The basic steps to post to your Instagram Story

To add a post to your Instagram Story, open Instagram and tap your profile picture in the bottom-right corner, or swipe left from your feed. This takes you to the camera screen. Take a photo or video, or tap the gallery icon to choose something you already saved. After you select or capture your content, you can add text, stickers, filters, or drawings. When you're done editing, tap "Your Story" at the bottom to post it, or tap "Close Friends" if you want only certain people to see it. Your Story will stay visible for 24 hours, then disappear.

If you want to add a post that's already on your feed to your Story instead, tap the paper airplane icon below the post and select "Add post to your Story." Instagram will add it with a link back to the original post, so people can tap through to see the full version.

Key Takeaways

  • You can create a new Story by opening the camera from your profile picture or by swiping left from your feed.
  • Stories you post are visible to your followers for 24 hours before they disappear automatically.
  • You can share an existing feed post to your Story using the paper airplane icon, which adds a link back to the original.
  • Instagram lets you control who sees each Story by choosing between public, Close Friends, or specific people.
  • You can edit your Story with text, stickers, filters, and drawings before posting, or delete it before the 24 hours are up.

Taking a new photo or video for your Story

When you tap your profile picture or swipe left, Instagram opens the camera. Hold down the button at the bottom to record a video, or tap it once to take a still photo. You can switch between the front and back camera by tapping the flip icon. If you want to use a filter before you shoot, swipe left or right on the screen to see the filter options — these change your colors, add effects, or create a mood.

After you take your photo or video, you can when ready add more content to the same Story. Tap the camera icon again to add another photo or video, and Instagram will stack them in order. This is how people create multi-clip Stories that tell a story or show a sequence of moments.

Choosing a photo or video from your phone

Instead of taking something new, you can use a photo or video you already have saved. After you open the camera, tap the gallery icon in the bottom-left corner. This shows your phone's photo library. Scroll through and tap the photo or video you want. You can select multiple items by tapping each one — Instagram will add them all to your Story in the order you picked them.

If you want to use something from a specific folder or album on your phone, tap "All Photos" at the top to see your folders. This is useful if you organize photos by date or by event.

Adding text, stickers, and effects to your Story

After you choose or take your photo or video, the editing screen opens. At the top, you'll see icons for text, stickers, drawing, and more. Tap the "A" icon to add text — type what you want, then pinch to resize it or drag it around the screen. You can change the font by tapping the text again and choosing a different style from the options that appear.

Tap the sticker icon (the square smiley face) to add stickers, polls, questions, or countdowns. Stickers are interactive — people can tap them to vote on a poll or answer a question, and you'll see their responses. The drawing tool lets you write or draw directly on your photo with your finger. You can change the brush color and thickness before you draw.

Filters are different from stickers — they change the whole photo's color or add an effect to it. Swipe left or right on the screen before you post to see filter options. Some filters are Instagram's built-in ones, and others are custom filters made by creators or brands.

Controlling who sees your Story

By default, your Story is visible to all your followers. If you want to change this, tap "Your Story" at the bottom before you post — a menu will appear with options. You can post to "Close Friends" instead, which means only people on your Close Friends list will see it. You can also hide your Story from specific people by tapping "Hide story from" and selecting their names.

If you want to let only certain people see your Story, create a Close Friends list first. Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, select "Close Friends," and add the people you want. Then when you post, choose "Close Friends" instead of "Your Story." This is useful if you want to share something with a smaller group without posting it publicly.

Deleting or saving your Story before it expires

Your Story automatically disappears after 24 hours. If you want to remove it sooner, go to your Story, tap the three dots in the bottom-right corner, and select "Delete." If you want to keep a copy of your Story after it expires, tap the three dots and select "Save." Instagram will save it to a folder called "Stories Archive" on your profile that only you can see.

You can also save individual Stories to a highlight on your profile, which keeps them visible permanently. Tap the three dots on your Story and select "Add to highlights," then choose an existing highlight or create a new one. This is how people create permanent collections of Stories organized by topic — like "Travel," "Food," or "Friends."

Sharing a feed post to your Story

If you want to share something from your feed or someone else's feed to your Story, find the post and tap the paper airplane icon below it. Select "Add post to your Story." Instagram will add the post to your Story with a sticker that links back to the original. When people tap that sticker, they go directly to the full post on your feed.

This is different from screenshotting or reposting — Instagram's built-in share feature gives credit to the original poster and makes it straightforward for people to see the full version. You can still edit the Story after you add the post, adding text or stickers on top of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can people see if I viewed their Story?

Yes. When you view someone's Story, they can see your name in the list of people who watched it. If you don't want them to know you watched, you can mute their Stories instead — go to their profile, tap the three dots, and select "Mute." They won't know you muted them, and you won't see their Stories in your feed anymore.

What happens if I post the same photo to my feed and my Story?

Instagram treats them separately. Your feed post stays up permanently until you delete it, while your Story disappears after 24 hours. People see them in different places — the feed post shows up in followers' feeds, while the Story appears at the top of the feed for 24 hours. You can post the same image to both without any problem.

Can I edit my Story after I post it?

You can't change the photo or video itself, but you can add more content to your Story. Tap your Story and then tap the camera icon to add another photo or video. You can also delete individual items from your Story by tapping the three dots on that item and selecting "Delete."

Do Stories use data or storage on my phone?

Stories you post are stored on Instagram's servers, not on your phone, so they don't take up your phone's storage. However, creating and uploading them uses data if you're on a mobile connection. If you're on WiFi, the data use is minimal.