Instagram Highlight Downloader
Download publicly accessible Instagram Highlights, including their videos and images, when the provider can retrieve them.
What is the Highlights downloader?
Highlights are collections of past Stories that a profile pins permanently to its page, usually grouped by theme such as travel, recipes or music. A single Highlight can hold dozens of items, and those items can be images, videos or both. SaveThisIG treats a Highlight as a set rather than a single file: it lists the items it can retrieve so you choose which ones to save.
The link you need is the Highlight's own link, which contains /stories/highlights/. Paste that link, review the items returned, then download each one separately. There is no step that bundles an entire Highlight into one archive, because the items are separate media and we let you pick.
Highlights only work when the profile is public and the Highlight is still viewable without signing in. If you cannot open it in a signed-out browser window, there is nothing this tool can legitimately retrieve.
Before you start, what Instagram content can actually be downloaded is worth reading: it explains the public-content rules this page relies on.
How it works
- Copy the Instagram link from your browser or the Instagram app.
- Paste the link into the downloader on this page.
- Preview the media that is returned.
- Download it to your device.
Supported URL
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/<id>
What is not supported
- Highlights belonging to private accounts, or Highlights you have to log in to view. We never access private profiles and never ask for Instagram credentials.
- A whole profile or a profile's Stories archive. Paste one specific Highlight link, not a profile URL or a Stories tray link.
- Profile pictures and avatars. A profile link is not a Highlight, and we deliberately do not extract profile photos.
- Stories that are currently live on a profile. Those are not Highlights, and they belong in the Story downloader.
- Live broadcasts. A Highlight is a collection of already-posted Stories, never a Live stream.
- Highlights a creator has deleted, or individual items they have since removed from a Highlight.
What you can download
- Publicly accessible Highlights, using the highlight link that contains /stories/highlights/.
- Both the image items and the video items inside a Highlight.
- Every item the source makes available, presented in order so you can pick the ones you actually want.
- Highlights on public profiles that you can open in a browser without signing in.
- Links copied from a profile's Highlights row, from the browser address bar, or from a public embed.
What you get after downloading
- Each item is a separate file. Image items come back as image files and video items as video files, each with its own download button.
- You get whatever the source currently serves for that item. Highlights are re-encoded when Instagram stores them, so quality varies between Highlights and we never upscale or invent a resolution.
- Resolution, duration and file size differ per item. Two videos in the same Highlight can legitimately arrive at different qualities.
- File extension and filename follow each item's own format, not the Highlight as a whole.
- Nothing is bundled or re-ordered. You choose which items to keep and the rest are simply not downloaded.
Why a download can fail
- The Highlight is on a private account
- Highlights on private accounts are never accessed. Open the profile in a signed-out window to check whether it is actually public.
- The link points at a profile rather than a Highlight
- Copy the Highlight's own link, which contains /stories/highlights/. A profile URL needs a specific Highlight link before it can work.
- The Highlight or one of its items has been removed
- Media that has been deleted is gone for everyone, including you, so there is nothing left to retrieve.
- Instagram is limiting requests right now
- Wait about a minute, then try the same link again.
- The media link had already expired
- Open the Highlight in Instagram and copy a fresh link before trying again.
- The download service was temporarily unavailable
- Wait a moment and retry. Most temporary failures succeed on a second attempt with the identical link.
Troubleshooting
- Check that the link contains /stories/highlights/. That is a Highlight; a /stories/ link for a currently live Story belongs in the Story downloader instead.
- Open the Highlight in a private browser window while signed out. If it does not load there, it is not public content and it cannot be retrieved.
- A Highlight can return only some of its items. One item may be unavailable while the rest download normally, which is why we list items individually rather than promising a complete set.
- Retry once before assuming something is permanently broken. Temporary limits clear quickly and a second attempt often succeeds.
- If several attempts fail back to back, wait a minute. Request limits apply per minute, so immediate retries usually hit the same limit.
- On mobile, use the Copy link option from Instagram rather than typing the URL by hand, which is the most common cause of a malformed link.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download an Instagram Highlight?
Copy the Highlight's own link, which contains /stories/highlights/, paste it into the downloader on this page, review the items that come back, and download each one you want with its own button.
Can I download Highlight videos?
Yes. Video items are shown with a preview and downloaded as video files whenever the source makes them available. A Highlight can also contain images, and those are listed as image items.
Can I download Highlight images?
Yes. Each image item in a Highlight is listed with its own preview and download button, so you can save only the images you want.
Why does a Highlight only return some of its items?
A Highlight is a collection of separate media files, and any one of them can be unavailable on its own. An item may have been removed while the rest of the Highlight is intact, or it may no longer be retrievable. The items that are available are the ones you can download.
Why isn't a Highlight available?
The usual reasons are that the profile is private, the link points at the profile instead of the Highlight, the Highlight or an item has been removed, or Instagram is temporarily limiting how often content can be retrieved. Each of these produces a clear message rather than a silent failure.
Can I download a Highlight from a private account?
No. SaveThisIG only reads content that is publicly accessible and never accesses private accounts or asks for your Instagram login. If the profile is private, the content is not available to this tool.
What is the difference between a Highlight and a Story?
A Story is a post that disappears after about 24 hours. A Highlight is a permanent, pinned collection of older Stories. Stories still on a profile belong in the Story downloader; Highlights belong here.
Can I download a profile picture or someone's whole profile?
No. We do not extract profile pictures or download a profile as a whole. This tool only works with an individual Highlight link.
Do I need an Instagram password?
No. SaveThisIG never asks for, stores, or uses Instagram credentials. Only publicly accessible content is processed.
Related tools
View all Instagram download tools.
Related guides
- What Instagram Content Can You Download? Public vs Private
Understand what “public” and “private” mean on Instagram, which content a public downloader can realistically reach, and why private, removed, or expired content cannot be bypassed.
Responsible use
Creators hold the rights to the content they post. Before you save or share anything you download here, make sure you have the necessary permission, right, or lawful basis to use it. SaveThisIG only works with publicly accessible content and never accesses private accounts.
Read our Terms of Service, Copyright policy, and Privacy Policy for details. For anything else, contact us.