And who can forget this terrible feeling – you’re browsing through the pictures in your Instagram profile, perhaps trying to do a quick clean-up job when suddenly – oh no! you end up removing the pic you were so fond of! The problem has definitely occurred to you before, and the only reason you’re reading this right now is because you want to restore the pics you deleted from Instagram without turning to a miracle app that will only frustrate you in the end.
Can You Recover Deleted Instagram Photos?
Yes, but – and this is important – the possibilities of recovering your files depend upon the method of deletion of the photo.
When you remove a photo from Instagram, the image doesn’t disappear immediately. This is because Instagram introduced the “Recently Deleted” folder in February of this year (2021). Using this folder, you can recover the photo within the first 30 days (24 hours for stories).
Step-by-Step: Recover Deleted Instagram Photos
1. Check Instagram’s Recently Deleted Folder
- Go to your profile.
- Tap Menu (three lines).
- Select Your Activity → Recently Deleted.
- Select the image → Restore.
2. Check Your Phone’s Storage
Most smartphones will retain copies of the images that are taken and/or uploaded.
- On iPhone: Check the Photos app and the Recently Deleted album.
- On Android: Check Google Photos or the Gallery.
- Do not forget cloud storage sites like Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive.
Why This Works:
This compressed file will be uploaded to Instagram, but the full image file will be retained in its original form on the phone. The cloud sync service provides a safety net if it had been enabled.
3. Using Data Recovery Software (with Caution)
The results can be spotty and might require a license fee or tech skills. Make sure you download from the legitimate sites to avoid malware.
4. Ask Friends
Or maybe you posted it and tagged a friend – they might still have it saved. This actually worked pretty well for me when my phone crashed – I managed to track down a rare image of me traveling from my friend’s saved messages.
5. Prevention Tip
Automatically save Instagram photos to the camera roll.
[Recommended internal link: “Read our full guide on setting up bulletproof photo backups for social media.”]
How Are Instagram Follower Lists Ordered? A Quick Explanation
Did you notice that the list of followers doesn’t appear in alphabetical order? It’s not arranged in the order of when they followed you either. This has to do with the logic of Instagram’s algorithm: there’s a relevance factor involved.
- Mutual Interaction Frequency: The accounts you interact with frequently (likes, comments, DMs) will likely show up higher.
- Recency of Interaction: The accounts that are recently interacted may be boosted.
Misconceptions to Clear Up
- Legend: The first few names that appear in the list are “stalking” you.
- Fact: This order combines algorithmic relevance and the number of visitors to your profile.
- Myth: You can reorder your list of followers.
- Fact: Instagram doesn’t support custom sorting yet.
Lessons Learned from Experience
- Within 30 days? → Check Recently Deleted folder on Instagram.
- Saved locally? → Check the phone gallery and “Recently Deleted” album.
- Synced to cloud? → Search in iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox.
- As last resort: Try reputable recovery software.
Restoring deleted photos from Instagram can be easy if you react in time and know the right locations to check. This starts with Instagram’s “Recently Deleted” folder. Another option remains the device’s backup software and cloud storage. And while you are also analyzing your profile information, learning about the list of users you are following can provide you insights about the workings of this platform algorithm because it’s engagement-based and not arranged randomly. Next step: Make sure to backup today’s important posts and turn the automatic save feature on for uploading. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that prevent the biggest problems from happening.