What Instagram Highlights Are and Why You'd Use Them

Highlights are collections of your Instagram Stories that stay on your profile permanently, even after the Stories disappear after 24 hours. They sit below your bio in a row of circular icons, and anyone who visits your profile can tap them to watch the Stories inside without sending you a message or notification.

Most people use Highlights to organize Stories by category — one for product photos, one for customer reviews, one for behind-the-scenes content, one for frequently asked questions. Businesses often create Highlights for promotions, testimonials, or how-to content. The Stories inside don't have to be recent; you can add old Stories to a Highlight months or years after you posted them.

The main reason to use Highlights is that they give visitors a quick way to understand what your account is about without scrolling through your feed. They also keep important Stories visible without cluttering your grid.

Key Takeaways

  • You create a Highlight by saving a Story to your profile, then naming the collection and choosing a cover image.
  • The fastest way is to tap the "+" icon below your bio, create a new Highlight, then add Stories to it afterward.
  • You can add Stories that are days or months old to a Highlight, or add new Stories as you post them.
  • Each Highlight shows a circular icon on your profile with a custom cover image and name that you choose.

Creating Your First Highlight From a Story You Just Posted

If you just posted a Story and want to save it to a Highlight, swipe up on the Story or tap the three dots in the bottom right corner. You'll see an option that says "Save" or "Add to Highlights." Tap it, then tap "Create" to start a new Highlight.

Instagram will ask you to name the Highlight. Type something short and clear — "Reviews," "Products," "FAQs," "Behind the Scenes." This name appears below the circular icon on your profile, so keep it under 20 characters if you want it to display on one line.

After you name it, Instagram shows you a preview of the cover image — a still from the Story you're saving. You can keep this image or tap "Edit Cover" to choose a different frame from that Story. Once you're happy with it, tap "Add" and the Highlight appears on your profile immediately.

Creating a Highlight Before You Have Stories to Put In It

You don't have to wait for a Story to create a Highlight. Go to your profile, look directly below your bio, and tap the "+" icon (or a circle with a plus sign if you don't have any Highlights yet). Tap "Create Highlight."

Name the Highlight the same way — short, clear, one or two words. Instagram will ask you to choose a cover image. Since you don't have a Story in the Highlight yet, you can pick any image from your phone's camera roll or use a blank colored background. Tap "Choose from Photos" or "Choose Color," then confirm your choice.

Once the Highlight is created, it appears on your profile with an empty circle. You can add Stories to it later by opening any Story (new or old), tapping the three dots, selecting "Add to Highlights," and choosing the Highlight you want to add it to.

Adding Old Stories to a Highlight

You can add Stories that you posted weeks or months ago, even if they've already disappeared from your profile. Open the Story you want to add — you can find old Stories by opening your profile, tapping your Story ring at the top, and scrolling backward through your archive.

Once you have the Story open, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner and select "Add to Highlights." A list of your existing Highlights appears. Tap the one you want to add the Story to, and it's done. The Story now appears in that Highlight, and visitors can watch it whenever they tap the Highlight icon.

You can add the same Story to multiple Highlights if it fits more than one category. For example, a customer testimonial Story could go in both "Reviews" and "Testimonials" if you have both Highlights.

Customizing Highlight Covers and Names

To change a Highlight's cover image, go to your profile and long-press the Highlight you want to edit. A menu appears with options including "Edit Highlight." Tap it, then tap "Edit Cover" to choose a different frame from any Story in that Highlight.

To rename a Highlight, long-press it and tap "Edit Highlight," then tap the name field and type a new name. This is useful if your Highlight's purpose changes or if you want to make the name clearer to visitors.

You can also delete a Highlight by long-pressing it and tapping "Delete." This removes the Highlight from your profile, but the Stories inside are not deleted from your account — they just stop being grouped together.

Organizing Multiple Highlights on Your Profile

If you have more than three or four Highlights, they'll wrap to a second row on your profile. You can reorder them by long-pressing a Highlight and dragging it to a new position. Most people put their most important or most-viewed Highlights first, since those appear without scrolling.

There's no hard limit to how many Highlights you can create, but keeping it to five to eight makes your profile easier to scan. Think about what information visitors actually need to know about you or your business, and create Highlights around those categories.

If you have a business account, you can also add a Highlight specifically for your contact information or a link to your website. Some people create a "Contact" Highlight with a Story that includes their email or phone number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can people see when I add a Story to a Highlight?

No. Adding a Story to a Highlight doesn't send a notification to anyone, and it doesn't change when the Story was posted. People only see the Highlight if they visit your profile and tap it.

What happens to a Highlight if I delete the Story inside it?

If you delete a Story from your account entirely, it disappears from the Highlight too. But if you just remove it from the Highlight (by long-pressing the Highlight, tapping "Edit," and swiping left on the Story), the Story stays in your account — it just stops appearing in that Highlight.

Can I add Stories from other people to my Highlights?

No. You can only add your own Stories to Highlights. You can share other people's Stories to your own Story, but those shared Stories can't be saved to a Highlight.

Do Highlights count toward my Story limit?

No. Stories in Highlights don't take up any extra space, and you can add as many Stories as you want to a single Highlight. The only limit is the number of Highlights you can create, which is unlimited.

Can I make a Highlight private so only certain people see it?

No. All Highlights are visible to anyone who visits your profile, with the same privacy rules as your regular Stories. If your account is private, only your followers can see your Highlights. If it's public, anyone can see them.