sit in a different year to the one you expect.
- Try another category. A post from an app or website sits under Apps and websites off of Facebook.
- Check you're logged into the right account, because a second profile has its own log.
- Remember the post may have been deleted, in which case it won't show.
- Update the app, restart it and try again.
If a menu is missing, Facebook's help pages say you can report a problem from the help menu so the team can look into it.
This guide is part of my Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see my old posts on Facebook?
Open your activity log from Settings & Privacy, click Activity history, then filter by Date to choose a year and month.
How do I see old Facebook posts on Android?
Tap Menu, tap Options below your profile picture, tap Activity Log, then tap Activity History at the top.
What is Memories on Facebook?
Memories shows things like your own posts, posts you were tagged in and anniversaries. The help centre says you can't turn it off, but you can control what you see.
Can other people see my activity log?
No. Facebook's help centre says only you can see it, though the posts inside it may appear elsewhere on Facebook.
Why is Memories empty?
The help centre says it may be because there's nothing to show for that day, so check again the next day.
