Instagram is testing a feature that will let you see Story Highlights from pals you may have missed. The social media platform is experimenting with presenting these Highlights at the bottom of your Stories tray. This is the section at the top of your feed where you typically find Stories from your friends.
A spokeswoman for Meta confirmed the functionality, adding, "We're always working on new ways to help people connect in Stories and are testing bringing recent Highlights to the end of the tray with a small group of people."
Ahmed Ghanem, a social media expert, first identified the function. Its goal is to ensure that users do not miss vital content from friends and relatives. Instagram's feed has been increasingly congested with sponsored posts, Reels, and other content. As a result, users frequently miss Stories from the individuals they do follow.

Expectations from Update

This new test will move unseen Story Highlights to the end of the Stories tray, allowing users to catch up on what they've missed. These Highlights are handpicked posts that users store on their profiles, as opposed to ordinary Stories, which expire after 24 hours. The unseen Highlights will emerge only after you've gone through all of the Stories in the tray.

Meta adds that viewers will be able to see Story Highlights from the previous week. However, if you follow a lot of accounts and don't always reach the end of the tray, you may miss the Highlights. This feature is intended to allow users to revisit content that they may have missed previously.

Instagram seeks to increase user engagement and connection by displaying missed Story Highlights. With the steady influx of fresh information, this feature provides a more organized approach for users to find meaningful stuff they may have overlooked. It is still in the testing phase with a small group of people, but if successful, might be scaled up.
This update underscores Instagram's focus on improving the user experience by making connecting with friends and family easier. It's unclear whether the feature will be permanent, but it demonstrates Instagram's commitment to enhancing its Stories experience.

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