Instagram Highlight Covers
The size that works, how to add and change covers, how to keep highlights up to date and what to name them, with steps from Instagram’s Help Center.
In short: Instagram doesn’t publish an official highlight cover size, so use a 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) image with a simple icon in the centre, because the cover is cropped to a small circle. To change a cover, tap and hold the highlight, tap Edit highlight, then Edit cover and pick an image. Highlights stay on your profile until you remove them and are visible to the people who can see your story.
Last reviewed: 6 October 2026
What Instagram Story Highlights are
Independent guide. Viral In City is an independent social media agency. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Instagram or Meta. Every rule quoted below comes from Instagram’s or Meta’s own Help Center or official blog, linked so you can check it at the source. Platforms change features often, so confirm details on the linked pages.
Highlights are the row of circles under your bio. Each one is a collection of Stories you chose to keep on your profile. Instagram’s Help Center says stories you add as highlights stay visible until you remove them, even after the original story has disappeared, and that people you’ve allowed to see your story can also see your highlights (Add a story to your Story Highlights).
The highlight cover is the image shown in that circle, and the name is the short label under it. Together they work like a menu for your profile: a new visitor can tap “Prices”, “Reviews” or “Menu” instead of scrolling your grid.
Instagram also notes that Stories Archive and Highlights aren’t available for all accounts (Archive Instagram Stories), so if you don’t see the option, update the app and check again later.
Checked 6 October 2026 on Instagram’s Help Center.
Instagram highlight cover size
Instagram’s Help Center doesn’t publish an official pixel size for highlight covers. What it does say is that you pick a cover photo when you create or edit a highlight. In practice, this is what works:
| Item | What to use | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | 1080 × 1920 px (9:16), the same as a Story | Common practice |
| Where the icon goes | Centre of the canvas, roughly the middle 1080 × 1080 square or smaller | Common practice |
| Shape on the profile | Shown in a small circle, so corners are cropped | What you see in the app |
| Format | PNG or JPG with a solid or simple background | Common practice |
| Name under the circle | Short (one word works best); long names get cut off | What you see in the app |
Why a full Story canvas? Many people post the cover as a Story first (or pick an image from their camera roll), then choose it as the cover. A 1080 × 1920 file with the icon in the centre works for both. Our Instagram Story size guide explains the Story canvas and safe zones in detail.
Keep the icon well inside the circle. A design that fills the whole square will lose its edges when Instagram crops it to a circle, and the circle on the profile is small, so fine detail and thin text disappear.
How to add a highlight (iPhone and Android)
- Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
- Tap New. If you don’t see New, tap Story highlight.
- Tap to select the story or stories you want to add, then tap Next in the top right.
- Tap Edit cover to choose a cover photo, and enter a name for the highlight.
- Tap Add in the top right.
Add a story to an existing highlight: open your story, tap More in the bottom right, tap Highlight and pick the highlight. You can also tap and hold a highlight on your profile and tap Edit highlight.
Steps from Add a story to your Story Highlights (iPhone app version). Button names can vary slightly by app version.
How to change a highlight cover
- Go to your profile and tap and hold the highlight (or open it and tap More).
- Tap Edit highlight.
- Tap Edit cover and choose a new image. You can pick one of the stories in the highlight or an image from your phone.
- Adjust the position and zoom so the icon sits inside the circle, then tap Done.
Instagram’s edit article covers renaming a highlight, adding or removing stories and deleting highlights (Edit or delete a highlight). The cover option sits on the same edit screen.
How to add highlight covers without posting them to your Story
You don’t have to post your covers as Stories. When you tap Edit cover, many app versions also show a gallery icon so you can choose an image from your phone. If yours does:
- Save each cover image to your phone (for example, one PNG per highlight).
- Edit the highlight, tap Edit cover, then tap the gallery icon.
- Pick the cover image, position it inside the circle and tap Done.
If your app version doesn’t offer the gallery icon, post the cover to your Story (share it to a Close Friends list, for example just a colleague, so followers don’t see it), add it to the highlight, set it as the cover, then remove that story from the highlight. The cover stays.
How to design highlight covers that look good
- Pick one style for every cover: the same background colour (or gradient), icon style and line weight. Consistency matters more than detail.
- Use simple icons: a tag for Prices, a star for Reviews, a question mark for FAQ, a camera for Behind the scenes.
- Use your brand colours. Two or three colours across the whole set is enough.
- Leave space around the icon. If the icon touches the edge of the circle, it looks cramped.
- Check it on a phone. Look at your profile at normal size; if you can’t tell what an icon is in one second, simplify it.
You can design covers in any image editor. Our social media image size guide has a free resizer if you need to fit an image to 1080 × 1920.
