You know that feeling when you open an app and suddenly see a photo of your ex from three years ago? Or maybe it's that grainy video of a concert you barely remember attending. That’s the "On This Day" Instagram experience in a nutshell. It’s a digital time machine that's honestly a bit of a double-edged sword. Some mornings it’s a sweet hit of nostalgia, and other days it feels like the algorithm is actively trying to haunt you with your old hair choices.
Meta—the parent company that also runs Facebook—has been obsessed with memories for a long time. They realized early on that "past content" is a goldmine for engagement. People love re-sharing things they’ve already done because it’s low-effort content that usually gets a lot of likes. But finding these memories isn't always as straightforward as it used to be. Instagram is notorious for moving buttons around and hiding features in sub-menus just when you’ve finally memorized where they are.
The Evolution of Instagram Memories
Initially, we didn't have a dedicated "On This Day" Instagram feature. We just had a chronological feed. If you wanted to see what you did a year ago, you had to scroll. And scroll. And scroll some more. Then came the Archive. This was a game-changer. Launched around 2017, the Archive allowed users to hide posts from their main grid without deleting them forever. It was the first step toward the "Memories" ecosystem we see today.
Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, has talked extensively about how the platform shifted from being a "square photo sharing app" to an entertainment and video hub. Part of that entertainment is your own history. Instagram basically took a page out of the Facebook playbook—specifically the "On This Day" feature that launched there in 2015—and baked it into the mobile app.
But they did it differently. On Facebook, it’s a dedicated tab. On Instagram, it’s tucked inside your Archive or pops up as a prompt in your Stories tray.
How to Actually Find Your Memories Right Now
If you're looking for your "On This Day" Instagram fix, don't go looking for a button labeled "Memories" on your home screen. It’s not there. You’ve gotta dig a little.
First, head to your profile. See those three horizontal lines in the top right corner? Tap those. That’s the "hamburger" menu. Inside there, you’ll find "Archive." This is the vault. Once you're in the Archive, you'll likely see "Stories Archive" at the top. Tap that dropdown menu. You can switch between your Stories Archive, Posts Archive, and Live Archive.
The "On This Day" magic usually happens at the bottom of the Stories Archive screen. If you have a memory from that specific calendar date, Instagram will show a preview card. It’ll say something like "On This Day" followed by the number of years. You can tap "Share" to immediately throw it into a new Story with a "Memories" sticker.
It's kinda weird how hidden it is. You'd think they'd want it front and center. But Instagram's data likely shows that they don't need to promote it—the people who want to find it will find it, and for everyone else, the occasional notification or "Suggested Memory" in the feed is enough to keep them hooked.
Why You Might Not See Anything
Sometimes the feature just... vanishes. It’s annoying. Usually, this happens because you simply didn't post anything on that specific date in previous years. If January 17th was a quiet day for you in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Instagram has nothing to show you.
Another reason is the "Memory Settings." Did you know you can actually blacklist people or dates? If you’ve gone through a breakup or lost someone, you can tell Instagram to stop showing you memories involving certain people or specific time frames. To do this, go to your Archive, tap the three dots in the top right, and hit Settings. You can filter out the stuff that hurts. It’s one of the few times a social media algorithm actually feels empathetic.
The Technical Side of Nostalgia
How does the app decide which memory to show you? It isn't just a random pull from the database. Instagram uses a variety of signals to prioritize "high-quality" memories.
They look at:
- Engagement levels: Did that post get a ton of comments back in the day?
- Image quality: Is the photo clear or is it a blurry mess?
- People involved: Are you still following the people tagged in that photo?
Engineers at Meta have worked on "Computer Vision" models that can identify what’s in your photos. This allows the "On This Day" Instagram algorithm to group memories by theme. Sometimes you’ll see a "Trip to New York" memory block or a "Best of Summer" collection. It’s trying to tell a story, not just dump data on you.
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The storage requirements for this are massive. We're talking exabytes of data. Every Story you’ve ever posted is saved (unless you’ve turned off the "Save Story to Archive" setting). This is why Instagram is so aggressive about getting you to use the feature; it’s a way to make that massive storage cost "pay for itself" through renewed user activity.
Re-sharing Etiquette in 2026
We've all seen that one person who shares an "On This Day" Instagram post every single morning. Don't be that person. Honestly, it clutters the feed.
The best way to use this feature is to add context. If you’re re-sharing a photo from five years ago, use the "Then vs. Now" approach. Maybe add a new photo next to it to show how much has changed. Or, use the "On This Day" prompt as a way to reflect on a goal you reached.
Also, keep in mind that the "Memories" sticker is interactive. People can tap it to see the original post (if it’s still public). If you’ve archived the original post because you didn't like how it looked on your grid, re-sharing it as a Story memory is a great way to let it live for another 24 hours without committing to the "permanent" aesthetic of your profile.
The Psychological Hook
There is real science behind why we check our memories. Dr. Clay Routledge, a leading expert on the psychology of nostalgia, has noted that nostalgia can actually act as a "psychological resource" that helps people cope with stress. When the world feels chaotic, looking at a photo of a birthday party from 2019 provides a sense of continuity and meaning.
Instagram knows this. The "On This Day" feature isn't just a utility; it's an emotional anchor. It keeps you tied to the platform because your history is there. You can’t easily move your "On This Day" Instagram memories to TikTok or YouTube. It’s part of the "platform lock-in" strategy. Your memories are the "data moat" that prevents you from deleting the app.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If your Archive is empty, check your settings immediately.
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- Go to your Profile.
- Settings and Activity.
- Archiving and Downloading.
- Ensure "Save Story to Archive" is toggled ON.
If this was off, your past Stories are likely gone forever unless you saved them to your phone's camera roll. It sucks, but that’s how the cloud works. Also, make sure your app is updated. Meta pushes server-side updates all the time, but if you're running a version of Instagram from six months ago, the Memory interface might be buggy or non-existent.
Actionable Steps for Your Archive
Don't just let your memories sit there gathering digital dust. You can actually use them to build a better brand or just a more organized personal history.
- Create Highlights: Use your "On This Day" Instagram prompts to find old content that deserves a permanent spot on your profile. If a memory pops up that fits a specific theme (like "Travel" or "Cooking"), add it to a Highlight.
- Clean House: Sometimes a memory pops up and you realize, "Wow, I really don't want this on the internet anymore." Use the daily memory check as a prompt to delete old, cringey content that no longer represents who you are.
- Engagement Boost: Re-sharing a popular memory is one of the easiest ways to spike your engagement numbers on a slow day. The algorithm tends to favor "re-shares" because they keep users on the platform longer.
- Check the Map: Inside the Archive, there is a "Map" tab next to the calendar. It shows you exactly where you were when you posted specific Stories. It’s a great way to relive a vacation or find that one restaurant you forgot the name of.
The "On This Day" Instagram feature is more than just a trip down memory lane. It’s a sophisticated tool for engagement, a psychological comfort, and a massive database of your life. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s become a core part of the modern social media experience. Use it wisely, and maybe think twice before re-sharing that photo from your "experimental" phase in 2016. Some things are better left in the archive.
To maximize the value of your history, set aside five minutes once a month to browse through your Archive Map. You'll often find forgotten gems that are perfect for "Throwback Thursday" or "Flashback Friday" posts, which helps maintain a consistent posting schedule without the pressure of creating new content every single day. Look for patterns in your past posts to see what your audience historically liked—it's essentially a free analytics tool for your own personal brand.
Check your "Days" tonight. You might be surprised at what you've forgotten.