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How to Check your Old Bios on Instagram

If you’ve been a user of Instagram since it first launched in 2010, chances are that you might have a pretty long list of old bios that you used. Some might be good ideas that you can still use now, but others you might just cringe at your old self. 

If you want to see what you used to say about yourself years back, you’ll need to know how to weave your way back to that saved information. We’ll go through each step you’ll have to take for you to start reading through the list of your old bios. 

Instagram

Instagram is all about presenting yourself to your followers. Creating a bio is the best way to express what you’re like in a few words. If you can think back to what you were like years ago, your old bios will probably be the solid evidence you need to confirm the answer. 

Whether you want to check what your old bios were on the mobile app or the desktop website, the result will be the same. Keep reading as we’ll go through everything else you’ll need to know to access your old Instagram bios. 

 

How To See Your Old Instagram Bios

To start getting some nostalgia, follow these quick steps to start viewing your past Instagram bio choices.

  • Open the Instagram app. 
  • Click the profile icon in the bottom-right corner. 
  • Click the horizontal menu bar in the top-right corner. 
  • Select the “Your activity” option.  
  • Select “Account history.”

 

IG Activity

IG Account History

Once you click on this page, you’ll be shown a list that includes all of the past changes you made to your Instagram bio, name, website, and privacy. Scroll through this list and look for any pencil icons as those are the ones that contain your old bios.  

 

How to See Old Bios On Instagram Web

Accessing your old bios on Instagram on the web is a little different than accessing them straight from the app. It’s more of a process where you’ll have to wait for Instagram to email you a file of your account history. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to request this download from your desktop:

  • Log in to your Instagram account on the web. 
  • Click on your profile in the top-right corner. 
  • Select “Settings” from the drop-down.
  • Select “Privacy and Security.”
  • Under “Data Download,” select “Request Download.”

IG Settings

 

IG Privacy and Security

 

IG Download

You’ll then be prompted to put in your Instagram password for security reasons. Allow Instagram up to 48 hours before they send you an email containing the information you’re requesting from them. Inside the email, you’ll find separate files about your account history.

The first file is exactly what you’ll want to find when trying to look for your old bios. “Account History” shows the same things that it does when you click on this tab on the app. Old bios, names, usernames, etc. will pop up where you can start reading through.

The next file, “Comments,” is all about your old comments. Every comment has a date, timestamp, and the account you posted the comment from.

Lastly, the “Connections” file is where you can see all of the users you’ve blocked, hid stories from, follow requests you’ve sent, etc. 

Although these are some of the basics you’ll want to look for, there is much more that you can find out through the file Instagram emails you. Keep an eye out for it and look through it to see what else you can find out about your old Instagram self. 

 

Can You Delete Old Instagram Bios?

Instagram doesn’t allow you to delete your old bios. Since Instagram stores all kinds of information like bio texts, username history, and website history, the only way you can get rid of these in their database is if you delete your entire account. 

If you feel like you want to delete your account to get rid of your information in the database, use this Instagram link to get started. 

 

Conclusion

Without looking at the privacy side of things, Instagram storing its users’ information can sometimes be helpful. Being able to look back at past information is just a fun feature that Instagram added for its users to enjoy. 

Instagram

Before you start digging up your old self, remember a few things:

  • Using the Instagram app instead of a desktop is a lot faster in terms of accessing your information. 
  • You cannot delete your old bios unless you delete your entire Instagram account. 
  • You can access your past information for future use or to just have some fun with it!

Written by Lucia Summa

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