Instagram Launches Two Features That Keep Your Stories Permanently Saved in Your Profile

Instagram has launched two new features Stories Highlights; a feature that puts Stories right on your profile and Stories Archive for private saving.  This means Instagram  users enabled by the archive feature will be able to automatically save their Stories after their 24 hours are up and they will exist in a separate archive section of their profiles.  Also, aided by the highlight feature they will be able to rewatch Stories, add them to posts or add them to a new Story.

To make one, you can tap the “New” circle underneath your bio and select any stories you want to add from your new archive. You’ll then pick a cover image and name the Highlight and then it’s there for any of your followers to see at any time. To edit or delete them, just tap and hold.

Similar to Snapchat’s memories feature, if you enable the new Stories Archive setting, then Instagram will automatically download your Stories to your account’s archive before they expire. There, the saved Stories will live alongside any posts you’ve previously archived.

Though Instagram has always allowed users to manually download their Instagram Stories, archiving is the first time they’ve automated the process, which the company says is meant to alleviate anxiety users have about losing their Stories.

Once a Story is saved to your archive, which is private, you now have the ability to publicly share it in a more permanent way with Instagram’s new “Story Highlights.” The feature pins a carousel of Instagram Stories to the top of your profile, where they’ll be viewable to anyone who can see your profile.

The update reflects just how serious Instagram is about Stories. Though the company (which could go months on end without significant app updates prior to Stories) has been spinning out new features for more than a year now, updates have barely touched profiles.

“Over the past year, Instagram Stories has become a key part of how you express yourself — but there hasn’t been an easy way to keep your stories around for more than 24 hours,” Instagram said in its announcement.

“Now you can more fully express your identity by grouping stories you’ve shared into highlights and featuring them on your profile.

“Stories Highlights appear in a new section on your profile below your bio. To create a highlight, tap the “New” circle at the far left. From there, you can choose any stories from your archive, select a cover for your highlight and give it a name. Once you’re done, your highlight will appear as a circle on your profile that plays as a stand-alone story when someone taps it. Highlights stay on your profile until you remove them, and you can have as many highlights as you’d like. To edit or remove a highlight, just tap and hold that highlight on your profile.”

It is believed that the new features could encourage more businesses to use Instagram. Brands, too, can pin as many Stories as they want to their profile page, which should give them a free way to promote campaigns or content they want customers to see.

The new features are currently rolling out.