Highlight names and ideas for businesses
Name highlights the way customers think. Short, plain names work best because long names are cut off under the circle. Order them by what new visitors ask most.
| Business | Highlight ideas |
|---|---|
| Restaurant or café | Menu, Offers, Events, Reviews, Location |
| Salon or clinic | Prices, Results, Team, Reviews, Book |
| Shop or brand | New, Best sellers, How to use, Shipping, Reviews |
| Service business | Services, Work, Process, FAQ, Contact |
| Creator | Start here, Tips, Gear, Collabs, Q&A |
Put the most useful highlight first. A “Start here” or “Prices” highlight answers the questions that would otherwise come in by DM. Pair it with a clear bio; our free Instagram bio generator helps you write one.
Keep your highlights fresh
- Make sure stories are archived. Highlights use your Stories Archive. Instagram says stories you share are saved to the archive unless you turn that setting off (Archive Instagram Stories or turn off Stories Archive).
- Remove outdated stories: open the highlight, tap More on the story and tap Remove from Highlight.
- Clear old highlights in bulk: Instagram lets you delete several highlights at once from Your activity > Highlights (Edit or delete a highlight).
- Know that archived stories can change: Instagram says some archived stories may have music muted or videos frozen to save storage, and those changes are permanent. Check older highlights that use music.
- Review once a month, at the same time you plan your content. Our free content calendar generator can remind you.
Common highlight cover mistakes
- Text-only covers with small words that nobody can read in a small circle.
- Icons that touch the edge and get cropped.
- Every cover a different style, which makes the profile look busy.
- Too many highlights. Five to eight focused ones are easier to use than twenty.
- Old prices or offers still showing because nobody checked the highlight in months.
- Private-only content: remember that highlights follow your Story audience settings.
Make a set of highlight covers in 10 minutes
- Create a 1080 × 1920 px canvas in any design app and fill it with your brand colour.
- Draw a guide circle about 800 px wide in the centre. Everything important goes inside it; delete the guide before exporting.
- Add one icon in white or a contrasting colour, about 300 to 450 px wide, centred.
- Duplicate the file for each highlight and swap only the icon, so the set matches.
- Export as PNG and send the files to your phone.
- Set each cover from Edit highlight > Edit cover, and check the result on your profile.
The sizes in these steps are a practical starting point, not an Instagram rule. Adjust if the icon looks too small or too large in the circle on your phone.
Highlights, profile picture and bio: make them work together
A visitor sees your profile picture, name, bio and highlights in one glance, so plan them together:
- Profile picture: a clear logo or face that still reads at small size.
- Bio: who you help, what you offer and one call to action. Our Instagram bio generator gives ideas.
- Highlights: the answers to the next questions (prices, proof, how to book).
- Links: Instagram lets you add up to 5 websites to your profile; see how to add links to Instagram Stories and bio.
If you’re growing a new account, our guide on how to get more Instagram followers covers the rest of the profile checklist.
Below the highlights, your first row of posts does the selling: see how to pin posts and comments on Instagram (up to 3 pinned posts).
Want a profile that turns visitors into customers?
We design highlight covers, write bios and plan Stories as part of monthly Instagram management. Start with a free social media audit or ask for a custom quote. If you prefer chat, message us on WhatsApp at +91 8827409728. See our Instagram management service.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What size should Instagram highlight covers be?
Instagram doesn’t publish an official size. Common practice is a 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) image with the icon in the centre, because the cover is shown in a small circle and the edges are cropped.
How do I change my highlight cover without posting a story?
Tap and hold the highlight, tap Edit highlight, tap Edit cover and choose an image from your phone’s gallery. If your app version doesn’t offer the gallery, add the image to a story, set it as the cover, then remove that story from the highlight.
Do highlights disappear after 24 hours?
No. Instagram says stories you add as highlights remain visible until you remove them, even after the original story has disappeared.
Who can see my Instagram highlights?
The people you’ve allowed to see your story can also see your highlights, according to Instagram’s Help Center.
How many highlights should a business have?
There’s no official number. Five to eight clear highlights, ordered by what new visitors ask most, are usually easier to use than a long row.
Why can’t I create highlights?
Instagram says Stories Archive and Highlights aren’t available for all accounts. Update the app, check that Stories Archive is on, and try again.
Can I delete several highlights at once?
Yes. Instagram lets you select and delete multiple highlights from Your activity, under Highlights.
Can I use the same image for every highlight cover?
You can, but people then can’t tell highlights apart at a glance. Use the same background and style with a different icon for each highlight.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center: Add a story to your Story Highlights
- Instagram Help Center: Edit or delete a highlight on Instagram
- Instagram Help Center: Archive Instagram Stories or turn off Stories Archive
- Instagram Help Center: Share a photo or video to your Instagram story
Sources checked on 6 October 2026.
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