Verily, these Instagram Story hacks doth promise to save thee time and elevate thy storytelling prowess to unparalleled heights, making thee the most esteemed raconteur in all the land (pun unintended, of course).
Methinks thou hast surely perused our Must-Try Instagram Hacks ere now. (‘Tis indeed a delightful beach read, verily, I understand!) But now, ’tis the moment to master the fine art of the Instagram Story.
‘Tis a simple equation: if a picture be worth a thousand words, then an Instagram Story post surely must be worth a million, don’t thee agree?
And lo, these Instagram Story hacks shall surely establish thee as the paramount Story-teller in the vicinity.
Top Instagram Story hacks for 2023
Surely, five hundred million souls do partake in Instagram Stories on a daily basis. ‘Tis a grand spectacle, and in the year 2023, there dost exist more features for businesses to wield to their advantage than ever before.
Some may opine that there are almost too many features at hand.
Hence, we hath distilled our favorite hacks and concealed features down to thirty. These are the most efficacious tricks that shall save thee time and impart unto thee the countenance of a seasoned professional on Stories, ensuring thou dost harness the platform to its utmost advantage.
General Instagram Story hacks
1. Create a patterned backdrop for sharing a feed post
Should thou deem it necessary to append a custom backdrop when sharing a feed post on thy Story? By all means, no. Yet, akin to donning lipstick for a Zoom meeting, at times it brings a certain flair to the routine.
How to proceed:
- Locate the feed post thou dost wish to share and capture a screenshot thereof, cropping it to encompass solely the post.
- Thereupon, click the paper airplane icon on said original feed post and select "Add post to your Story."
- Expand the feed post to occupy the entire screen—this may seem extreme, I grant thee, but this action doth transform the final post into a clickable link to the original post.
- Following that, import the background pattern of thy choosing from thy camera roll.
- Then, insert the cropped screenshot of thy post atop and arrange or resize it as thou desirest.
- Upload the complete creation.
2. Fill the background with a solid color
The default gradient backgrounds art commendable, but occassionally, thou may possess a proclamation that doth require naught but a wall of blinding chartreuse.
How to proceed:
- Tread the path to the draw icon.
- Select a hue from the palette (tip: swipe right to unveil additional color choices, or press and hold upon a specific color to reveal a rainbow gradient of choices).
- Having chosen a color, touch any part of the image or text section of the screen and hold for two or three seconds to fill.
3. Uncover even more colors! More!
Thou art insatiable, and we do not pass judgment. Indeed, within Instagram Stories, thou dost possess access to all the hues of the rainbow and beyond. Discover thy brand’s specific hues, or venture into the realm of eccentric shades like puce.
How to proceed:
- Open Instagram Stories and select the brush tool.
- Tap and hold any of the default color circles. This shall unveil a color slider.
- Explore the slider to unearth the bespoke color of thy dreams!
Alternatively, place an image into thy Story and employ the eyedropper tool to procure the precise matching shade.
4. Use a green screen in thine Instagram Story
The advent of green screen technology hath transformed the realm of social media. Thou canst be present in any locale, even upon the moon. Especially upon the moon.
How to proceed:
- Navigate through the filters at the bottom of the screen to reach the magnifying glass; thereupon, tap to search.
- Search for "green screen" and select Instagram’s green screen filter.
- Tap Add media to designate thy background video or photo from thy device’s image gallery.
- Capture a picture or craft a video before this illusory backdrop.
Instagram’s teleport feature doth hold amusement as well—it utilizes the greenscreen backdrop, yet said backdrop solely materializeth as thou movest thy device, enabling thee to enact a delightful reveal effect. (Thou art in thy chamber…and anon, thou art embarked upon a tour with Destiny’s Child! A marvel!)
5. Share with a select group of VIPs
Now that thy employer, Uncle Steve, and the president of thy strata council art all followers upon thy Insta, the pressure to comport thyself as a professional employee, niece, or neighbor may indeed dampen thy most ingenious and whimsical Instagram ruminations.
Instagram’s Close Friends feature provideth an opportunity to share more intimate, exclusive content with a chosen company (apologies, Uncle Steve!). For businesses, perchance ’tis a manner to bestow specialized consideration upon members or VIPs (who, yet again, are unlikely to encompass Uncle Steve).
