Rewind — Facebook Archive Viewer

Published on 2025-12-23

Reading time: 4 min read

Description: A privacy-focused web application that lets you explore your Facebook archive data in a beautiful, organized interface without uploading anything to external servers.

Link: https://rewind-xi.vercel.app/

Github repo: https://github.com/Exzort567/rewind

blog

Rewind is a client-side web application that transforms your Facebook data archive into a beautiful, explorable timeline experience. Built with privacy-first principles, all processing happens entirely on your device — nothing is ever uploaded to external servers.

The application allows users to upload their Facebook ZIP archive and view their Stories, Timeline Posts, Photos, and Videos in a clean, organized interface that brings back memories in a meaningful way.

🏠 Upload & Privacy

Upload Interface

The landing page emphasizes privacy and security:

  • Local Processing Only — Your files never leave your device
  • ZIP Archive Support — Direct upload of Facebook's data export
  • Clear instructions for exporting Facebook data
  • Fair Warning — Transparent about processing time (30 minutes to several hours)

The interface guides users through the Facebook export process, ensuring they select the right data (Posts and Stories) for the best experience.

📸 Stories Experience

Stories Grid View

The Stories section recreates the familiar Facebook Stories experience:

  • Grid Layout with story thumbnails and metadata
  • Date Range Filtering — Filter stories by specific time periods
  • Story Count Display — Shows total stories available (e.g., 2498 stories)
  • Media Preview — Video and photo stories with play indicators
  • Story Details — Original timestamps and context

Users can relive their Facebook Stories journey, seeing how their content evolved over time.

📱 Timeline View

Timeline Interface

The Timeline section provides a chronological view of Facebook activity:

  • Date-based Organization — Posts grouped by dates (e.g., "SUN SEP 14 2025")
  • Rich Media Display — Photos, videos, and text posts in their original format
  • Filter Options — All, Photos, Videos for focused browsing
  • User Attribution — Shows original poster and timestamps
  • Responsive Design — Works seamlessly across desktop and mobile

This recreates the familiar Facebook timeline experience with enhanced privacy.

🎨 User Interface

The application features a modern, dark-themed interface:

  • Purple Accent Colors — Consistent branding throughout
  • Card-based Layout — Clean separation of content
  • Smooth Animations — Engaging transitions and interactions
  • Mobile Responsive — Optimized for all screen sizes
  • Accessibility Features — Proper contrast and navigation

The design focuses on content discovery while maintaining visual hierarchy and ease of use.

🔒 How to export facebook data

Instructions

Privacy & Processing — As Shown in the Export Guide:

  • Runs Entirely in Your Browser — Just like the modal explains, your Facebook ZIP is processed locally and never sent anywhere.
  • No Uploads, No Servers — There’s no backend involved in any step shown in the guide.
  • Nothing Is Tracked or Stored — No analytics, no logs, no hidden data collection.

Everything shown in this dialog is designed to help users export the correct data while keeping full ownership and control of their information start to finish.

📊 Data Insights

The application processes and displays:

  • Story Archives — All Facebook Stories with media and timestamps
  • Timeline Posts — Status updates, photos, videos, and shared content
  • Media Organization — Automatic categorization of photos and videos
  • Date Filtering — Explore content by specific time ranges
  • Search Capabilities — Find specific content within your archive

🛠️ Tools & Technologies

  • React — Component-based UI framework
  • Vite — Fast development and build tool
  • Tailwind CSS — Utility-first styling framework
  • JavaScript — Client-side ZIP processing and parsing
  • HTML5 File API — Secure local file handling
  • CSS Grid & Flexbox — Responsive layout systems

🌟 Key Features

Privacy-First Design — All processing happens locally, ensuring complete data privacy

Rich Media Support — Handle photos, videos, and text content from Facebook archives

Timeline Recreation — Familiar Facebook-like interface for easy navigation

Date Range Filtering — Explore specific time periods in your social media history

Responsive Design — Works seamlessly across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices

No Dependencies on External Services — Complete offline functionality after initial load

🎯 Project Impact

This project addresses growing privacy concerns around social media data while providing users with a meaningful way to explore their digital memories. It demonstrates that powerful data visualization and processing can be achieved entirely client-side, without compromising user privacy.

For developers, it showcases advanced client-side file processing, modern React patterns, and privacy-conscious application architecture.