How to Recover a Reel on Instagram

That sinking feeling when you accidentally delete an Instagram Reel you just spent hours on is all too real. Your finger slips, you tap the wrong button, and suddenly your masterpiece is gone. But before you panic, take a deep breath. In most cases, you can get it back. This guide will walk you through the exact steps to recover a deleted Reel, explain what to do if it’s not where you expect, and show you how to prevent this from ever happening again.

Understanding Instagram's "Recently Deleted" Feature

Years ago, deleting anything on Instagram was a permanent, irreversible act. Thankfully, that's no longer the case. Instagram introduced the "Recently Deleted" folder, a digital safety net designed to give users a second chance. It’s a temporary holding area for posts, Stories, and Reels you've removed from your profile.

Here’s the most important thing to know: content in this folder is automatically and permanently deleted after 30 days. Stories you delete are an exception, they only stay for 24 hours since that matches their original lifespan. This 30-day window is your golden opportunity for recovery. The feature was created not just for accidental deletions, but also as a security measure to prevent hackers from instantly wiping out your account's content. It gives you time to reclaim your work even if your account is compromised.

How to Recover a Deleted Reel: The Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Ready to get your content back? The process is surprisingly straightforward, but the options are tucked away in your settings. Just follow these steps carefully, and you’ll have your Reel back on your profile in no time.

Step 1: Go to Your Instagram Profile

Open the Instagram app and navigate to your main profile page by tapping your profile picture in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Step 2: Open the Main Menu

Tap on the three horizontal lines (often called the "hamburger menu") in the top-right corner of your profile page. This will open up the primary navigation menu for your settings and other tools.

Step 3: Navigate to 'Your Activity'

From the main menu, look for and tap on the option labeled "Your Activity." This section is a hub for managing all of your interactions and content on the platform.

Step 4: Tap on 'Recently Deleted'

Inside the "Your Activity" menu, scroll down until you see the "Recently Deleted" option. The icon is usually a small trash can or clock. Tap on it to open the folder.

Step 5: Find Your Deleted Reel

Your deleted content is organized by type. At the top of the "Recently Deleted" screen, you’ll see tabs for posts, Reels, and Stories. Tap on the Reels tab to see a gallery of all the Reels you've deleted in the last 30 days. Find the specific Reel you want to recover.

Step 6: Restore the Reel

Tap on the Reel you wish to bring back. This will open it in a full-screen view. In the bottom-right corner, you'll see three dots ("...") for "More" options. Tap the three dots, and a small menu will pop up with two choices: "Restore" or "Delete." Tap "Restore." A confirmation message will appear, simply tap "Restore" again to confirm your decision.

Step 7: Verify Your Identity (If Prompted)

As a security measure, Instagram might ask you to verify that it's really you trying to restore the content. It’s the same logic they use for logging in on a new device. This security check may require you to enter a one-time code sent to the email address or phone number associated with your account. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the verification. This step is crucial for protecting your account from unauthorized activity.

Step 8: Check Your Profile

Once you’ve restored the Reel, navigate back to your profile. It should now be visible again in your Reels tab and on your main profile grid. Sometimes it can take a minute or two to reappear, and it will be placed back in its original position on your feed, based on its original posting date, not the date of restoration.

What If My Reel Isn't in 'Recently Deleted'? Troubleshooting Common Issues

Sometimes things don't go as planned. If you've followed the steps above and your Reel is nowhere to be found, here are a few common scenarios and their explanations.

It Has Been More Than 30 Days

This is the most common reason a Reel is gone for good. The 30-day recovery window is a hard limit. Once that time has passed, Instagram's systems automatically purge the data permanently. Unfortunately, there is no secret support channel or backdoor method to retrieve content after this point. This is why acting quickly is so important.

What You Deleted Was a Draft, Not a Published Reel

This is another major point of confusion for many creators. The "Recently Deleted" folder only stores content that was published on your profile and then deleted. Instagram drafts are saved differently - they are stored within the app's cache or your account's cloud data but are not considered live content. If you delete a draft, it is gone permanently and will not appear in the "Recently Deleted" folder. You cannot recover a deleted draft. Treat your drafts as temporary holding spots, not permanent storage.

Your Instagram App is Outdated

If you can't even find the "Your Activity" or "Recently Deleted" section, your app might be severely outdated. Instagram frequently moves settings around and updates the user interface. Head to the App Store (for iOS) or Google Play Store (for Android), search for Instagram, and tap "Update" if an update is available. A quick update can often solve the problem of missing features.

Building a Failsafe System: How to Avoid Losing Your Content for Good

Recovering content is great, but the best strategy is to never lose it in the first place. You put too much time and creative energy into your Reels to risk losing them. By building a simple backup habit, you can protect yourself from accidental deletions, app glitches, and the 30-day time limit.

1. Always Save the Final Video to Your Device

Before you hit that final "Share" button, make it a non-negotiable step to save the finished Reel to your phone’s camera roll. In the final editing screen, just before you write your caption, there is a small download icon (an arrow pointing down) at the top of the editing interface. Tapping this will save the full video, with all your edits, music (though sometimes external audio has copyright limitations on download), and effects, directly to your device. This creates an immediate, high-quality backup.

2. Enable Automatic Camera Roll Backups

Take your personal backup system one step further by automating it. Services like Google Photos, iCloud, Amazon Photos, or Dropbox can automatically upload any new videos and photos from your device’s camera roll to the cloud. By enabling this feature, any Reel you save to your phone will be automatically copied to your secure cloud storage without you having to do a thing. It’s a “set it and forget it” strategy that could save you major headaches down the line.

3. Be Mindful with Drafts

Given how fragile drafts are, adjust your workflow accordingly. Don't let dozens of half-finished ideas sit in your drafts folder for weeks. If you’ve made significant progress on a Reel but aren't ready to post, use the method above to save a copy directly to your phone. This way, if a bug clears your drafts or you accidentally delete one, you still have the video file ready to be re-uploaded and finished later.

4. Slow Down and Review

Lastly, the simplest human advice often works best. When you're managing your content Grid and cleaning up old posts, just slow down. Instagram gives you multiple confirmation pop-ups before you delete anything. Take an extra second to read what you’re clicking and confirm that you’re deleting the right piece of content. That small pause can be the difference between a tidy profile and a frantic search for the "Recently Deleted" button.

Final Thoughts

Accidentally deleting an Instagram Reel can be incredibly frustrating, but it’s rarely a career-ending crisis. Thanks to the "Recently Deleted" feature, a quick recovery is usually just a few taps away, as long as you act within the 30-day window. For everything else, prevention through backing up your content is your strongest defense.

While Instagram provides a safety net for deleted content, managing and organizing your entire content calendar can prevent these little mistakes from happening in the first place. That's why we built Postbase. Using our visual calendar, we love being able to clearly see all our scheduled content in one place, which reduces the chaos and the chance of accidentally deleting the wrong post in a hurry. When everything is planned out ahead of time, you can spend less time scrambling and more time focusing on creating amazing content.