How to proceed:
- Travel to thy Instagram profile, and click the three lines in the upper corner.
- Elect Close Friends.
- Seek out thy cherished companions and click Add (at present, there exists no limitation on the number of individuals this may encompass).
- To dismiss individuals, click upon Your List and press the remove button (fear not, for they shalt remain unaware should they be pruned).
- At present, when thou art poised to post a Story, the option to share with Close Friends shall grace the bottom of the screen alongside Your Story.
Source: Instagram
6. Schedule thine Instagram Stories in advance
Verily, Stories art meant to be a spontaneous medium. Yet, dost thou truly reside at thy desk or engulfed in thy device throughout the entire day? Nay! Thou art living, so as to gather experiences worth narrating upon Instagram Stories.
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7. Add a layer of translucent color to a video or photo
Mayhap thou perceivest life through rose-colored spectacles, and desire other souls to partake in this vision also. Fear not: resort to this swift stratagem to imbue thy images or videos with color.
How to proceed:
- Pose the video or image thou wouldst employ.
- Touch the marker icon situated atop the screen.
- Select the highlighter icon at the screen’s pinnacle.
- Elect thine preferred hue from the screen’s base.
- Press and sustain contact with the photo until a layer of translucent color doth manifest upon it.
8. Post multiple Stories at once
Verily, substantial time is necessitated to duly refine, edit, or curate a multipart Story, as any adept of social media knoweth. Yet, perchance thou dost prefer not to keep thy followers in suspense as thou searchest for the flawless background color or assemblage of stickers for Section 2 of thy series upon thy local boat exposition. The remedy is to prepare multiple Story posts to be shared simultaneously (in the sequence that thou dost select, of course) through Instagram’s Multi-capture tool.
How to proceed:
- Initiate Instagram Stories and proceed to locate the Multi-capture tool (a circle encircled by an additional circle comprised of dashes).
- Capture a photograph (be mindful: one cannot upload images or craft a video in this mode). Thy snap shall be appended to a small circle in the lower left-hand corner or the screen’s bottom edge.
- Capture up to nine more images, thus reaching a total of ten. Each shall stand as the foundation of a distinct Story post.
- When thou art finished, tap upon the diminutive circle icon (in the left-hand corner, should thee be using a filter, or at the screen’s base if not) to transition to the editing screen.
- Herein, thou mayst take thy leisure in appending text, stickers, music, or effects to each photograph.
- Art thou prepared to post? Tap Next.
9. Add music to thine Instagram Story
Thy Story doth crave a soundtrack! It is an absolute necessity.
How to proceed:
- Record thy video, capture thy image, or upload thy content.
- Upon the editing screen, touch the music note icon situated atop the screen.
- Select thy melody.
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Whilst upon the editing screen, thou dost boast a variety of options to tailor how the music is presented or visualized:
- At the base, peruse through options to exhibit the lyrics or the album cover.
- At the screen’s pinnacle, touch the color wheel to alter the text’s hue.
- Tap the number encircled to regulate the clip’s duration.
- Toward the screen’s base, scroll to designate the section of the melody thou wishest to be played.
- Returning to the editing screen, expand or contract to magnify the album cover or lyrics (tip: should thee prefer them not to appear at all, diminish that element to the utmost extent and overlay a sticker upon it!).
Instagram Story photo hacks
10. Craft "progression" posts that evolve from an image
Augment the tension across several Story posts by appending new elements to the same foundational image. Ah, the suspense!
How to proceed:
- Conceive a Story post in the customary manner with videos, photographs, text, stickers, or drawings.
- Ere uploading, click upon the save icon (a downward-pointing arrow atop a line) at the apex to download thy composition to thy camera roll (shouldst thou have added gifs or music, this shall be preserved as a video).
- Upload thy Story by clicking upon the Send To button at the screen’s lower right corner.
- Subsequently, initiate a fresh Story.
- Select Create, then navigate to thy camera roll and opt for that initial Story thou hast preserved.
- Now, thou art able to seamlessly expand upon that foundational Story with supplementary elements.
- Save this fresh creation to thy camera roll.
- Iterate as required.
