You can see old Instagram bios, but only for your own account, and only within Instagram’s built‑in history. Here’s how it works in 2025–2026 on the current app experience.

How to See Old Instagram Bios

(Quick Scoop guide + a bit of context)

1. Fast answer: where the old bios live

Instagram keeps a log of changes you make to your profile, including your bio. You can see them in your Account history section inside the app. Older guides mention “Access Data → Former bio texts,” but that menu has been removed and replaced by the newer “Your activity / Account history” flow.

You can’t see someone else’s bio history — only what you’ve used on your own account.

2. Step‑by‑step on the Instagram app (iPhone & Android)

Use this when you just want to scroll through and copy an older bio quickly.

  1. Open Instagram and log in to the account you care about.
  1. Tap your profile icon in the bottom‑right corner to go to your profile page.
  1. Tap the three‑line (☰) menu in the top‑right corner.
  1. Tap Your activity.
  1. Tap Account history.
  1. At the top, use filter / Update types and choose Bio (on some versions you may just scroll until you see “Bio” entries).
  1. You’ll now see a chronological list of all your past bios, usually with dates of when each was used.
  1. Tap or long‑press to copy the text and paste it back into your current bio if you want to reuse it.

Mini‑story: This view is basically your “bio glow‑up timeline.” You’ll probably find the cringey quote from years ago sitting right next to the hyper‑polished bio you wrote last week.

3. Older method that used to exist (so you’re not confused)

If you see old posts or comments saying “go to Access Data → Former bio texts,” that’s the old layout.

Previously, people would do this:

  • Settings → Security
  • Data & History → Access Data
  • Profile Info → Former bio texts → View all

Instagram has since moved this into Your activity → Account history , and the “Former bio texts” option no longer shows for most users in 2024–2026.

So if you don’t see “Access Data” / “Former bio texts,” nothing is broken; the feature was just restructured.

4. Seeing the full bio history via data download (web method)

If you want a more complete archive with dates and all profile changes, you can request a data download from Instagram’s “Download your information” tool.

On web (or in the Meta Accounts Center) this usually looks like:

  1. Open Instagram in a browser (desktop or mobile) and go to your profile.
  1. Go to the settings / Accounts Center (often labeled Meta Accounts Center).
  1. Choose Your information and permissions → Download your information.
  1. Pick All available information and select Download to device.
  1. Set Date range to All time , then confirm and request the file.
  1. When Instagram emails you the download link, open the file (usually HTML or JSON) and look for sections like Profile Bio Text where your past bios plus timestamps are listed.

This method is slower but gives you a more “official” archive; useful if you’re doing a full clean‑up, rebranding, or just curious about everything Instagram stores about you.

5. Limitations, workarounds, and common questions

Can you see someone else’s old Instagram bios?

  • No — there’s no built‑in way to see previous bios of other accounts from within Instagram.
  • The only indirect way is if external websites (like web archives or screenshots) happened to capture an older version of their profile, but that’s outside Instagram itself and not guaranteed.

What if no “Bio” entries show up in Account history?

  • Make sure you’re on the right account (if you have multiple profiles).
  • Update the app to the latest version ; layout changes roll out gradually.
  • If you truly never changed your bio, the list might be empty or have very few entries.

Can Instagram completely remove bio history?

  • Instagram has already removed or hidden the older “Former bio texts” menu once, but it still surfaces bio changes in Account history and in the data download.
  • They can always adjust how much detail is shown in‑app; the most durable way to preserve your old bios is still to save them yourself (notes, docs, screenshots).

6. Tiny strategy tips (if you’re bio‑shopping your own history)

If you’re digging for old bios because you want to recycle or update them, a few quick tips:

  • Combine: Take the best line from an old funny bio and merge it with your current, more polished version.
  • Time‑stamp: If you use a throwback bio on purpose, you can add a small note like “since 2018” to make it look intentional, not outdated.
  • Archive yourself: After picking a new bio, paste all your favorites into a notes app so you’re not entirely dependent on Instagram’s history going forward.

TL;DR:
To see old Instagram bios in 2026, go to Profile → ☰ → Your activity → Account history → filter by Bio , or request a full archive via Download your information on the web for a deeper history, but you can only see your own past bios, not anyone else’s.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.