Instagram makes old stories easier to find alongside new anti-bullying features

Instagram is adding new features to help users find old stories posted over the last three years and to reduce abusive behavior. The stories archive now includes a new monthly calendar view, which shows the days you posted each story, alongside a map which shows story locations, TechCrunch reports. Instagram also announced a pair of new anti-bullying features which attempt to automatically hide potentially abusive comments while discouraging users from posting them in the first place.

Given that stories are designed to disappear automatically after 24 hours, it’s likely surprising to many that Instagram has an archive of them going back years. The stories archive actually dates back to 2017 — the new calendar and map just offer a better way to find old stories. The archive is private, visible only to you, but there’s an option to re-share them publicly on your profile or stories feed. The new Stories Map and monthly calendar view are rolling out now, and can be accessed from the “archive” menu under your user profile.

One of the tests involves automatically hiding comments. Image: Instagram

As part of Instagram’s latest round of anti-bullying features the service will start automatically hiding comments similar to those that have been reported. These comments won’t be deleted entirely, however, and can still be viewed by tapping the “View Hidden Comments” button. Instagram is also adding warnings for users who repeatedly post potentially offensive comments to try and encourage them to think twice before posting, in an expansion of an initiative launched last year. Both new features are currently being tested on the platform.

Instagram’s announcement of the new features coincides with the service’s 10th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, Instagram has added an easter egg that lets you revisit its old app icons on iOS and Android. It can be accessed by doing a long swipe down on the settings menu, after which the old app icons can be brought back into active duty.