Where Facebook stores your unsent posts
Facebook saves posts you start writing but don't publish in a section called Drafts. These are stored in your own account only — nobody else can see them. The drafts stay there until you delete them or publish them, even if you close the app or browser without finishing.
The location of your drafts depends on whether you're using Facebook on a computer, phone, or the mobile app. On a computer, drafts appear in your left sidebar menu. On a phone or tablet, they're in a different spot depending on which version of the app you have.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook saves incomplete posts in a Drafts section that only you can see, and they stay there indefinitely until you publish or delete them.
- On a computer, find drafts in your left sidebar menu under "Your Stuff" or by clicking the three-line menu icon.
- On the Facebook mobile app, tap the three-line menu at the bottom right, then look for "Drafts" in the menu that appears.
- If you can't find a draft, check whether you published it by accident or if it was deleted — Facebook doesn't notify you when drafts disappear.
Finding drafts on Facebook desktop
Open Facebook in a web browser on your computer and look at the left side of the screen. You should see a menu with options like "Home," "Friends," and "Groups." Scroll down in that left menu until you see a section labeled "Your Stuff." Click on "Your Stuff" and then look for "Drafts" in the submenu that appears.
If you don't see a left sidebar, click the three-line menu icon (sometimes called a hamburger menu) in the top left corner of Facebook. This opens the full menu, and you can scroll down to find "Your Stuff" the same way. Once you click "Drafts," you'll see a list of all the posts you started but didn't publish, with the most recent ones at the top.
Finding drafts on the Facebook mobile app
On an iPhone or Android phone, open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu icon at the bottom right of your screen. (On some older versions, this icon is at the bottom center.) Scroll down through the menu until you see "Drafts" listed. Tap it to see all your unsent posts.
If you're using Facebook on a tablet, the menu location may be slightly different depending on your device and app version. The three-line menu is usually still at the bottom or top of the screen. If you can't find "Drafts" in the main menu, try scrolling down further — it's sometimes grouped under "Your Stuff" on tablets.
What to do once you find your draft
When you open a draft, you can edit it before publishing. Make any changes you want to the text, add or remove photos, change who can see it, or adjust any other settings. Once you're ready, tap or click the "Post" button to publish it to your timeline or wherever you originally intended to share it.
If you decide you don't want to publish a draft, you can delete it. Look for a delete button (usually a trash icon or the word "Delete") near the draft. Deleted drafts cannot be recovered, so make sure you're certain before you remove one.
Why a draft might be missing
If you're looking for a draft and can't find it, the most common reason is that you published it without realizing. Check your timeline or the timeline of the page or group where you intended to post — the post may already be live. You can also search your own posts by clicking on your profile and looking through your recent activity.
Drafts can also disappear if you clear your browser cache or app data, if you log out and log back in on a different device, or if there's a technical glitch. Facebook doesn't send a notification when a draft is deleted, so there's no way to know for certain what happened. If the draft contained something important, try to remember the key details and rewrite it.
Drafts on Facebook Pages and Groups
If you manage a Facebook Page, drafts for that Page are stored separately from your personal drafts. To find them, go to your Page, click the three-line menu at the top, and look for "Drafts" in the menu. The process is the same as finding personal drafts, but you must be logged in as the Page admin or have the right permissions.
For Group posts, drafts work the same way — they're saved in your personal drafts section, not in the Group itself. If you started typing a post in a Group but didn't publish it, you'll find it in your regular Drafts folder. When you open it, you can choose which Group to post it to before publishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone else see my drafts?
No. Drafts are private and visible only to you. Nobody else can see them, even if they have access to your account or your Page. Once you publish a post, it becomes visible to whoever you set the privacy settings to allow.
How long does Facebook keep drafts?
Facebook keeps drafts indefinitely until you delete them or publish them. There's no time limit, so a draft you started months ago will still be there when you log back in. However, if you clear your browser data or uninstall the app, drafts may be lost.
What if I accidentally published a draft instead of saving it?
If you published a post by mistake, you can delete it from your timeline. Click on the post, look for the three-dot menu icon, and select "Delete." The post will be removed from your timeline and from other people's feeds. Deleted posts can't be recovered.
Can I save a draft on Facebook from my phone and finish it on my computer?
Yes. Drafts sync across devices, so a draft you start on your phone will appear in your Drafts folder when you log into Facebook on a computer, and vice versa. Make sure you're logged into the same account on both devices.
Why did my draft disappear after I closed the app?
If you closed the app without publishing or saving the post, Facebook may not have saved it as a draft. To make sure a post is saved, look for a "Save Draft" button or option before you close the app. If you just closed the app without that step, the post may have been lost.