11. Compile a "revealing" Story series
Unveil a mysterious image with the assistance of the eraser tool. This subsequent hack demandeth abilities from ploys #3 and #7, aforementioned. Conceivably thou hast undertaken thy preparation, for this doth verily constitute a test.
How to proceed:
- Append an image in create mode.
- Thereupon, suffuse the screen with color (refer to ploy #3!).
- Choose the eraser tool.
- Eradicate a segment of the color layer to disclose a diminutive sliver of the image below.
- Succumb to the allure of the save button to download this to thy camera roll…yet delay its upload.
- Continue to unveil additional portions of the image by persisting in eliminating the color layer, saving at disparate intervals to chronicle the reveal step-by-step.
- Once thou hast amassed all these images, launch a fresh Story post and upload that preliminary image.
- Share the ensuing saved images one by one, resulting in the gradual unveiling of the image aforetime concealed.
12. Fabricate captivating effects with the eraser tool
A few strategic swipes of the eraser can engender the semblance of photos and other elements melding into one. Harmonious! Inspiring! Could this be…art?
How to proceed:
- Unfurl the photograph thou dost desire to employ.
- Employ the marker tool (we favor neon) to shape a visual element that overlaps the central object of thy photograph.
- Following this, utilize the eraser tool to efface any remnants of the marker that overlap with the primary photo object. ‘Twill appear as though the drawn remnants art weaving about it. An optical illusion!
13. Compile a multi-image Story
The more images, the merrier! Employ the paste tool to incorporate as many photographs into a Story as thou desirest. Who would dare to impede thee?!
How to proceed:
- Initiate thy camera roll and select a photograph.
- Tap the share icon, and elect copy photo.
- Upon returning to the Instagram app, designate a text box and choose paste.
- Repeat to pile on the images.
14. Utilize Instagram’s photobooth feature
Thou art a model, dear heart! Instagram’s novel Photobooth feature shalt capture four snapshots successively, which thou may then exhibit in a myriad of dynamic formats. (Pray, be warned that there exist numerous flashing camera bulbs.)
How to proceed:
- Open Instagram Stories and navigate down to discover the Photobooth tool (an icon resembling a pile of photographs).
- Opt for a filter, if thou dost desire, and then press the shutter button. A countdown of 3-2-1 shall herald each of the four shots.
- Upon the preview screen, annex music ("Covergirl" by RuPaul doth stand as the sole correct choice, incidentally) or once more tap the Photobooth icon at the pinnacle to select from a diverse array of formats—such as film roll, which doth bear the semblance of vintage film.
15. Generate Boomerangs from thy live photos
Hast thou captured a moment with thy iPhone that thou dost wish to revisit endlessly—backward, then forward, and afterward backward once more? If thou hast captured the photo as a Live photo, then, verily, such a feat is feasible. (Shouldst thou remain uncertain how to capture a Live photo initially, simply launch thy camera app and tap upon the concentric circles at the apex!)
How to proceed:
- Unfold Instagram Stories and swipe upward to scan through thy photo gallery.
- Select a live photo from thy camera roll.
- Maintain contact with the photo until the term "Boomerang" emerges.
Instagram Story text hacks
16. Conceal hashtags and @mentions
Preserve thine aesthetic vision by concealing unseemly hashtags or tags from view. ‘Tis the digital akin of concealing thy electrical cords behind thy mid-century-modern desk ere Architectural Digest doth arrive unannounced.
How to proceed:
Method 1
- Type out thy hashtags and mentions.
- Tap the stickers button and select thy camera roll.
- Append an image from thy camera roll, which shall be arrayed atop thy hashtags to veil them from sight.
- Adjust the image to fill the screen: the hashtags dost technically persist for Instagram to interpret, yet human eyes shan’t lay eyes upon them!
Method 2
- Shouldst thou embark upon creating a post with an image, append a text box atop and inscribe thy hashtags and mentions.
- Whilst the text box remaineth active, click upon the rainbow wheel at the pinnacle of the screen.
- Select the eyedropper icon.
- Tap a place on the photo to alter the text to the same hue and blend seamlessly.
- Resize the text box as required.
17. Express thyself with a variety of fonts
The stock Instagram Story fonts merely scratch the surface of the typographic ocean.
