To delete an Instagram highlight, go to your profile, tap and hold the highlight below Edit profile, tap Delete highlight, then tap Delete again to confirm. To remove just one story, open the highlight, tap More on that story, and choose Remove from highlight.
Deleting a highlight and taking one story out of it are two different jobs, and Instagram keeps them in different places. Work out which one you want first, because the steps aren't the same.
What happens when you delete the whole highlight
The whole circle goes from your profile. Here's how, in the Instagram app on Android or iPhone:
- Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
- Below Edit profile, find the highlight and tap and hold it.
- Tap Delete highlight, then tap Delete again.
That second Delete is a confirmation, so you won't wipe a highlight with one stray tap. If you'd rather keep a copy, it's worth saving it first; here's how to download your story highlights to your phone before you clear them.
Taking one story out but keeping the rest
If the highlight is mostly fine and one story's out of date, don't delete the lot. Open the highlight, go to the story you want gone, tap More, tap Remove from highlight, then tap Remove. Everything else in that highlight stays put.
You can also tap and hold a highlight and choose Edit highlight instead, which lets you add more photos or videos rather than starting again.
Clearing several highlights in one go
Spring cleaning a profile? There's a bulk option, which saves deleting them one by one:
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
- Tap Menu, then Your activity, then Highlights below Content you shared.
- Tap Select in the top right, then tap Select on each highlight you want gone.
- Tap Delete at the bottom, then Delete again to confirm.
In that view you can sort by Newest to oldest or filter by All dates, which helps when you're hunting for old ones.
Why old highlights hang around
Stories added to a highlight stay visible as highlights until you remove them, even after the original story has disappeared. That's the whole point of highlights, but it also means a story from ages ago can still sit on your profile. And anyone you've allowed to see your story can see your highlights too, so a clear-out is also a quick privacy check.
If you use highlights for your business, it may be smarter to rebuild them than delete them. This guide to using highlights to showcase your services has ideas for what to put back.
Bottom line before you tap Delete
Decide whether you're removing one story or the whole highlight, then use the matching route: Remove from highlight for a single story, Delete highlight for the full circle, and Your activity when you want several gone at once. Save anything you might want later before you confirm, because the help article doesn't mention a way to get a deleted highlight back.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit a highlight instead of deleting it?
Yes. Tap and hold it and tap Edit highlight to add more photos or videos.
