The basic steps to post to your story

To add content to your Instagram story, open Instagram and tap your profile picture in the top left corner, or swipe left from your feed. This takes you to the story camera. You can take a new photo or video by holding down the circular button at the bottom, or tap the image icon in the bottom left to choose something already on your phone. Once you have chosen or taken your content, tap the "Your Story" button at the bottom to post it.

Your story will be visible to your followers for 24 hours unless you delete it sooner. People who follow you will see a ring around your profile picture in their feed, showing that you have posted a new story. They can tap your profile picture to watch it.

Key Takeaways

  • Tap your profile picture in the top left or swipe left from your feed to open the story camera.
  • You can take a new photo or video by holding the circular button, or choose an existing photo from your phone using the image icon.
  • Tap "Your Story" to post the content, and it will be visible to your followers for 24 hours.
  • Stories disappear after 24 hours unless you save them to a highlight or delete them manually.
  • You can add text, stickers, filters, and music to your story before posting it.

Taking a new photo or video for your story

When you open the story camera, the circular button at the bottom is ready to use. Tap it once to take a single photo. Hold it down to record a video — the longer you hold, the longer the video, up to 15 seconds per clip. You can record multiple clips in one story by releasing and pressing again.

The icons above the circular button let you change how the photo or video looks before you take it. The smiley face icon opens filters that change colors or add effects. The lightning bolt controls the flash. The icon that looks like two arrows lets you switch between your front and back camera.

Choosing a photo or video you already have

If you want to post something from your phone instead of taking it fresh, tap the image icon in the bottom left corner of the camera screen. This opens your phone's photo library. Scroll to find the photo or video you want, then tap it. You can choose multiple items by tapping them one after another — Instagram will string them together as separate frames in your story.

When you select an older photo, Instagram may ask whether you want to add the current date and time to it. You can turn this off if you prefer the photo to look like it was taken just now. Once you have selected what you want, you move to the editing screen where you can add text, stickers, or other effects before posting.

Adding text, stickers, and effects before posting

After you take or choose your content, you see the editing screen. The icons at the top right let you add layers to your story. The "Aa" icon opens text — tap it, type what you want to say, and tap done. You can change the text color and style by tapping the text again and using the options that appear.

The smiley face icon adds stickers — Instagram offers date stickers, location stickers, hashtag stickers, and decorative stickers. The music note icon lets you add a song to your video. The pen icon lets you draw or write by hand. None of these are required — you can post a plain photo or video with nothing added.

Once you are happy with how it looks, tap "Your Story" at the bottom to post it. The content goes live when ready and will be visible to your followers for the next 24 hours.

Controlling who sees your story

By default, everyone who follows you can see your story. If you want to change this, go to your profile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select Settings and Privacy, then Privacy, then Story. You can choose to hide your story from specific people, or make it visible only to your close friends.

Close friends is a separate list you create — it is not the same as your regular followers. To add someone to close friends, go to your profile, tap the menu, select Close Friends, and tap the plus icon next to each person you want to add. Stories posted to close friends only will have a green ring around your profile picture instead of the usual ring.

Saving or deleting your story

Stories disappear after 24 hours, but you can save them before they go. While your story is still live, tap the menu icon (three dots) on the story itself and select "Save" — this puts a copy in your phone's camera roll. You can also save it to a highlight on your profile, which keeps it visible permanently under your bio.

To save to a highlight, tap the menu icon on your live story and select "Add to Highlights." You can add it to an existing highlight or create a new one. If you want to delete a story before the 24 hours are up, tap the menu icon and select "Delete."

Troubleshooting common problems

If your story will not post, check that you have a working internet connection and that you have given Instagram permission to access your camera and photos. On most phones, you can check this in Settings — look for Instagram and make sure Camera and Photos are both turned on.

If people tell you they cannot see your story, they may not follow you, or you may have hidden your story from them in your privacy settings. Check your Story settings to confirm who you have blocked from seeing it. If you posted to close friends only by mistake, you can delete that story and post a new one to your regular followers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I post the same photo to my story and my feed?

Yes. You can post to your story, then later post the same photo to your feed. They are separate — posting to one does not automatically post to the other. Some people post to their story first to see how followers react, then decide whether to post it to their feed as well.

What happens if I post a story and then change my mind?

You can delete it by tapping the menu icon (three dots) on the story and selecting "Delete." Once deleted, it is gone and your followers will no longer see it. If you want to keep it but hide it from certain people, use your privacy settings instead of deleting it.

Can I edit a story after I post it?

No, you cannot edit a story once it is live. If you want to change something, delete the story and post a new version. This is why many people review their story on the editing screen before tapping "Your Story."

How do I know if someone watched my story?

Tap your story while it is still live and swipe up. You will see a list of people who have watched it, in order from most recent. Instagram does not tell you who watched it after the 24 hours are up.

Can I post a story from my computer?

Instagram's web version does not have a story camera, so you cannot post stories from a computer. You need to use the Instagram app on your phone. Some third-party tools claim to let you schedule stories from a computer, but Instagram does not officially support this.