Instagram is testing a new feature to help users catch up on missed content from friends, TechCrunch reports.
The platform is displaying unseen Story Highlights from mutual followers at the end of the Stories tray, the section at the top of the feed where Stories appear. This experiment focuses on curated content from the past week, giving users a chance to engage with updates they may have overlooked.
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, confirmed the test, with a spokesperson telling TechCrunch, “We’re always working on new ways to help people connect in Stories and are testing bringing recent Highlights to the end of the tray with a small group of people.” Social media expert Ahmed Ghanem was the first to spot the feature in action.
#Instagram is testing a new Highlights Story feature that displays highlights from profiles you follow as Stories. It seems to work as a way to catch up if you missed the original content
🔗 Follow my WhatsApp Channel for more updates: https://t.co/0JyLtIkvM8 pic.twitter.com/1TXbB4G4ub— Ahmed Ghanem (@ahmedghanem) December 17, 2024
Instagram’s interface, now packed with Reels and sponsored posts, can make it difficult to keep up with content from friends and family. This new feature highlights Story Highlights, saved collections of Stories on user profiles, instead of ephemeral Stories that vanish after 24 hours. Users will encounter these unseen Highlights only after finishing the current Stories in their tray.
For those following numerous accounts or rarely completing their Stories tray, these Highlights may still be easy to miss. However, this approach may help Instagram balance user-generated content with the platform’s evolving interface while ensuring meaningful connections aren’t lost in the noise.
