Content Writer at SocialBee
Ever started creating an Instagram post but weren’t ready to share it? Maybe you picked a new photo, made some edits, and then realized you needed more time. Instead of losing your progress, you can post as a draft and finish it later.
Instagram lets you upload posts, Reels, and Stories as drafts so you can come back to them when you’re ready. Whether you’re planning content for yourself or managing a brand Instagram account, knowing how to save a draft on Instagram helps you stay organized.
This guide covers everything from saving, finding, and editing drafts to deleting them. And, if you want even more control over your posts, we’ll show you how SocialBee can help you manage and schedule drafts with ease. Ready to find out more?
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Short Summary
- Instagram lets you save drafts right on your phone, making it easy to pick up where you left off. Just start creating your post or Reel, tap back, and select “Save Draft.”Â
- When you’re ready, go to Drafts, pick your saved post or Reel, and finish it up.
- Your Instagram drafts stay only on your device. You can’t organize them across different accounts or share them with your team, which is something SocialBee lets you do easily.
- SocialBee helps manage drafts better. You can save drafts, leave notes for your team, approve content before publishing, and schedule posts in advance.
- Drafts can be deleted when no longer needed. In the Instagram app, tap drafts, select the post, tap the three dots, and delete Instagram drafts to remove them.
What is an Instagram draft?
An Instagram draft is an unfinished post, Reel, or Story that you’ve saved to edit or post later. Instead of publishing right away, you can start creating content, add edits, captions, or tags, and then choose to save it as a draft. This allows you to come back to it later without losing your progress.Â
Drafts are useful for planning your Instagram strategy in advance, making adjustments over time, or saving content when you’re not ready to post immediately.Â
How to save a draft on Instagram
- Open Instagram and tap create to start a new post, Instagram Reel, or new Instagram Stories.
- Choose a photo or video from your phone’s library or camera roll, or use the rear-facing cameras to take a new one.
- Edit your post, add effects, tag people, or add music if needed.
- Tap the back arrow in the top left corner instead of posting.
- Instagram will ask if you want to save draft or discard posts. Tap save draft to keep it.
- To find your saved drafts, tap create, go to drafts, and select your post draft or Reel draft.
- If you want to remove a draft, tap drafts, select it, tap the three dots, and delete Instagram drafts.
How to see saved drafts on Instagram
- Open Instagram on your phone.
- Tap create (the + button) at the bottom of the screen.
- Select Post or Reel to check for saved drafts.
- In the top left corner, tap Drafts if you have any saved.
- Choose your post draft or Reel draft to continue editing or posting.
How to manage and share saved drafts on Instagram
Whether you want to fine-tune your content, wait for the right time to post, or collaborate with a team, knowing how to manage drafts can help keep your content organized.Â
Instagram allows you to save draft posts and Reels within the app, but if you need better control, tools like SocialBee provide more flexibility, letting you review, approve, and schedule drafts before publishing.
How to manage and share saved drafts via Instagram app
- Open Instagram and tap create to start a new post or Instagram Reel.
- In the top left corner, tap Drafts to access your saved drafts.
- Select the post draft or Reel draft you want to edit.
- Make changes like adding effects, tagging people, or adjusting captions.
- If you’re ready to post, tap Next, make final edits, and publish.
How to manage and share saved drafts via SocialBee
Instagram lets you save drafts, but they’re stuck on your phone and only accessible through the app. That’s fine if you’re solo or managing a handful of posts, but when you’re dealing with multiple posts or collaborating with a team, things get messy fast.
SocialBee solves that. You can store, manage, and plan content across multiple accounts, all in one place. No more juggling drafts on your phone or hunting through messages for feedback.
And collaboration is easy, too. Drop notes right on drafts so your team knows exactly what needs tweaking, approval, or more work. Less confusion, fewer messages, smoother teamwork.
Plan, review, and post content more efficiently with SocialBee!
Once a draft is ready, you can approve drafts before posting to ensure content is correct and matches your brand’s tone. This is useful if multiple people handle social media and need final approval before publishing. You won’t have to rely on Instagram’s simple draft feature, where there’s no built-in review process.
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How to delete drafts on Instagram
- Open Instagram on your phone.
- Tap create (the + button) at the bottom of the screen.
- Select Post or Reel to access drafts on your Instagram page.
- In the top left corner, tap Drafts to see your post drafts or Reel drafts.
- Tap Manage next to the drafts section.
- Select the draft(s) you want to remove.
- Tap the three dots and choose Delete Instagram drafts to discard them.
Frequently asked questions
Save your drafts now and post them when the time’s right
Instagram drafts are useful but pretty basic, they’re saved only in the app on your phone. Good enough if you’re tweaking a post or Reel, but things get tricky when juggling multiple posts or working with a team.
SocialBee simplifies that. It lets you save, schedule, and edit drafts easily from any device. Plus, you can leave notes directly on drafts, so your team always knows what’s up, no more scattered chats or lost messages.
In short: Instagram drafts keep things simple; SocialBee gives you the control and collaboration you actually need.
Start planning smarter, collaborating better, and posting more efficiently. Start your 14-day free SocialBee trial today!
