Saving Instagram Stories and Preserving Precious Memories

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Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | May 31, 2024

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In a world where every moment becomes a shared experience, Instagram Stories add allure to the social media space. This Instagram built-in feature offers an excellent way to showcase content, document life’s moments, and promote products. However, to preserve these shared moments, saving Instagram Stories becomes important. 

Saving IG stories is a beneficial skill to know since these stories last 24 hours. Fortunately, there are ways to save IG stories, either in-app or via third-party applications. This guide details the process and methods of saving stories on Instagram. First, let’s discuss the concept of Instagram Stories.

A guy checking the Instagram Story of another user.

What Are Instagram Stories?

Before discussing how to save IG Stories, let’s briefly understand what they really are. Instagram Stories are a feature that allows users to share temporary photos and videos with their followers. These Stories typically last 15 to 60 seconds and are visible for 24 hours, after which they disappear. If your Instagram app is up-to-date, Stories appear at the top of a user’s feed, making them easily accessible.

Instagram adds GIFs, templates, Q&As, and Countdown options to Instagram Stories to further spice up this feature. You can curate Instagram Stories with music to make your content more engaging and appealing to your viewers. You can share them with your public followers or a group of close friends. Stories have become exceptional in increasing engagement and boast over 500 million users actively using this feature.

During the early stages of introducing Instagram Stories, several users complained of being unable to save a Story. If you share similar complaints, this brings us to finding efficient ways of saving stories on Instagram. Before discussing further, let’s see why people save Stories on IG.

A user checking different photos on his IG account.

Why Do People Save Instagram Stories?

As users, we enjoy captivating and engaging content on Instagram. However, while IG Stories last for 24 hours, knowing how to save them becomes necessary. Let’s check out the reasons why users save IG Stories:

  • Archiving Memories: Some moments are too precious to let disappear after 24 hours. Saving Stories allows you to preserve these memories.
  • Content Repurposing: Influencers and content creators can reuse Stories for marketing campaigns or other social media platforms.
  • Analyzing Engagement: Users can save their Stories to assess the performance and engagement of their content over time.

A guy saving a user’s Instagram Story on his device after watching it delightfully. 

How To Save Instagram Stories: Saving Your Personal Stories

There are several methods available for saving Instagram Stories. It could be via built-in options, Highlights, or third-party applications. Regardless of the method you employ, it ensures your saved Stories remain private and accessible only to you. First, let’s discuss easy steps on how to save Instagram Stories that are yours.

Saving your stories on Instagram is very simple. As a content creator, you may like a template you used and wish to save it for future Stories. Well, with these easy steps, you can save your own Instagram Stories:

  1. Open the Instagram app and swipe right from your feed to access the Story creation screen. Capture or upload the photo or video you want to share.
  2. After creating your Story, tap on your profile picture (your Story) in the upper-left corner of your feed.
  3. Once you’re viewing your Story, tap on the three dots in the lower right corner of the screen. Select “Save” from the list options. This will automatically save your Story on your mobile device.

That is straightforward. If you want to see all your saved Stories in one location, you can access the Instagram archive. To do that, follow these simple steps:

  1.  Access your Instagram profile.
  2. Tap on the menu button (three horizontal lines).
  3. Select Archive. Here, you’ll find all your saved Stories.

A user’s Instagram account showing her Highlights.

Using Instagram Highlights To Save IG Stories for a Longer Period

Besides using the built-in feature for saving Instagram Stories on your mobile device, you can use Instagram Highlights. This built-in feature gives your Stories a longer shelf life on the platform. As such, they remain on your profile until you decide to remove them.

After creating a Story, look for the “Highlight” icon at the bottom. Click it, and there’ll be a prompt to choose or create a new Highlight to add your Story. Click on your desired option. Then, your Story will be available in a Highlight, which you can check out on your Instagram profile.

While saving every Story to Highlights is tempting, remember to keep it organized. If you are a creator or a business, plan your Highlights strategically to showcase your best moments, products, or services. Don’t just save everything randomly – curate an engaging story for your audience to see.

