Instagram’s Highlights feature allows users to curate and display Stories that have expired from their main profile. Unlike regular Stories which disappear after 24 hours, Highlights remain visible indefinitely unless manually removed. Regarding viewer visibility, the platform’s mechanics are such that users are generally unable to ascertain who has viewed their Highlights after the initial 48-hour period following the Story’s original posting. While the initial Story posting allows for viewer tracking, this capability does not extend to the Highlight after that initial time frame.
The impermanence of viewing data for Highlights ensures a degree of privacy for those who browse others’ profiles. This design choice balances the content creator’s ability to share curated content with the viewer’s right to explore without being constantly monitored. This approach contrasts with other social media features that offer extensive analytics on user engagement and provides a less intrusive experience for viewers. The absence of extended view tracking is a deliberate design choice, differentiating Highlights from other ephemeral content formats on the platform.