Instagram Highlights are curated collections of Stories that remain visible on a user’s profile beyond the standard 24-hour lifespan. The ability to see who has viewed one’s standard Instagram Stories is a built-in feature. However, the same visibility does not apply to Highlights. When a Highlight is viewed, the profile owner can only see the total number of viewers, not the specific accounts that have viewed it, unless the view occurred within the initial 24-hour period when the Story was first posted.
The absence of individual viewer identification for Highlights offers a degree of privacy to those browsing content. This functionality allows users to explore Highlights without the explicit knowledge of the profile owner, potentially encouraging more engagement with the presented content. This stands in contrast to the ephemeral nature of regular Stories, where viewers are directly identifiable within the initial viewing window. The design choice appears to prioritize a broader, less scrutinized audience experience for curated profile content.