Instagram deletes some user photos: Is there a way to recover them?

Some Instagram users may log into their accounts to find some images missing. What should you do if you find yourself in this position?

First, consider the new rules that Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has imposed on content posted to the site. If your photos breach these rules, there is likely to be no way to recover the post. Typically, a post is removed if it violates copyrights or community standards. Meta states on their website that in cases where a post is removed “because of an intellectual property report submitted through our online form, you’ll receive a notification.” This notification will contain the personal details of the account that lodged the complaint, allowing you to “follow up with the rights owner directly to try to resolve the issue.”

What about a community rules violation?

If there is a community violation, you can petition Instagram to have the post re-instated, though people have had varying levels of success. The Preview App, which is a social media planning tool, has posted a short blog on its website advising those who have sent a report to Instagram but have not heard back that they should file a new report “report every 3 days until you get a reply back from them.” With so many reports to sift through, one request can easily get lost along the chain.

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Recovering posts you have deleted

In addition to recovering posts that were deleted by the platform, Instagram does offer users ways to recover posts that users have deleted. This trick also might work if you accidentally deleted a post and then thought that Instagram had removed it. The first step is to head to your profile; then, in the top right corner, you will see an icon that has three horizontal lines; click on it. The icon will take you to a menu where you will see the option “Your Activity,” in that menu, you will want to click “Recently Deleted.”