Instagram might let you post backdated content in a future update

Instagram seems to be working on a feature to share backdated posts on the platform. The unreleased feature was spotted by leaker and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who has spilled beans on underdevelopment Instagram features in the past.

The feature might show up on the Instagram app with the name "Post to the past," according to an alleged screenshot shared by the leaker on X. However, it's yet to be known when (or if) the feature will be released to the general public, and whether it will be limited to business accounts or open to everyone.

For reference, Instagram's sister platform Facebook lets you change the publish date on your timeline. But you can only change the date of the content you have already posted on Facebook.

As of now, the Meta-owned social media platform doesn't let you share backdated posts, Reels, or Stories. However, you can access the content you have shared in the past by going to the Archive section in the app's settings.

The Archive section has a calendar tab to find past Stories by their publish date. If you want to know from where you posted those Stories, the location tab shows your previous content on a map.

The unreleased feature adds to the stream of Instagram features reportedly under development such as adding a reason to your follow request, Notes Prompts, and animated emoji for DMs. The social media platform recently introduced the ability to edit sent messages and started labeling AI-generated images.

Its parent Meta, which recently suffered an extended outage, came under fire after reports of exploitative content surfaced. The company also announced that it will no longer "proactively recommend" political content on Facebook and Instagram.