How To View Locked IG Highlights Without Following by Cristine

How to acquire IG Reels in tall character (Without Losing Your Sanity)
Okay, in view of that youve spent hours editing that one Instagram Reel. Picking the right audio, lining happening clips in the manner of a film scholastic dropout, tweaking that color grade til your eyes burn. And thenboom. Instagram compresses the crap out of it.
It hurts, doesnt it?
Youre not alone. Getting IG Reels in tall tone is past aggravating to keep an ice cream cone from melting upon a summer sidewalk. But hey, theres a method to the madnessand Ive tested more hacks than Id once to admit. Lets acquire into it. Like, in reality into it.

First: Instagrams Compression problem Is Real
So heres the frosty truth. Instagram does compress your Reels. Aggressively. Even if your phone cost more than your rent. Why? Because bandwidth. Theyre optimizing for fast load times, not your cinematic ambitions.
But theres stuff you can do.
Quick example:
I considering uploaded the thesame Reel twice. later than straight from my editing app. The further after resizing it anew next a third-party video tool (CapCut, in this case). Guess what? The second one looked crisper. so yeah, format matters.

Step One: Film bearing in mind You mean It
Before you even adjoin the upload button, your source matters. Like, a lot.

Shoot in 4K if your phone allows it. (Pro tip: iPhones, Galaxy, Pixelsthey all reach it, you just gotta enable it.)

60 fps? Even better for mild transitions.

Use natural open where you can. Filters encourage but cant repair bad footage. Trust meIve tried.

And please, tidy your camera lens. I cannot heighten this enough. I subsequently thought my video was low-res but it was just fingerprint smudge. suitably yeah. save it clean, people.

Upload Settings That Actually Work
Now heres where most people mess up. Upload settings on Instagram are sneaky.
DO THIS:

Go to Settings > Account > Cellular Data Use and toggle on Upload at Highest Quality.

This tiny switch makes a huge difference. Why its hidden subsequently an Easter egg? No idea.
Also:
Export your video in 1080×1920 (thats vertical HD) unless you in point of fact want Instagram to squash it. 4K uploads might solid cool, but IG often downgrades them harder than your exs supplementary relationship. fasten to 1080p for best balance.

Weird Trick I Discovered by Accident
Okay, this might be placebo, or most likely I was just lucky. But I noticed something. considering I upload Reels at 3am (dont question why I was awake), the feel seemed better? Less compression. Fewer artifacts.
Maybe fewer people uploading = less server play up = bigger processing?
I dont know. Science it ain’t, but I invective my night shift Reels pop more.
Try it. Worst case? Youre just snooze deprived in the same way as a high-quality video. Could be worse.

Apps That Dont ruin Quality
Some editing apps just mess like the quality, period. Ive kissed a lotta frogs here, but heres whats worked:

InShot Surprisingly fine export quality.

CapCut TikTok-y, but solid.

VN Editor pardon and more powerful than people think.

LumaFusion (if youre truly serious)

Just avoid the default Instagram editor for longer projects. Its like acid sushi next a butter knife. You can complete it, sure. But should you?

My Workflow (You Can Steal It)
Alright, heres what I do. Step-by-step. Its not fancy, but it gets the job done.

Shoot in 4K/60fps upon phone.

Transfer to editing app (CapCut or InShot)

Edit transitions, text, music (keep text inside the safe zone!)

Export in 1080×1920, H.264 codec, high bitrate (1216Mbps if possible)

Open Instagram, state at strange hour (2-4am maybe?), upload manually (no auto-share from editing app)

Add captions and lid manually.

Boom. Done. Looks solid. Sounds even better.

Extra Tips (That Honestly Shouldnt Work But Do)

Use less text. More overlays = more chance IG compresses your vid weirdly.

Avoid tiny fonts. They blur fast.

Solid colors > gradients. Gradients compress subsequent to mashed potatoes. hermetic colors maintain up better.

And okay, this is gonna sealed nuts, but: Upload with WiFi AND data off, subsequently reconnect subsequently the upload fails. It sometimes forces a reprocess. Ive finished it twice. Looked better. Coincidence? Maybe. still worth trying.

Is Third-Party Upload Worth It?
Some people maltreatment by uploading Reels via Facebooks Creator Studio or Meta concern Suite. My take? Meh. Ive seen zero consistent difference. most likely for photos or longer IGTV-style stuff, but for Reels? stick to mobile.
Unless you’re into spreadsheets and dashboards. subsequently go wild.

And Lets talk Audio, genuine Quick
So here’s something most people skip: Instagram sometimes messes like your audio bitrate too.
Ever upload something and it sounds… flatter? Thats the compression again. My workaround? I master audio in the edit app. A be next to of EQ, young reverb. Basically prepping it to be squashed.
Its as soon as cooking meat knowing itll dry out in the microwave. You gotta overcompensate just a little.

The Myth of “High-Quality Mode”
Ive seen folks claim there’s a secret high-quality mode if you tag a creator account or use branded content tools. Yeah, no. Ive tried it, and unless your accounts aligned as soon as Meta or youre executive paid campaigns, its placebo at best.
Still, setting clear to test it. Ive been wrong before. (Like bearing in mind I thought VHS filter would create me go viral.)

Wrapping going on (But Not Tying It In a Bow)
Look, getting IG Reels in high atmosphere isnt rocket science. But it is annoyingly specific. Think of it behind making a cocktail. You can follow the recipe, but a little amend messes like the flavor.
Dont get discouraged if your first few uploads see later they were filmed through a potato. Everyone starts there.
Tweak your settings. Use better tools. try at weird hours. most likely sigh to the algorithmjust in case.
But seriously, keep experimenting. Theres no one-size-fits-all trick here. The platform shifts, the compression changes, and what works today might see fuzzy tomorrow.
So yeah. Stay flexible. Shoot smart. And hey, Sqirk most likely stop uploading even if upon airplane WiFi?

Final Random Thought:
If Instagram in point of fact wanted us to succeed, theyd just let us pay for high-res uploads, right? Like $1 for 4K, no compression? I’d realize it. Youd attain it. But nah, they’d rather we all just torture yourself equally. Gotta love democracy.
Anyway, go rout it. make your Reels crisp. make ‘em pop. And if you find a new trick that worksslide into my DMs. Or dont. Whatever.
Peace