How to Unarchive Instagram Highlights

Did you accidentally remove an Instagram Highlight from your profile and now you're frantically searching for an unarchive button that doesn't seem to exist? Take a breath, because you’re not alone and your content isn't lost. This guide will walk you through exactly how to restore that Highlight story by story and explain why Instagram works this way in the first place.

First, Let's Clear Up the Confusion: There's No "Unarchive Highlight" Button

Here's the most important thing to understand right away: Instagram does not have a feature to "unarchive" a Highlight in a single click. This is the source of all the confusion. When you tap "Remove from Profile" on a Highlight (which many people think of as archiving), you aren't sending the entire Highlight collection to a folder to be retrieved later. You are simply dismantling the collection and removing its shortcut from your profile.

Think of it like this: your Instagram Story Archive is your master library of every song you've ever recorded. An Instagram Highlight is just a playlist you create using songs from that library. When you "remove" the Highlight, you're not deleting the songs (your Stories). You're only deleting the playlist. The individual Stories are still safe and sound within your Story Archive, waiting for you to assemble them into a playlist again.

So, the process of "unarchiving" is really a process of re-creating. As long as your original Stories are saved in your archive, you can rebuild your Highlight exactly as it was. If this setting isn't enabled, we'll cover that later, but for most users, your content is perfectly safe.

How to Restore Your Archived Instagram Highlight (Step-by-Step)

Ready to bring that Highlight back to your profile? The process is identical to creating a new Highlight from scratch. It only takes a minute once you know where to look.

Step 1: Navigate to Your Profile and Tap 'New'

Start by going to your main Instagram profile page. Look for the area where your Highlights are (or were) displayed, just below your bio. You'll see a circle with a plus sign (+) inside, usually labeled "New." Tap it.

Step 2: Locate the Stories in Your Archive

Tapping "New" opens up your Story Archive. This is a reverse-chronological gallery of nearly every Story you've ever posted. Your mission now is to find all the individual pieces of content that made up the Highlight you want to restore. Scroll through your archive until you find the first Story from that collection.

Pro Tip: Remember roughly when you posted those Stories? The archive groups them by date, and a calendar view at the top can help you jump back in time if they are from months or even years ago.

Step 3: Select the Stories for Your Highlight

Once you’ve found the Stories, it's time to start rebuilding. Tap the small, empty circle in the top-right corner of each Story thumbnail that you want to include. A blue checkmark will appear, confirming your selection. Continue selecting all the Stories that were in your original Highlight.

Step 4: Edit Your Highlight Cover and Title

After you’ve selected all the necessary Stories, tap the "Next" button in the top-right corner of the screen. You'll be taken to the editing page. Here, you can:

• Give it a name: Type in the exact same title your Highlight had before.
• Edit the cover: Tap "Edit Cover" to choose one of the included Stories as the cover image or upload a custom one from your camera roll. Using consistent, branded covers is a fantastic way to create a polished and professional-looking profile.

Step 5: Add it Back to Your Profile

Once your title and cover are set, tap "Add" (on iOS) or "Done" (on Android). And that's it! Your Highlight will instantly reappear on your profile in the exact spot it was before, fully restored.

More Than Just Archiving: Best Practices for Managing Your Highlights

Now that you know how to get your Highlights back, you can manage them with more confidence. Instead of just letting them sit there, you can treat them as a dynamic tool for building your brand and connecting with your audience.

Keep Your Story Archive Turned On. Always.

None of this works if your Stories aren't being automatically saved. This is the single most important setting for protecting your content. To check if it's enabled:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the three horizontal lines (the "hamburger" menu) in the top right.
2. Select "Archive."
3. On the Archive page, tap the three dots in the corner and select "Settings."
4. Make sure the "Save Story to Archive" option is toggled on.

If it wasn't on, turn it on now. It won't bring back old, unsaved Stories, but it will protect everything you post from this point forward.

Treat Highlights Like Your Website's Navigation

Your Instagram Highlights are some of the most valuable real estate on your profile. They are the first thing a potential follower sees after your bio, giving you a chance to direct their attention to what matters most. Don't let this space go to waste! Strategically plan your Highlights to function like a menu for your brand.

Great Highlight ideas include:

• About Us: Tell your story and introduce your team.
• FAQs: Answer the most common questions you get in your DMs.
• Testimonials: Share screenshots of happy customers and positive reviews.
• Services/Products: Showcase exactly what you offer.
• How-To's: Provide valuable tips related to your industry.
• Behind the Scenes: Give your audience a glimpse into your daily process.

Regularly Review and Refresh Your Highlights

Good social media management involves keeping your content fresh. Once every quarter, take a few minutes to review your Highlights. Is the information still accurate? Is that product testimonial from two years ago still the best one you have? Are there outdated promotions or events you can remove?

Don't be afraid to take down old Highlights now that you know you can easily re-create them if you change your mind. Pruning old content ensures new visitors see your most relevant and compelling information first.

The Worst-Case Scenario: What if the Stories Aren't in My Archive?

This is the one situation where a Highlight cannot be recovered. If the "Save Story to Archive" setting was turned off when you originally posted the Stories, they were permanently deleted 24 hours after they were published. Unfortunately, once they are gone, Instagram has no way of getting them back for you.

If you're in this position, the best thing to do is learn from it. Confirm your archive setting is enabled right now and focus on creating new, amazing content for your future Highlights. Your profile is always evolving, and starting fresh gives you a chance to build a better, more strategic set of Highlights than you had before.

Final Thoughts

While Instagram lacks a direct 'unarchive' button for Highlights, restoring them is as simple as re-creating the collection from the original Stories saved in your archive. By following the steps above, you can quickly bring your polished profile mainstays back to life, all while gaining a better understanding of how your Instagram content is stored.

Managing a compelling Instagram presence means keeping everything organized, from your feed posts to your Stories and Highlights. At Postbase, we built our platform to make this process feel straightforward, not chaotic. We focus on giving you a simple, visual calendar to plan all your content - including your Stories and Reels - so you can see your entire strategy at a glance and build a brand that feels intentional, starting from what you post today.