How to Download Instagram Stories and Highlights

3 min read · Published October 24, 2026

Stories vanish after 24 hours unless the owner adds them to a Highlight. If there’s a public Story you want to keep, such as a recipe, a tutorial or your own post you forgot to archive, you can save it as a normal video or photo file.

1. Copy the Story link

1. Open the Story in the Instagram app.
2. Tap ⋯ (three dots) at the top right, or the share icon at the bottom.
3. Choose Copy link. The link contains /stories/.

For Highlights, open the Highlight from the profile and copy its link the same way.

2. Paste and download

Paste the link into the Instagram downloader and tap Download. Video Stories save as MP4 and photo Stories as images.

3. Find the file

• Android: Files › Downloads, or the Download album in your Gallery.
• iPhone: Files › Downloads, then share › Save Video or Save Image to move it into Photos.

What can’t be downloaded

• Stories from private accounts, or Stories shared only with Close Friends.
• Stories that have expired (older than 24 hours and not in a Highlight).
• Live broadcasts while they’re still live.

Your own Stories

For Stories you posted yourself, Instagram keeps a copy in Profile › ☰ › Archive, where you can save each one with ⋯ › Save.

Respect people’s content: Stories are often personal. Keep anything you save for yourself and ask before sharing it.

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