Deleting a highlight removes it from your profile permanently, but the original posts stay in your feed
When you delete a highlight from Instagram, only the highlight itself disappears from your profile. The individual posts that made up that highlight remain in your feed and Stories archive — they are not deleted. This matters because highlights are just collections you create; deleting one does not erase the content inside it.
You can delete a highlight in two taps from your profile. Open Instagram, go to your profile, find the highlight you want to remove, press and hold it, and tap Delete. The process is the same whether you are on iPhone or Android.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a highlight only removes the collection from your profile — the original posts remain in your feed and Stories archive.
- You delete a highlight by opening your profile, pressing and holding the highlight, and tapping Delete from the menu that appears.
- Once deleted, a highlight cannot be recovered, so make sure you want to remove it before confirming.
- You can also edit a highlight to remove individual stories from it without deleting the entire collection.
How to delete a highlight in three steps
Start by opening Instagram and navigating to your profile. Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner, or swipe left from the home feed until you reach your profile page.
Look for the highlight circles below your bio and profile information. Press and hold the highlight you want to delete — do not tap it, hold your finger on it for a moment. A menu will pop up with options including Delete. Tap Delete, and Instagram will ask you to confirm. Tap Delete again, and the highlight is removed from your profile when ready.
The posts that were in that highlight remain untouched. They stay in your feed, your Stories archive, and anywhere else they were originally posted. Only the highlight collection itself is gone.
What happens to the posts inside a deleted highlight
The individual stories and posts you added to a highlight do not disappear when you delete the highlight. If you posted a story to your feed and added it to a highlight, deleting that highlight does not remove the story from your feed or from your Stories archive. The highlight was just a way to organize and display those posts on your profile — removing the organization does not remove the content.
If you want to keep some of the posts but remove others from view, you have another option: edit the highlight instead of deleting it. You can remove individual stories from a highlight without deleting the entire collection, which is useful if you want to keep the highlight but change what it contains.
How to edit a highlight instead of deleting it
If you want to remove only some stories from a highlight rather than delete the whole thing, you can edit it. Press and hold the highlight and tap Edit instead of Delete. This opens the highlight editor, where you can see all the stories in that collection.
Tap the minus sign or X on any story you want to remove from the highlight. The story stays in your feed and archive — it just stops appearing in that particular highlight. When you are done removing stories, tap Done or Back to save your changes. This way you can keep the highlight but change its contents.
Recovering a deleted highlight
Instagram does not have an undo button for deleted highlights. Once you confirm the deletion, the highlight is gone from your profile and cannot be brought back. However, you can create a new highlight with the same name and add the original posts back to it if you remember which ones were in it.
To recreate a highlight, go to your profile and create a new highlight by tapping the plus icon or the Create option near your other highlights. Give it the same name as the one you deleted, then add stories from your archive. This is not automatic recovery — you have to manually select which posts go into the new highlight — but it lets you restore the collection if you change your mind.
Why you might want to delete a highlight
People delete highlights for different reasons. You might remove a highlight that is outdated, no longer represents your current interests, or contains content you do not want on your profile anymore. You might also delete a highlight if you are reorganizing your profile and want to start fresh with new collections.
Highlights are meant to be flexible — you can create as many as you want, edit them whenever you like, and delete them without affecting your actual posts. Think of them as temporary displays of your content rather than permanent storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a highlight delete the stories in it?
No. Deleting a highlight only removes the collection from your profile. The stories and posts that were in the highlight stay in your feed and Stories archive. A highlight is just a way to organize and display content — removing the highlight does not remove the content itself.
Can I undo a deleted highlight?
Instagram does not offer an undo feature for deleted highlights. Once you confirm the deletion, it is permanent. You can create a new highlight with the same name and manually add the original posts back to it, but you have to do this manually by selecting each story.
What is the difference between deleting a highlight and removing a story from it?
Deleting a highlight removes the entire collection from your profile. Removing a story from a highlight keeps the highlight but takes that one story out of it. If you want to keep the highlight but change what is in it, remove individual stories instead of deleting the whole thing.
Will people see that I deleted a highlight?
No. When you delete a highlight, it straightforward disappears from your profile. People who viewed it before will not receive a notification, and there is no record of the deletion visible to others. It just stops appearing on your profile.
Can I delete multiple highlights at once?
No. Instagram requires you to delete highlights one at a time. Press and hold each highlight individually and tap Delete. There is no bulk delete option for multiple highlights.