Alexis Kestler
Hey friend! Have you built up an impressive collection of Instagram Highlights showcasing your best story moments? But you wish you could reorder them to put your favorites first? I‘ve got your back.
Rearranging the order of your Highlights is totally possible with a simple workaround. In this detailed guide, I‘ll explain exactly how to customize your Highlights order on Instagram step-by-step.
Stick with me, and you‘ll be a Highlights ordering pro in no time!
What Are Instagram Highlights and How Do They Work?
Let‘s start with a quick refresher on what Instagram Highlights actually are.
Highlights allow you to revive your expired stories and display them permanently on your profile. Instead of disappearing after 24 hours like regular stories, your Highlighted stories remain visible as long as you want.
The Key Features of Instagram Highlights:
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Showcase your best stories – Highlights let you save your greatest story hits to share again and again.
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Highlight key themes – Curate different Highlights to showcase content around topics, events, projects etc.
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Appear on profile – Highlights live in a bar above your posts and below your bio.
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Viewable forever – Unlike normal stories, Highlights don‘t expire. They remain until you remove them.
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Up to 100 Highlights – Each user can have a maximum of 100 different Highlights.
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Up to 100 stories per Highlight – Each individual Highlight can contain up to 100 of your stories.
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Chronological order – By default, Highlights appear in the order they were created, with your first Highlights at the top.
So in summary, Highlights give your best stories longevity and showcase curated story collections on your profile. But what if you want to customize the ordering? Let‘s tackle that next.
Why Would You Want to Reorder Your Instagram Highlights?
Before jumping into the step-by-step guide, let‘s explore some reasons why you might want to rearrange your Highlights in the first place:
1. Showcase Your Best Moments
The default chronological order shows your oldest Highlights first. But you may have cooler, more relevant Highlights you created more recently that you want to showcase up top instead.
2. Group Highlights by Theme
Reordering allows you to group related Highlights together. For example, you could organize Highlights about travel, food, family etc. in certain sections.
3. Adapt Your Profile Over Time
Your interests, focus and audience may evolve over time. Rearranging Highlights lets you change up your profile to reflect who you are now.
4. Promote Timely Highlights
Reshuffle your Highlights to promote timely collections related to current projects, events or topics higher in your order.
5. Hide Old, Irrelevant Highlights
Bury stale Highlights further down that used to be cool but aren‘t as relevant to the new you.
6. Tell Stories Through Your Profile
Strategic Highlight ordering lets you showcase your adventures, achievements and life stories intentionally.
As you can see, rearranging your Highlights allows you to curate a more purposeful profile. But how is it done when Instagram doesn‘t have a built-in "Reorder" feature? Keep reading!
How to Reorder Your Instagram Highlights: Step-by-Step Tutorial
The process involves posting a temporary placeholder story to bump a Highlight up to the top of the order. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Post a New Story
First, publish a random story to your Instagram feed as usual. The content doesn‘t matter, as you‘ll delete this soon.
Step 2: Add Your Story to an Existing Highlight
Once your story is live, tap "Add to Highlights" from the story composer. Then select the Highlight you want to move up in order.
For example, if you want your "Concerts" Highlight to be at the top, choose that one.
Step 3: Open the Highlight Editor
With your new story added, open the Highlight editor by tapping the three dots in the top right corner, then "Edit Highlight."
Step 4: Delete the Temporary Story
This opens your Highlight editing screen. Swipe left on the temporary story you just posted and tap the trash icon to remove it.
Step 5: Reorder and Save
By deleting that story, the Highlight you edited will now be bumped up to the top as your most recent one. Repeat as needed to reorder all your Highlights.
When you‘re done, tap "Close" to save your changes. Your updated Highlight order will be visible on your profile. Ta-da! 🎉
It takes a bit of finessing, but this method gives you full control over your Highlights order. I recommend jotting down your ideal sequence before starting to save time.
Now let‘s dive into some best practices for organizing your Highlights like a pro.
Expert Tips for Managing Your Instagram Highlights
Take your Highlights game to the next level with these tips from a social media pro:
Choose Strategic Cover Images
The cover image is the visual thumbnail for your Highlight. Select eye-catching photos representative of each Highlight‘s theme.
Name Highlights Clearly
Use specific names like "Mexico Getaway 2022" instead of vague titles like "Trips." Help viewers know what they‘ll see before tapping.
Curate Content Thoughtfully
Avoid making every post a Highlight. Be selective and only highlight your absolute best content that tells a story.
Keep Highlights Fresh
Rotate new stories in regularly and remove irrelevant old clips. Stale Highlights make viewers tune out.
Check Performance Insights
Tap the three dots menu on a Highlight to see stats like impressions and viewers. Learn what resonates with your audience.
Promote Your Highlights
Remind followers to check out your Highlights in captions, stories and your bio link. Get those views!
Reorder Intentionally
Have a strategy for your order based on themes, priorities and storylines you want to showcase.
Following these best practices will make your Highlights shine. But how do they stack up against other stories features? Let‘s compare.
Instagram Highlights vs. Close Friends Stories vs. Stories Archive
Highlights aren‘t the only way to extend your Instagram stories. How do Highlights compare with Close Friends Stories and the Stories Archive?
| Feature | Who Can View | Duration | Can Repost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlights | All followers | Forever until deleted | Yes |
| Close Friends | Selected close friends only | Forever until deleted | No |
| Archive | You only | Forever | Yes |
As you can see, Highlights are the only option that lets you re-share stories publicly while keeping them visible indefinitely.
Now let‘s answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Highlights ordering and management.
FAQs: Rearranging and Managing Instagram Highlights
Can you reorder Highlights on desktop?
Unfortunately no. The reordering process involves posting and editing stories, which isn‘t possible on Instagram‘s desktop experience. You need the Instagram mobile app.
Do Highlights still expire after a certain time?
Nope! Unlike normal Instagram Stories, Highlights don‘t expire or disappear. They remain on your profile indefinitely unless you delete them manually.
Are there limits on Highlights or stories within them?
Yes. You can have a maximum of 100 Highlights, and each Highlight can contain up to 100 of your story posts. More than enough room for your best hits.
Can businesses and creators also reorder Highlights?
Yup! This Highlight reordering workaround works exactly the same for personal, business, creator and any other Instagram account types.
What happens when you delete an Instagram Highlight?
Deleting a Highlight removes it permanently. Your remaining Highlights will move up in the order to fill the gap left by the deleted one.
Why can‘t you manually reorder Highlights within Instagram?
Instagram has not explained officially. But the chronological order based on creation date keeps it simple. Manually reordering introduces complexity that average users may find confusing.
I hope these answers helped clarify any questions you had around rearranging your Instagram Highlights!
Put Your Best Story Moments Forward
Well there you have it — everything you need to reorder your Instagram Highlights in 2023!
With this handy guide, you can refresh your profile and keep fans engaged by showcasing your greatest story hits up front. Take control of your Highlights.
No more settling for default chronological order. Time to flaunt your more recent masterpieces and favorite collections. You got this!
Let me know if you have any other questions. I‘m always happy to help fellow Instagram enthusiasts. Have fun putting your best Highlights forward!