Instagram Story Saver: Save Other Users’ Instagram Stories

Saving the Instagram stories of other users is not a straightforward process. Most times, the only successful way to save their stories is by taking a screenshot of the Story. But that isn’t enough, as you can’t screenshot a video. Sadly, Instagram lacks a built-in feature to save Stories you come across. However, the simple solution is to use a third-party app—an Instagram Story Saver.

This tool offers easy flexibility to save Instagram Stories of other users seamlessly. It is great for saving a hilarious meme, a captivating video, or a stunning picture. Follow these steps to know how to employ this third-party tool effectively.

  • Step 1: Visit your device’s app store (Google Play Store for Android or Apple App Store for iOS). Search for a reputable IG Story saver app. The ones on top of the list are popular and verified by other users. Download and install the app on your device.
  • Step 2: Once you install the app, log in to your Instagram account within the app. Avoiding apps that ask for unnecessary permissions or seem suspicious is vital.
  • Step 3: If you are uncomfortable with Step 2, download third-party apps that require no logins. 
  • Step 4: Return to your Instagram account and find the Story you wish to download. Copy the Story link by Clicking the arrow at the bottom-right of the screen beside the heart icon.
  • Step 5: Now, open the Story Saver app and paste the link you copied into the designated field. Click on the “Download” button, et voila! The Instagram Story is saved on your mobile device.

If you find the above steps challenging, there is an easy alternative. You can employ Path Social’s Instagram Story viewer tool to view and download the Stories and Highlights of other users. All you need to do is input the Instagram handle of the user whose Story you want to save. 

A user captures his favorite artist via his smartphone while performing live on stage.

Important Considerations To Note When Using IG Story Saver Apps

While IG Story saver apps are convenient, it is crucial to consider the following considerations while saving Instagram Stories.

  • Respect Instagram’s privacy settings and guidelines by saving Stories from public profiles. 
  • Only download and use trusted IG story-saver apps from reputable sources. Some apps may pose security risks or violate Instagram’s terms of use.
  • Regularly update the app to ensure it functions correctly and maintains compatibility with Instagram’s latest features.
  • As you save Stories, consider organizing them into folders in your device’s gallery to keep them organized and easily accessible.

How To Stop Instagram From Saving Stories to Camera Roll

While saving Instagram Stories is very helpful, you may not want them automatically saved to your device’s camera roll. Instagram has a default setting that automatically saves your posted content to your device’s camera roll. While convenient, it can quickly fill up your phone’s storage with duplicate images and videos. Here are steps on how to stop Instagram from saving stories to camera roll:

  • Step 1: Open the Instagram app on your device. Tap on your profile picture in the lower-right corner of the screen.
  • Step 2: Tap the three horizontal lines at the top-right corner to access the menu, and select “Settings” from the menu.
  • Step 3: In the Settings menu, click “Settings and Privacy.” Then scroll down till you see “Archiving and Downloading,” and select it.
  • Step 4: In this section, toggle off “Save Story to Camera Roll.” You can also toggle off other options like “Save Story to archive,” “Save Live to archive,” and “Save original photos.”

Following these steps, you can regain control over the Stories that get to your device’s camera roll. This helps you manage your device’s storage more effectively.

Path Social: Your Gateway To Creating Authentic Connections With Instagram Users

Saving Stories on Instagram is valuable, as it allows you to preserve those eye-catching cherished moments on the platform. It allows creators to repurpose engaging content, analyze audience engagement, and craft compelling narratives. By following the simple steps we discussed, saving Stories on IG will be an easy ride for you.

Indeed, saving Instagram Stories is important, especially if you want to learn from other users’ content strategies. However, having real and active followers who can engage with your content is an important recipe for success on Instagram. As such, it is imperative to seek the services of organic growth agencies to help you grow your fan base organically.

Path Social is a reputable organic growth organization that has an indelible track record of elevating users’ Instagram profiles. By actively connecting you with real and organic users, you can garner valuable insights from their shared Stories. Partnering with this platform will certainly enhance your presence and reach on Instagram. Sign up with Path Social today and increase your follower count.