Should the in-app typewriter or Comic Sans-esque lettering fail to satisfy thee, journey forth to locate a more enthralling typeface to incorporate.
How to proceed:
- Journey to the Instagram Fonts Generator website upon desktop or mobile.
- Input thy message and press enter to unveil thy font options.
- Copy the message and paste it into the Instagram Story text box.
Pro tip: Shouldst thou possess a branded font, append thy text directly to an image with Photoshop, Over, or another image editing app, and subsequently upload to Stories from yon.
18. Layer text to perpetuate a shadow effect
For text to project resplendently, explore this technique of duplicating it.
How to proceed:
- Inscribe thy text, and then select all and copy.
- Initiate a new text box and paste in the text.
- Whilst the text remains selected, tap the rainbow wheel at the apex and designate a distinct hue.
- Nudge that text ever so marginally, and then layer it beneath the primary text to behold a shadow effect unfold.
19. Alter text alignment in the blink of an eye
Employ thy Tinder skills to noble purpose heretofore: a swift swipe of the text shall add a dash of excitement and alter its positioning to the left, right, or recenter in a trice.
How to proceed: As thou dost type, swiftly swipe to the left or right to realign.
Instagram sticker hacks
20. Transform thy Story into a shopping spree
Should thou possess an Instagram Shop, thou mayst tag a singular product in each Instagram Story with a product sticker.
Should shoppers yearn to glean further insights into that remarkable hamster-print vest, a mere click upon the sticker shall transport them to thy Shop to commence their digital shopping spree. Learn how to establish thine Instagram shop here.
How to proceed:
- Fashion thy Instagram Story and select the sticker icon.
- Elect Product.
- Choose the item from thy product catalog.
- Personalize the product sticker to accord with thy brand.
Source: Instagram
21. Alter the color of a question sticker
To coordinate colors or not to coordinate colors? That is the question…or rather, a query concerning what to enact with thine question sticker.
How to proceed:
- Select the sticker icon and choose Question.
- Scribble thy query and subsequently tap the rainbow wheel at the screen’s apex.
- Persist in tapping until the question sticker assumes the hue of thine choosing.
22. Access an abundance of gifs
Should an overabundance of gifs exist, we wish not to hear of it.
Whilst Instagram’s search enables thy perusal of Giphy’s library, the utilization of the Giphy app itself permits thee to compose albums of thy favorites for expedient access—and thou may share directly from Giphy.
How to proceed:
- Open the Giphy app and pinpoint the gif thou dost covet.
- Click upon the paper-airplane share icon (or the heart icon shouldst thou desire to mark as a favorite and post subsequently).
- Select the Instagram icon and thereafter choose Share to Stories.
- OR opt for Copy GIF and then paste into thy Story.
Pro tip: Shouldst thou possess homemade gifs that thou dost wish to unveil on Insta Stories, conserve them in thy camera roll and merely copy and paste them directly into a Story.
23. Craft a Grid of Photos
Instagram Stories’ integrated layout tool feature constitutes the ideal method to disseminate multiple images in an assortment of neatly arranged grids, tailored to the specific dimensions of Stories. For at times, one truly can’t decide which image of their sushi supper is the most charming. We comprehend!
How to proceed:
- Upon the left hand of the screen, peruse to find the Layout tool (a square bearing intersecting lines).
- Thy screen now shall be sectioned into quadrants. Append a picture to the first square by swiping upward to select one from thy gallery, or exercise the camera to capture a fresh image.
- Reiterate for each quadrant.
- Conversely, alter the layout by tapping the Change grid icon upon the left-hand side of the screen.
Instagram Story video hacks
24. Respond to queries on a Live Story
Addressing thy followers’ inquiries through an Instagram Live Story resembles an entertaining self-interrogation. (Shouldst thou require guidance to commence with Instagram Live, peruse our step-by-step guide here.)
How to proceed:
- Prompt thy audience for questions aforehand of thy Q&A with a Questions sticker.
- Once thou dost commence, tap the question mark icon at the screen’s base.
- Select the question thou dost wish to address, whereupon it shall manifest upon thy Live screen as thou dost broadcast.
- Questions shall be rendered in a subdued hue upon selection to prevent unintentional repetition.