You can move highlights by holding and dragging them in your profile
To change the order of your Instagram Story highlights, go to your profile, long-press any highlight circle, and drag it to a new position. The highlights rearrange as you move them, and the new order saves automatically when you release. This works on both iPhone and Android.
The process takes seconds and requires no special permissions or settings. Instagram stores your highlights in the order you arrange them, so visitors to your profile see them in whatever sequence you choose. You can rearrange them as often as you want, and no one is notified when you make changes.
Key Takeaways
- Open your Instagram profile and find the highlight circles below your bio to start rearranging.
- Press and hold any highlight circle until the icons around it fade slightly, then drag it left or right to reposition.
- Release your finger to drop the highlight in its new spot; the change saves when ready without any confirmation step.
- You can rearrange highlights as often as you want without affecting the stories inside them or notifying your followers.
- The rearrangement only works in the mobile app — the web version does not support moving highlights.
Step-by-step: moving a single highlight
Open Instagram and tap your profile icon at the bottom right. You will see your profile photo, username, and bio at the top, with a row of circular highlight icons directly below. These circles show the cover image from each highlight you have created.
Tap and hold (press your finger down and keep it there) on the highlight you want to move. After about half a second, the other highlights will fade slightly and the one you are holding will appear ready to move. Drag your finger left or right across the highlight row to the position where you want it to go. As you drag, the other highlights shift to make room. Release your finger, and the highlight locks into its new spot.
The order updates when ready. Refresh your profile or close and reopen the app, and the highlights will still be in the new order you set. There is no save button to click — the change takes effect the moment you release your finger.
Moving multiple highlights in one session
You do not have to release after moving each highlight. Once you have moved one, you can when ready press and hold another without leaving the rearrangement mode. This makes it faster to reorganize several highlights at once if you want to restructure your entire profile layout.
If you have many highlights, you may want to plan the final order before you start. Decide which highlights matter most to visitors — usually those that introduce your business, show your best work, or answer common questions — and move those toward the left, where they appear first when someone lands on your profile.
What happens to the stories inside when you rearrange
Moving a highlight does not change the stories stored inside it. All the posts you saved to that highlight stay there, in the same order, regardless of where the highlight circle moves on your profile. You are only changing the position of the highlight itself, not its contents.
The cover image — the thumbnail that shows on the highlight circle — also stays the same. If you want to change which story appears as the cover, you would edit the highlight itself by tapping the three dots on the highlight circle and selecting "Edit Highlight," not by rearranging it.
Rearranging highlights on iPhone versus Android
The process is identical on both platforms. iPhone users press and hold with one finger; Android users do the same. Both see the same fade effect and drag the same way. Instagram syncs your highlight order across all devices, so if you rearrange on your phone, the new order appears on your tablet or computer profile as well.
If you use Instagram on a web browser to view your profile, you cannot rearrange highlights from there — you must use the mobile app. The web version shows your highlights in whatever order you set on your phone, but it does not allow you to move them. You will need to switch to the mobile app to make any changes to the order.
Why you might want to reorder your highlights
Most people arrange highlights by importance or topic. A business might put "Services" first, then "Reviews," then "Behind the Scenes." A creator might lead with "Best Work," then "Tutorials," then "Personal." The order you choose affects which highlights visitors see first when they land on your profile, so strategic placement can draw attention to your most important content.
You can change the order whenever your priorities shift — after a product launch, a season change, or a rebrand. There is no limit to how often you rearrange, and the process is quick enough that you can test different orders to see what feels right for your profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide a highlight without deleting it?
No, highlights are either visible on your profile or deleted. If you do not want a highlight to show, you must delete it. Deleting a highlight removes the circle from your profile but does not delete the original stories — they remain in your archive.
What if I accidentally moved a highlight to the wrong spot?
straightforward press and hold it again and drag it to the correct position. There is no undo button, but rearranging takes only a few seconds, so you can fix it when ready without any hassle.
Do my followers see the highlights in the order I arrange them?
Yes. Everyone who visits your profile sees your highlights in the exact order you set. The order is the same whether they visit on mobile or web.
Can I rearrange highlights on Instagram's web version?
No. You must use the Instagram mobile app on iPhone or Android to rearrange highlights. The web version lets you view and click highlights but not move them.
Does rearranging highlights affect when my stories were posted?
No. The order of highlights on your profile is separate from the order stories appear inside each highlight. Moving a highlight circle does not change the chronological order of the stories saved to it.