You create Instagram highlights by adding a story that is still online or an old story from your archive. Open the story you want to keep and look for the option to highlight it. Choose an existing highlight or create a new highlight with a short name. You do not need to repost a story from your archive.
Below, you will find the steps for both methods, how to edit a highlight and what to check if something is missing.
What are Instagram highlights?
A highlight is a collection of stories that you save on your profile. Instagram also calls them highlights. A regular story normally disappears from your story after 24 hours. In a highlight, the stories you choose remain visible on your profile for longer.
Your archive is different. It contains old stories that only you can view. If you add one of these stories to a highlight, people who are allowed to see your story can view it again.
Suppose you shared stories from a hiking trip. You can save them together under the name ‘Hiking’. This means you do not also have to post the photos as separate posts on your profile.
Create Instagram highlights with an active story
Is your story still online? Open it to get started. Button names and locations can vary by language and app version. Look for the described feature if your screen looks different.
- Open Instagram and tap your own story.
- Go to the photo or video you want to keep.
- Look for the option to highlight the story or add it to a highlight. It may be on the story itself or under the additional options.
- Choose an existing highlight or create a new highlight.
- Give a new highlight a short, clear name and confirm your choice.
- Go to your profile and open the highlight to check that it contains the right story.
Do you want to keep multiple stories? Check that you have added them all. If you highlight one holiday photo, the other photos from that day are not added automatically.
Create Instagram highlights with old stories
You can add old stories to a highlight from your story archive. This is only possible if they have been saved there. A photo that is only in your phone’s gallery is not in your story archive.
- Open your profile and look for your archive in the profile menu.
- Choose the story archive, not the archive with regular posts.
- Find the story you want to keep and open it.
- Look for the option to add the story to a highlight.
- Choose an existing highlight or create a new highlight.
- Open the highlight on your profile and check that the story is there.
Do you see an option on your profile to create a new highlight? You can also start there. Then choose the available stories from your archive.
What if your archive is empty or a story is missing?
Check whether Instagram automatically saves your stories in the story archive. Look in the settings for archiving or saving stories. If you turn this on now, old stories that were not saved will not reappear.
Do you still have the photo or video on your phone? You can post it again as a story and then highlight it. This creates a new story; it does not restore the old one.
Edit and delete Instagram highlights
You can change the name, cover and stories without creating the highlight again. Open the highlight and look for edit under the additional options. In some app versions, you can also press and hold the highlight on your profile to find this option.
Change the name
Change the name in the editing options and save it. Choose a name that explains what people can view there. ‘Recipes’ says more than ‘A bit of everything’. Then check your profile to make sure the name is easy to read.
Change the cover
The cover is the cover image of your highlight. Look in the editing options for changing the cover. Choose an image from your stories. You can also choose an image from your gallery if your app has that option.
Place the most important part of the photo in the centre. A plate of pasta is often easier to recognise at a small size than a whole set table. Therefore, also view the cover on your profile, where it is displayed smaller.
Add or remove stories
In the editing options, select the available stories you want to add. Untick stories that you no longer want in the highlight. You can also open a story and look in the options for removing it from the highlight.
Pay attention to which option you choose. ‘Remove from highlight’ is different from deleting the story itself. Do you only want to tidy up your collection? Then remove the story only from the highlight.
Delete an entire highlight
Look for delete in the highlight options. Read the confirmation before continuing. Check that you are removing the highlight and not deleting the individual stories from your archive.
Organise Instagram highlights by topic
Give each highlight one topic and a clear name. This allows someone visiting your profile to immediately see where to tap. First, look at which stories you already have and which ones you want to keep. Then think of suitable names for them.
These fictional examples show how you can group stories:
| Profile | Highlight name | What do you put in it? |
|---|---|---|
| Personal profile | Weekend trips | Stories from short trips |
| Cooking video creator | Kitchen tips | Brief explanations of cutting and storing |
| Small shop | Visit | The entrance, route and current opening hours |
| Independent photographer | Approach | What someone can expect during a photo session |
Look at your highlights from time to time as if you were visiting your profile for the first time. Are the opening hours still correct? Is that old announcement still needed? Remove outdated information and duplicate stories.
Would you rather make a new video than collect existing stories? Then read how to make an Instagram Reel.
Instagram highlights disappeared? Here is what you can check
First, check what is missing: the entire highlight, one story or the button for adding something. Then look in the table for what you can check.
| What is missing? | What can you do? |
|---|---|
| All highlights on your profile | Check that you have the correct account open. Also check whether your profile displays a separate highlights section. |
| An old story when adding | Find the story in your story archive. Check that you are not accidentally viewing the archive with regular posts. |
| One story in a highlight | Open the highlight’s editing options and check whether the story is selected. |
| A highlight that you can see but someone else cannot | Check your account privacy settings and who can see your story. Check whether you are hiding your stories from someone or sharing them only with close friends. |
| A button, or a button that responds | Close the app completely and open it again. Also check whether an update is available. |
Can’t add from your story? Try doing it through your profile or archive. If the feature keeps getting stuck, look in Instagram’s help options for how to report a problem.
The explanation from IG Stories Pro about highlights also covers adding, visibility and missing highlights.
Frequently asked questions about Instagram highlights
Can you create a highlight without posting a new story?
Yes, with stories that are already in your archive. You add them directly to a highlight without sharing them again as a story. You cannot simply upload an individual photo that has never been a story as content for a highlight.
Can you use your own image as a cover?
Yes, if your app offers the option to choose an image from your gallery when changing the cover. That image will not automatically become a story in the highlight.
Who can view your highlights?
That depends on your account privacy and who can see your stories. A highlight does not change these settings. Therefore, do not assume that a story you shared with a limited group will suddenly become visible to everyone.
How many stories fit in one highlight?
D3M Follow discusses uncertainty about limits for highlights. According to that source, many often mentioned numbers, such as 100, have not been officially established. Therefore, do not treat that number as a confirmed maximum.
It is better to divide your stories by topic. A separate highlight called ‘Routes’ is easier to search than a long collection mixing hiking routes, recipes and birthdays. If you are also considering paid options, our Instagram services lets you compare packages for views and followers, including the available quantities and prices.
