Instagram highlight covers.
Make them clean & matching.
The exact steps to add or change a highlight cover, the right size so nothing gets cut off, and free ideas for a uniform aesthetic. And want to view or save anyone's highlights? Try the scan below.
248,310 profiles tracked this month
How to add or change an Instagram highlight cover
- Open your profile and hold the highlight. Go to your profile and press and hold the highlight you want to change until a menu appears.
- Tap Edit Highlight. Choose Edit Highlight from the menu. This opens the highlight's settings, including its cover.
- Tap Edit Cover. Tap Edit Cover (the small circle preview). You can drag a frame from a story already in the highlight, or tap the photo icon to upload your own.
- Upload a custom 1080×1920 cover (optional). To use a custom icon, tap the photo icon and pick a 1080×1920 image from your camera roll. Keep the icon centred so the circle crop doesn't cut it off.
- Save. Tap Done. The new cover applies instantly — nothing is posted to your story or feed, and followers aren't notified.
The size trick that keeps covers from getting cut off
The single thing that ruins most highlight covers is the crop. Instagram takes your image and shows only a centred circle of it, so anything near the edges disappears. Design your cover at the full story size — 1080×1920 pixels — but keep your icon or focal point inside the middle, roughly a 1080×1080 square centred vertically. Leave generous padding around it and the circle will frame it perfectly every time.
For the clean, matching look you see on aesthetic profiles, the formula is simple: one centred icon on a solid background colour, repeated with the same background across every highlight. Pick a colour that matches your feed, drop a single minimal icon in the middle, save each as a 1080×1920 image, and upload them through Edit Cover. Because uploading a cover doesn't post anything to your story or feed, you can redesign all of them any time without your followers seeing a thing.
Want to view or save someone's highlights?
Covers are the doorway — the highlights themselves are where the content lives. If you want to open and watch any public profile's highlights (or save them), the Instagram highlights viewer does exactly that, and you can do it anonymously — without logging in or showing up as a viewer. It pairs with the anonymous Instagram viewer for stories and posts too.
Safe, and no password
However you view highlights, use a tool that never asks for your Instagram password — that's the line between safe and risky. UnfollowCheck reads only public data from a @username, so there's nothing to steal and no login for Instagram to flag. The same app also tracks who unfollowed you and who doesn't follow back — which is why 120,000+ people trust it.
Highlight covers, answered
How do I add a cover to an Instagram highlight?
Go to your profile, press and hold the highlight, tap Edit Highlight, then tap Edit Cover. You can either pick a frame from a story already inside that highlight, or tap the photo icon to upload a custom cover image from your camera roll.
What size should an Instagram highlight cover be?
Design your cover at 1080×1920 pixels (the standard story ratio). Instagram crops it to a circle and only shows the centre, so keep your icon or image roughly within the middle 60% — about a 1080×1080 safe zone centred vertically — so nothing important gets cut off.
Can I change a highlight cover without adding a new story?
Yes. Uploading a custom cover via Edit Cover does not post anything to your story or feed — it only changes the little circle image. Your followers aren't notified and no new story appears.
How do I get those clean, matching highlight cover icons?
Most aesthetic covers are simple icons on a solid background. Make a 1080×1920 image with a single centred icon in your brand colour (any free design app works), save it to your camera roll, then upload it through Edit Cover. Repeat with the same background colour across all highlights for a uniform look.
Why does my highlight cover look cut off or zoomed in?
Because Instagram crops covers to a centred circle. If your image fills the whole 1080×1920 frame, the edges get cut. Keep the focal point centred and leave padding around it, and it will sit neatly inside the circle.
Can I see or save someone else's highlight covers and highlights?
Yes — for public accounts. UnfollowCheck's highlights viewer lets you open and view any public profile's highlights, and you can do it anonymously, without logging in or being seen. It reads only public data and never asks for your password.
Is it safe to use a tool to view highlights?
It is, as long as it never asks for your Instagram password. UnfollowCheck reads only public data from a @username — there's no login to steal — so there's no risk to your account.
View any highlights — privately.
Download UnfollowCheck — view and save anyone's public highlights and stories anonymously, plus see who unfollowed you. No scams, and never asks for your password.