- A story is visible for 24 hours.
- Highlights keep chosen stories on your profile.
- The archive saves expired stories privately, but it is not a backup.
- Only public stories can be saved with a downloader.
Stories are Instagram's quick, casual way to share moments. They appear at the top of the app, and then, a day later, they vanish. Or do they? Here is what really happens to a story, how to keep yours and what you can and cannot do with other people's.
The 24-hour rule
When you post a story, it stays visible to your audience for 24 hours. Followers can watch it as often as they like during that time. When the clock runs out, it disappears from your profile and from the story bar at the top of the app.
Where stories go afterwards: the archive
Instagram usually saves your expired stories to a private archive that only you can open. You can reach it from your profile menu. If you do not want stories saved, you can turn the setting off, so check it if you care about your privacy. Keep in mind that the archive is not a perfect backup. If you delete the account, the archive goes with it.
Highlights: stories that stay
A Highlight is a collection of stories pinned to your profile in small circles under your bio. Add a story to a Highlight and it stays visible until you remove it. Highlights are great for things you want new visitors to find: your best work, FAQs, a trip, a product, a recipe.
Close Friends and who can watch
You do not have to share every story with everyone. Close Friends lets you post to a chosen list, marked with a green ring. Only the people on the list can see those stories. You can also hide a story from specific people, or turn off replies if you prefer.
How to keep your own stories
- Save before you post. The story editor has a save option that stores the photo or video on your phone.
- Use the archive. Make sure story archiving is on in your settings.
- Back up your account. Instagram lets you request a copy of your data. We cover it in our backup guide.
What about other people's stories?
If a story belongs to a public account and you have the link, you can save it with our Story saver. It works from the link, does not need you to log in and does not use your account to watch. A story from a private account cannot be saved by us, and we would not want to help bypass someone's privacy settings.
Remember that saving for yourself is different from sharing. A story is usually meant to be short-lived. Ask the person before you post it anywhere else, which is the subject of our guide to reposting with permission.
Story features worth knowing
A story can be more than a photo. You can add stickers such as polls, question boxes and countdowns, tag people, add music, share links and mention other accounts. Each of these is optional. If you want a quiet story without replies, you can turn replies off in your story settings. If you share to a smaller audience, use Close Friends so that you do not have to worry about who might see it.
Ideas for creators and small businesses
- Behind the scenes. Show how a product is made or how you prepare a project.
- Quick answers. Use the question sticker and answer a few questions a day.
- Countdowns. Build interest before a launch or an event.
- Daily routines. Short, regular stories help people feel they know you.
Save the best of these in Highlights so that they last longer than a day.
Highlight tips
- Use short names. Titles are cut off after a few characters.
- Design a simple cover. Plain colours with a clear icon look tidy.
- Put the most useful first. New visitors usually only check the first few circles.
- Review now and then. Remove stories that are out of date.
Quality and size for stories
Stories use the same 9:16 shape as Reels, so film vertically at 1080 × 1920 for the best result. Our size cheat sheet lists the details. Keep the important parts away from the very top and bottom where the profile name and reply bar sit.
A privacy checklist for stories
- Check who can see your stories in your privacy settings.
- Avoid showing a street name, school badge or number plate.
- Think before you tag a location in real time. You can post it later.
- Remember that anyone who can view a story can record their screen.
Why stories feel different from posts
Posts are polished and permanent. Stories are casual and temporary, which is why people share more of their everyday life there. That is also why respect matters: a person may post something to a small audience for one day and not expect it to travel. Treat a story like something said in conversation. Enjoy it, and ask before you pass it on.
Common questions
- Can I make a story last longer than 24 hours? Not directly. Add it to a Highlight instead.
- Do people know if I watch their story? Yes, if you are logged in. See who can see what you view.
- Why did my story disappear early? It may have been removed by you, by a report or by an error in the upload.
