Can you watch an Instagram live after it ends?

Only if the creator shared the replay to their profile, and only for 30 days. Otherwise the broadcast is deleted when it ends and can only be watched through an archive that recorded it live.

Does Instagram save your live videos?

No. Instagram prompts you to share a replay when the broadcast ends, but if you decline the video is deleted permanently. Shared replays expire after 30 days.

How long do Instagram live replays last?

30 days, if the creator chose to share the replay to their profile. After that Instagram removes it automatically.

How to Watch Old Instagram Live Videos

You cannot watch an old Instagram Live on Instagram itself. When a broadcast ends, Instagram deletes it, unless the creator shared it to their profile, and even then only for 30 days. The only way to watch one afterwards is through an archive that recorded the stream while it was live, such as IGLiveStream.

What Instagram does when a live ends

When a creator ends a live broadcast, Instagram offers to share a replay to their profile. If they decline, which is the default and by far the most common outcome, the video is deleted immediately and cannot be recovered by anyone, including the creator.

If they do share it, the replay sits on their profile for 30 days and then expires automatically. There is no setting that makes it permanent.

Why the video cannot be recovered later

Instagram does not keep a copy you can request. The 'Download your information' export only contains content still associated with the account, so an expired or unshared live simply is not in it.

This is the difference between a live broadcast and a normal post: a post exists until it is deleted, while a live exists only while it is happening.

How an archive fills the gap

An archive has to be recording while the broadcast is running, there is no way to fetch it afterwards. IGLiveStream captures live broadcasts from public figure accounts as they happen and keeps them watchable, with the original broadcast date, duration and thumbnail intact.

That is why the archive covers specific accounts rather than all of Instagram, and why coverage starts when an account was added rather than at the beginning of their history.

Common questions

Can you watch an Instagram live after it ends?: Only if the creator shared the replay to their profile, and only for 30 days. Otherwise the broadcast is deleted when it ends and can only be watched through an archive that recorded it live.
Does Instagram save your live videos?: No. Instagram prompts you to share a replay when the broadcast ends, but if you decline the video is deleted permanently. Shared replays expire after 30 days.
How long do Instagram live replays last?: 30 days, if the creator chose to share the replay to their profile. After that Instagram removes it automatically.

Browse the archive

IGLiveStream preserves both Instagram live broadcasts and stories from public figure accounts. Browse every celebrity or see the most recently archived videos.