If you are a private person, you might want to limit the visibility of your Instagram story highlights to certain followers. Perhaps you desire a more private handle, where certain moments can be kept away from prying eyes. Alternatively, you may be tired of seeing old and irrelevant highlights cluttered on your feed. Whether you want to keep a low profile or rearrange your content, this guide will help you hide your story highlights on Instagram.
How to Hide Highlights on Instagram
Instagram stories have often become a canvas for self-expression and storytelling for users. Imagine the freedom of uploading stories and sharing them exclusively with the people you choose. Hiding highlights enables greater control over your private moments, keeping them discreet from unapproved followers.
Quick Answer
To hide future Highlights, Stories and Live on Instagram, follow these steps:
1. In the Instagram app, open Settings and privacy.
2. Tap on Hide story and live.
3. Select the followers you want to hide stories from.
What are Highlights on Instagram?
On Instagram, Highlights are curated collections of your past Stories that feature on your profile. They appear as circular thumbnails on your profile located right below your bio section. When you create a Story, it typically disappears after 24 hours. However, with Highlights, you can select and save specific Stories to be displayed permanently on your profile, even after the expiration period.
Highlights present a more comprehensive view of your content, allowing visitors to your profile to access and view Stories shared in the past.
- They can be organized into different categories or themes, such as Travel, Food, Fitness, or any other topics that reflect your interests or content.
- You can also add covers to give them a more personalized look.
- Highlights can be added or removed at any time.
- You can choose Privacy option to make them visible to everyone or only to selected followers.
Also Read: How to Give Instagram Access to Photos
Can You Hide Highlights on Instagram?
The answer is Yes. Before delving into the process of hiding the Instagram story highlights on your Android or iOS device, it is important to learn to modify your Instagram settings to restrict certain users from viewing your future stories and highlights.
If your objective is to simply organize your feed in a visually appealing manner, you can strategically arrange your highlights. Place the ones you wish to showcase at the beginning and those you wish to hide towards the end. This way, they will be less prominent to those visiting your profile.
Method 1: Hide from Edit Highlight Settings
If you have highlights already added to your profile, you can also hide them directly from their section. Follow the steps mentioned below:
1. Launch Instagram and move to the Profile page.
2. Tap on any Existing Highlights.
3. Swipe up and tap on the gear icon at the top left corner.
4. In the Viewing section, tap on 0 people under Hide story from.
Note: The number here refers to the people you might have already restricted from viewing the story. It is 0 here, it might be different for you.
5. From the list, select the users you want to hide the highlights from and Exit.
Also Read: How to Add Your Own Music to Instagram Reels
Method 2: Make Close Friends List
Close Friends, as the name suggests, refers to a select group of individuals whom you choose to grant access to your personal stories and highlights. To do so, you must ensure that your stories are uploaded to the Close Friends view.
1. Open Instagram and on the profile page, tap on the three horizontal lines (hamburger) icon at the top-right corner.
2. Tap on the Close friends option from the menu.
3. Tap and select the users you want to add to the list and tap on Done.
After you have prepared the close friends list, it is time to upload a story specifically for them and hide highlights on Instagram from the rest.
4. Tap on the +Story button at the top-left corner of the feed.
5. Select a story you want to upload.
6. Tap on Close Friends to upload it.
Such stories will only be visible to your close friends even after you add them to the highlights.
Additional Tip: How to Hide Highlights on Instagram from Future Stories
Instagram offers you a feature where you can choose the people you want to access your stories and hide highlights from the rest on your Android phone. So, post this setting, neither will they be able to view any story nor the highlights you upload.
1. Launch the Instagram app.
2. On the profile page, tap on the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) at the top-right corner.
3. Tap on Settings and privacy.
4. Under Who can see your content, tap on Hide story and live.
5. Tap on Hide story and live from.
6. Tap and check the followers you want to hide stories from.
7. Press back and exit. The settings would automatically save.
We hope our guide helped you hide highlights on Instagram. Keep the required stories private if you want to ensure your peace of mind. Remember that you can always make them visible again whenever you’re ready. For any more queries or suggestions, drop a comment for us.