Instagram is experimenting with a new feature that aims to resurface Story Highlights from your friends that you might have overlooked. This could be really valuable for those who feel like they’re missing out on updates from close connections amidst the constant influx of Reels and sponsored posts.Let’s back up a bit for those unfamiliar with Instagram’s features. “Stories” are photos or short videos that disappear after 24 hours. Users can also save these Stories as “Highlights” on their profiles, making them viewable indefinitely. Think of it as a curated collection of moments they want to keep accessible beyond the 24-hour window.
Now, with this new test feature, Instagram wants to bring those potentially missed Highlights back into the spotlight. They’ll appear at the end of the Stories tray – that’s the bar at the top of your feed where you see Stories from people you follow.
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, clarified that this feature is currently under testing with a small group of users. They emphasized their ongoing commitment to enhancing social connections through Stories.
Social media expert Ahmed Ghanem was the first to notice this change, highlighting how easy it is to lose track of friends’ updates in the ever-evolving landscape of the Instagram app.
It’s important to note that this feature won’t show regular Stories that vanish after 24 hours. It’s specifically designed to showcase Story Highlights that users have chosen to preserve on their profiles.Additionally, these Highlights will only become visible once you’ve viewed all the current Stories in your tray. So, if you follow many people and don’t always reach the end of your Stories tray, you might not see the Highlights.This move from Instagram could indicate a broader effort to prioritize content from friends and family, especially in light of the platform’s increasing focus on Reels and its algorithm-driven recommendations. A feature like this could help users ensure they don’t miss important updates from those who are closest to them. It would be interesting to see how this test pans out and whether it eventually rolls out to all users.
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