How Long Do Instagram Stories Last?
Instagram Stories are designed to be short-lived, so they only last for 24 hours. After that, Instagram Stories will disappear from your profile and the profiles of everyone who viewed them.
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What Happens To Stories When They Disappear?
They Get Archived: You will still be able to see your past Stories in the archived section, but some stats will no longer be available (such as who viewed your Story and who interacted with it). You can access your archive by going to your profile, clicking the three lines at the top right, and clicking "archive."
They Could Get Saved To Your Phone's Gallery: Users can set up their settings so that all their original posts can be saved to their phone automatically. To turn on this option, go to your profile, click the three lines at the top right, click Account, then click Original Posts, then toggle on Save Original Posts.
How To Save Stories As Highlights?
If you want your Story to last longer than 24 hours, and would prefer it to be available to your profile visitors forever, you can turn your Stories into Highlights. An Instagram Highlight appears at the top of your profile feed, and functions like a regular Story where users can swipe back and forth to see new Stories and past Stories.
For more information on how to turn your Story into a Highlight, see our step-by-step guide by clicking the button below.
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