A Story is a photo or video post that disappears automatically after 24 hours, displayed in a separate space from the main feed - typically as a horizontal strip of circular thumbnails at the top of the screen. Pioneered by Snapchat and popularised at scale by Instagram, Stories are now a feature across most major platforms including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Because of their temporary nature, Stories feel more casual and in-the-moment than permanent posts. They’re widely used for day-to-day updates, polls, Q&As, countdowns, and quick promotions. Stories that perform well can be saved as Highlights on a profile, giving them a permanent home.
