Memories
A time capsule of your relationships
Find in a second your very first conversation with your partner or a childhood friend, a place shared back in 2019, or a precious voice message Instagram no longer loads on mobile.
Reread your old Instagram messages, all the way back to the first.
That first “hey”. The inside jokes from 2016. Instagram buried them under years of scrolling, Throwback takes you back in one click. Thanks, GDPR 😉
- Processed on your device
- No sign-up
How does it work?
A transparent and legal process, based on your right to data portability (GDPR).
- 01
Request your Instagram export
Request a copy of your data from Instagram in Accounts Center. Meta emails you a link, often within a few hours. See the settings step by step
Request my Instagram export - 02
Drop the ZIP file here
Once Meta sends you the download link, drop the ZIP archive on this page. Nothing is uploaded to our servers: it is unzipped right in your browser.
- 03
Explore, privately
Your conversations, voice messages, reactions and history are instantly organized in a fast interface, stored in your browser for your next visits.
What you’ll find again
Years of conversations, finally readable from the first message to the last.
Surprise
The perfect gift for a date that matters
Ten years of friendship, a relationship anniversary: find your very first messages and turn them into a beautiful capture, ready to gift. A precise, dated memory nobody expects.
The ones who matter
The words of those who are gone
Reread the messages and replay the voice notes of a loved one, at your own pace, with no ads or notifications to interrupt you.
Find it
Finally find what you told each other
An address, a restaurant name, a promise, a link sent years ago: search for a word or jump to a date, even deep in a 50,000-message conversation.
Free for your recent messages, €6.99 to go back to the very first
One purchase, no subscription, no account. You only pay if you want to go further back.
Free
€0
No time limit, no account
- All your conversations, finally in one place
- Search by keyword or date, sorting and filters
- The photos, videos and voice notes you exchanged
- Shared reels and links, right in the conversation
On the last 300 messages of each conversation.
Full access
€6.99
One-time purchase • full history for life, no subscription
- Everything in the free version
- Every conversation in full, all the way back to the very first message
- Beautifully formatted captures of your best conversations
Your conversations stay with you
Throwback reads your archive right inside your browser.
Everything happens on your device
Your browser opens and organizes your archive locally. It stays saved on your device for your next visits.
Nothing is uploaded
Your messages, photos and voice notes never go through our servers. No account to create.
Only the license is checked
With Full access, only your license key is checked online, never the content of your conversations.
“100% local” means we receive and store nothing from your conversations: your browser reads and organizes everything. One exception: if you choose to show a shared reel or post, it loads through Instagram’s official embed, which then sees that content.
Your archive stays saved in this browser, protected against copying: the text of your conversations is encrypted and the key is only delivered when Throwback opens. This protection does not stop someone using your device and browser from reading it: lock your device, and erase your data from the app on a shared computer.
Frequently asked questions
How can I see the first message of an Instagram conversation?
Instagram offers no way to jump back to the start of a chat. Request your data export in JSON format, for all time, then drop it into Throwback: every conversation opens on its very first message in one click. See how →
How do I download my Instagram data?
From the “Export your information” page of Meta’s Accounts Center. Our guide walks through every setting, screen by screen. Export guide →
Are my messages sent to a server?
No. Your browser reads the archive right on your device. Only the Full access license key is checked online. Exception: if you choose to show a shared reel or post, it loads through Instagram’s official embed, which then sees that content.
Why choose the JSON format?
It’s the format Throwback can read. The HTML format, which Instagram selects by default, isn’t supported.
How long does the export take?
Often a few hours, sometimes longer for very active accounts. Meta emails you, and the download link stays valid for 4 days.
What does the free version include?
All your conversations, on the last 300 messages of each, with no time limit. Full access (€6.99, one-time purchase) unlocks the whole history and captures.
Ready to go back in time?
Your memories are one drag-and-drop away. No account, and nothing leaves your device.