Instagram’s archive feature gives users a way to remove a post from their public profile without permanently deleting it. Although users may generally be happy with the pictures and videos they've posted to their Instagram profiles, there may also be times that they want to remove one for some reason after posting without getting rid of it altogether. This is what the archive feature is for.
The archive feature was launched by Instagram in June of 2017. It allows users to remove a post but to keep the option of reinstating it later. it provides an alternative to deleting a post, which permanently removes a post instead of just hiding it. Deleting, of course, also means wiping any data that accompanies a post, such as likes or comments, but these are retained when a post is archived.
When a user archives an Instagram post, it is immediately hidden from their profile. The user can still see their own archived posts via their profile settings, but no followers are able to see the archived posts. Additionally, users can still see the likes and comments on any post they’ve archived, although obviously, it will not be possible for anyone to add likes or comments while it is archived.
How To Archive & Unarchive Instagram Posts
To archive a post, users should navigate to their profile by clicking on their profile picture on the bottom right corner of the Instagram app. Then, open the post that needs to be archived and click on the ellipsis menu button in the top right corner of the post. This brings up a menu of options, one of which is the Archive option. Once that is tapped, the post will disappear from the user's profile page.
To bring back an archived post to their profile, users should access their profile page again and click on the hamburger menu button in the top right corner. This will bring up a menu of tabs, including the Archive tab. When users click on this tab, they will be taken to their archive. In the top bar of the screen, users can access a drop-down that allows them to click on one of three options: the Stories archive, Posts archive, and Live archive. Opening the Posts archive shows all of a user's archived posts. The user can then tap on the post that needs to be reinstated, tap on the ellipsis menu button again, and then tap 'Show on Profile.' Now, the post will be back on your profile page, retaining all of its likes and comments.
Source: Instagram