- You can save your Instagram stories to an iPhone or Android phone, even though they are meant to disappear after 24 hours.
- To save Instagram stories, you can archive them on the mobile app, download them to your iPhone or Android phone, or use a third-party app to auto-save stories.
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Instagram stories usually come with an expiration date, and will disappear 24 hours after uploading them. But that doesn't mean they have to be gone forever.
There are several methods you can use to save your Instagram stories. The best method will depend on how you want to save and use them once they've been saved.
Here are three ways to save your Instagram stories.
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How to save Instagram stories by archiving them on the mobile app
Archiving is an easy way to create a backup for your Instagram stories. The only catch is that you have to set it up beforehand — but once you do, you won't have to worry about saving your stories in the future.
Here's how to set it up:
1. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android phone and log in, if necessary.
2. Toggle over to your profile (the person icon in the bottom toolbar).
3. Tap the three lines and select "Settings."
4. Tap "Privacy" followed by "Story."
5. Under "Saving" toggle on the option to save your Instagram stories to your archive (you can choose to save stories to your phone's photo gallery from this screen as well).
When you turn on the archive option, you'll be able to access your stories via the archive, which you can access by going to your profile, then tapping the three lines in the top-right corner of the screen, and selecting "Archive."
How to save Instagram stories by downloading them to your phone
If you want to have your Instagram stories on your iPhone or Android phone, you can download them off the mobile app. If you have an iPhone you can save an entire story with multiple videos, but Android users will have to save each story individually.
Here's how to do it.
1. Open the Instagram app and log in, if you aren't already in your account.
2. Tap "Your Story" (located in the top-left corner of the screen) and view the story you want to download.
3. As it plays, tap the three dots and select "Save..."
4. Select "Save Photo/Video" to save that specific story, or to save all of your current stories as a single, vertical video, select "Save Story" (this option is only available on an iPhone — Android users will have to download each individual story).
You can also download stories right when you make them by pressing the download button (a downward facing arrow above a straight line) before posting.
How to save Instagram stories using a third-party app
As an alternative to using the Instagram app to auto-save your stories, you can also use a third-party, web-based app, like Embed Stories, to get it done.
With this app, you can embed your stories on websites to get more use out of them in different places.
Embed Stories also offers paid plans, which allow you to manage multiple Instagram accounts at once, and convert your stories into different formats.
Here's how to use Embed Stories:
1. Create an account on Embed Stories and connect your Facebook account (once you give permission, this will grab any associated Instagram accounts as well).
2. Click "Select Source" next to your Instagram account — the site will then collect your stories from that account and set up auto-save for your future stories at the same time.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
How to add a link to your Instagram Story — if your account is eligible to do so
How to contact Instagram for help with your account, or to report other accounts
How to edit an Instagram post to change the caption, tag people, add a location, or edit the 'alt text'
How to change your Instagram username or display name, on the mobile app or a computer
How to delete your Instagram account on an iPhone, or temporarily disable it
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