How to Fix Instagram Unable to Edit Highlight
Instagram Highlights are a powerful way to showcase your best stories permanently on your profile. But what happens when you’re suddenly unable to edit your highlights? Whether you can’t add new stories, change the highlight cover, or experience glitches with your highlight reels, this comprehensive guide will help you resolve the issue with step-by-step troubleshooting and expert tips.
Understanding Instagram Highlights
Instagram Highlights allow users to save their favorite stories and display them prominently on their profile. Unlike regular stories that disappear after 24 hours, highlights remain until you remove them. You can organize highlights by topics, events, or interests, and customize their covers for a cohesive profile look.
Common Issues: Why You’re Unable to Edit Instagram Highlights
- Can’t add new stories to a highlight
- Unable to change or edit highlight covers
- Highlights not updating or appearing blank
- Stories missing from the archive
- App crashes or freezes when editing highlights
Quick Fixes for Instagram Highlight Issues
Before diving into advanced troubleshooting, try these quick solutions:
- Check your internet connection: A weak or unstable connection can prevent highlights from updating properly.
- Update the Instagram app: Outdated versions may cause compatibility issues or bugs.
- Restart your device: This clears temporary memory and stops background processes that might interfere with the app.
- Log out and log back in: Refreshes your account settings and syncs with Instagram’s servers.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide
1. Turn On ‘Save Story to Archive’
Instagram only allows you to add stories to highlights if they’ve been saved to your archive. If this setting is off, you won’t be able to edit or add stories to highlights. Here’s how to check and enable it:
- Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
- Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
- Select Settings & Privacy.
- Scroll to Archiving and downloading.
- Turn on Save story to archive.
Once enabled, future stories will be archived and available for highlights. If you’re missing older stories, only newly archived stories can be added to highlights.
Tip: You can access archived stories by tapping the clock icon on your profile page.
2. Restart Your Device
A standard device restart can resolve many Instagram highlight issues, including:
- Highlights not updating
- Unable to add new stories
- Highlights appearing blank
To restart:
- iPhone: Press and hold the power button, then slide to power off.
- Android: Press and hold the power button, then tap “Restart.”
3. Log Out and Log Back In
Refreshing your login session can sync your account settings and resolve highlight issues:
- Go to your profile.
- Tap the menu icon (three lines).
- Select Settings, scroll down, and tap Log Out.
- Wait a few minutes, then log in again.
This method can fix:
- Highlights not appearing on your profile
- Unable to edit highlight covers
- Stories not saving to highlights
4. Clear Instagram App Cache (Android Only)
Corrupted cache files may cause highlight glitches. To clear cache:
- Open Settings on your Android device.
- Go to Apps > Instagram > Storage.
- Tap Clear Cache.
iPhone users should offload and reinstall the app by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Instagram > Offload App, then reinstall.
5. Uninstall and Reinstall Instagram
If the above solutions don’t work, reinstalling the app can help:
- Uninstall Instagram from your device.
- Restart your phone.
- Download Instagram again from the App Store or Google Play Store.
- Log in and check if highlights work as expected.
6. Edit or Delete a Highlight
If you want to edit or delete a highlight:
- Go to your profile and tap the highlight you want to edit or delete.
- Press and hold the highlight.
- Tap Edit Highlight to add or remove stories, change the cover, or rename the highlight.
- To delete, tap Delete Highlight and confirm.
7. Check for Instagram Outages
Sometimes, the issue is on Instagram’s end. Check social media or websites like Downdetector for outage reports. If it’s a widespread problem, you may need to wait for Instagram to resolve it.
Features of Instagram Highlights
- Permanent showcase of stories on your profile
- Customizable highlight covers
- Organize stories by themes or events
- Unlimited highlights (each with up to 100 stories)
- Ability to edit, add, or remove stories anytime
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Permanent Display | Stories remain on your profile as long as you want |
| Custom Covers | Upload or choose any image for highlight covers |
| Organization | Group stories by topic, occasion, or interest |
| Editing | Add, remove, or rearrange stories at any time |
| Unlimited Highlights | Create as many highlights as you need |
Pros and Cons of Instagram Highlights
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Enhances profile aesthetics | Occasional glitches or bugs |
| Great for branding and storytelling | Requires regular maintenance |
| Easy to edit and update | Stories must be archived before adding |
| Unlimited organization options | Dependent on Instagram’s stability |
Pricing
Instagram Highlights are a free feature included in all Instagram accounts. There are no fees or subscriptions required to use or edit highlights.
| Instagram Feature | Cost |
|---|---|
| Instagram Highlights | Free |
Use Cases and Expert Tips
- Personal Branding: Showcase your skills, interests, travel, or milestones.
- Business: Highlight products, customer testimonials, FAQs, and promotions.
- Events: Create collections for weddings, launches, or special occasions.
- Education: Use highlights for tutorials, guides, or resources.
Expert Tips:
- Design custom highlight covers for a polished profile look.
- Keep highlights updated—remove outdated content regularly.
- Use highlights as an interactive FAQ for your followers.
Advanced Troubleshooting & When to Contact Support
If you’ve tried all the above fixes and still can’t edit Instagram highlights, the issue may be account-specific or due to a bug. In such cases:
- Report the problem via Instagram’s Help Center.
- Check for app updates regularly.
- Try accessing your account from a different device to isolate if it’s device or account-related.
Instagram typically resolves reported bugs in future updates. Keeping your app updated is the best preventive measure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Instagram highlights are a key feature for both personal and professional users. If you’re unable to edit highlights, the solutions above will help you quickly resolve most issues—ensuring your profile always puts its best stories forward. For persistent problems, contacting Instagram support is your best option.
