An Instagram story stays up for 24 hours, then disappears from your profile and your followers' feeds. Each story clip can be up to 60 seconds long; if you add a longer video, Instagram splits it into several back-to-back clips so the whole thing plays. These answers are from Instagram's own guide to Stories, read on October 22, 2026.
The short version: 24 hours on screen, 60 seconds per clip. After 24 hours the story moves to your private Stories Archive, which only you can see. To keep it on your profile for good, add it to a Highlight.
In this guide
How long do Instagram stories last?
24 hours from the moment you post them. While they are live they sit in the row at the top of your followers' feed and behind your profile picture. After that they leave both places on their own; you do not need to delete them.
How long can an Instagram story be?
Up to 60 seconds per clip. Record or upload a longer video and Instagram cuts it into consecutive clips of up to 60 seconds, which play one after another, so viewers see the whole video as several stories. A photo story shows for a few seconds before moving on, unless the viewer holds the screen.
What happens to a story after 24 hours?
Instagram saves it automatically to your Stories Archive, a private space only you can see, found in your profile's menu. From the archive you can share a story again, save it to your phone or add it to a Highlight. If you turned the archive off, the story is gone after 24 hours, so leave it on unless you have a reason not to.
How do I keep an Instagram story longer than 24 hours?
Add it to a Highlight. Highlights are the circles under your bio, and Instagram's guide says they stay on your profile until you remove them. Tap Highlight at the bottom of a live story, or open a story in your archive and add it from there. Name each Highlight for what a new visitor wants to know (prices, reviews, menu, how to order), since they are often the first thing people tap.
Who can see my Instagram story?
Everyone who can see your account, unless you share it to Close Friends, a list you choose and can change at any time; a Close Friends story is shown only to those people. While a story is live, swipe up on it to see the list of people who viewed it, newest first.
What size should an Instagram story be?
1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 ratio that fills a phone screen. Keep text and logos away from the top and bottom, where your name and the reply bar sit: Meta suggests leaving about the top 14% and bottom 20% clear. Our Instagram post size tool crops a story to the right size and shows that safe area.
Can you schedule Instagram stories?
Yes. Meta Business Suite schedules stories for your Instagram account, and Instagram lets accounts that meet its eligibility requirements schedule stories in the app too. Our guide to scheduling Instagram posts, Reels and stories has the steps, and the best time to post on Instagram helps you pick the hour.
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