Facebook's Memory feature stores your old posts automatically

Facebook saves every post you've ever shared — photos, status updates, links, comments — and groups them by date in a section called Memories. When you want to find something you posted months or years ago, you don't search through your timeline manually. Instead, you open Memories and browse by the date Facebook suggests, or jump to a specific year.

The Memories feature works the same way on desktop and mobile, though the steps to reach it differ slightly. Facebook shows you posts from this day in previous years, but you can also look at any date you choose. This is useful when you want to revisit old photos, find a post you half-remember, or see what you were doing on a specific date.

Key Takeaways

  • Memories on Facebook are organized by date and show posts from the same day in previous years, but you can browse any date you want.
  • On desktop, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left, scroll down, and select Memories; on mobile, tap the menu icon at the bottom right.
  • Once in Memories, you can jump to a specific date using the calendar picker, or scroll through suggested posts from past years.
  • If you can't find a post in Memories, you can search your timeline directly using the search bar at the top of Facebook, typing keywords from the post you're looking for.

How to open Memories on desktop

On a computer, log into Facebook and look for the menu icon — three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other — in the top left corner of the page. Click it to open a dropdown menu with options like Home, Friends, Groups, and Watch. Scroll down through this menu until you see the word "Memories" listed near the bottom. Click on it.

Facebook will take you to your Memories page, which shows posts from today in previous years by default. At the top of the page, you'll see the current date. If you want to look at a different date, click on that date to open a calendar picker, then select the month and day you're interested in. Facebook will then display posts from that date going back several years.

How to open Memories on mobile

On an iPhone or Android phone, open the Facebook app and tap the menu icon at the bottom right of the screen — it looks like three horizontal lines (sometimes called a hamburger menu). Scroll down through the options until you find "Memories" and tap it.

Your Memories page will open and show posts from today in previous years. To jump to a different date, tap the date shown at the top of the screen. A calendar will appear. Tap the month and year at the top of the calendar to change the year, then select the specific date you want to explore. Facebook will show you posts from that date in past years.

Browsing through suggested memories

When you first open Memories, Facebook suggests posts from today in previous years — sometimes called "On This Day" posts. You can scroll down to see multiple posts from the same date across different years. Each post shows the year it was published, so you can tell whether you're looking at something from five years ago or last year.

If you want to see more posts from a particular year, click or tap on the year label. Facebook will show you all posts from that specific date and year. You can also like, comment on, or share these old posts the same way you would with current posts. If you want to hide a memory — for example, if it's painful or embarrassing — you can click the three dots on that post and select "Hide from Memories."

Using search when Memories doesn't show what you need

If you can't find a post in Memories, or if you're looking for something from a date you don't remember, use Facebook's search function instead. At the top of any Facebook page, you'll see a search bar that says "Search Facebook." Click or tap on it and type a keyword from the post you're looking for — a person's name, a place, a topic, or even a phrase you remember from the post itself.

Facebook will show you results that match your search, including posts you've made, posts others have shared with you, and public posts from people you know. You can narrow the results by clicking "Posts" at the top of the search results to show only posts, or by clicking "Your Posts" to see only things you've shared. This method works better than Memories when you remember something specific about the post but not the exact date.

What to do if a post has been deleted

If you're looking for a post you know you made but can't find it in Memories or search, the post may have been deleted. Once you delete a post, Facebook removes it permanently — you cannot recover it through Memories or any other Facebook feature. If you deleted it by accident, there's no way to restore it from Facebook itself.

However, if you regularly read your Facebook information, you may have a copy of deleted posts in that read. To check, go to Settings (the gear icon on desktop, or the menu on mobile), click "Your Information," then look for an option to read your data. Facebook will create a file with copies of your posts, photos, and other information. This file is created from the data Facebook has stored, so it includes posts you've made even if you've since deleted them from your timeline.

Controlling what appears in your Memories

You can choose whether Facebook shows you memories at all. If you find the feature upsetting or straightforward don't want to see old posts, you can turn it off. On desktop, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), click "Settings and Privacy," then "Settings." In the left menu, click "Your Information." Look for an option related to Memories or "On This Day" and toggle it off.

On mobile, tap the menu icon at the bottom right, scroll to Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings. Scroll down to find "Your Information" and look for Memories settings. You can also hide individual memories without turning off the entire feature — just click the three dots on any post and select "Hide from Memories." This removes that specific post from appearing in future memory suggestions without affecting other posts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can other people see my memories?

No. Memories is a private feature that only you can see. Other people cannot access your Memories page or see the posts Facebook suggests to you. However, if you share a memory with someone — by commenting on it, liking it, or resharing it — they will see that post just as they would see any other post you interact with.

Why is Facebook showing me memories I don't want to see?

Facebook automatically includes all posts you've made in Memories, even if they're from a painful time in your life. You can hide individual memories by clicking the three dots on the post and selecting "Hide from Memories." If you want to stop seeing memories altogether, you can turn off the feature in Settings under "Your Information."

Can I search for memories from a specific person?

Memories doesn't have a filter for posts about specific people, but you can use Facebook's main search bar to find posts mentioning someone. Type their name in the search box at the top of Facebook, then click "Posts" to see posts you've made that mention them. You can also search for a combination of the person's name and a keyword to narrow results further.

What if I want to find a post someone else made on my timeline?

Memories only shows posts you've created yourself, not posts others have shared on your timeline. To find a post someone else made, use the search bar at the top of Facebook and search for their name or a keyword from the post. You can also visit their profile and scroll through their timeline manually, though this works best if you remember roughly when they posted it.

Does Facebook keep memories of posts I've hidden from my timeline?

Yes. Hiding a post from your timeline doesn't delete it — it just removes it from view. The post still exists in Facebook's system and will appear in Memories. If you want to prevent a post from showing up in Memories, you must either delete it permanently or hide it specifically from Memories using the three-dot menu on that post.