The basic steps to post to your Story
To add to your Instagram Story, open the Instagram app and tap your profile picture in the top left corner of the home feed. This takes you to your Story camera. You can also swipe left from the home feed to reach the same camera. Once you are in the Story camera, you can take a new photo or video by holding down the large circle button, or tap the gallery icon in the bottom left to choose something you have already saved on your phone.
After you select or capture your content, Instagram shows you editing tools along the bottom of the screen. You can add text, stickers, drawings, or filters before posting. When you are ready, tap "Your Story" at the bottom to post it, or tap "Close Friends" if you want only a specific group to see it. Your Story will stay visible for 24 hours, then disappear automatically.
Key Takeaways
- Tap your profile picture in the top left of the home feed to open the Story camera, or swipe left from the feed.
- You can take a new photo or video by holding the circle button, or choose an existing photo from your phone's gallery.
- Instagram offers text, stickers, drawings, and filters to edit your Story before posting.
- Stories posted to "Your Story" are visible to all your followers, while "Close Friends" limits visibility to a group you create.
- Stories disappear after 24 hours unless you save them to your profile as a Highlight.
Choosing between public and limited visibility
When you tap "Your Story" at the bottom of the screen, your post goes to everyone who follows you. When you tap "Close Friends," only the people on a list you have created can see it. To set up a Close Friends list, go to your profile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select "Close Friends," and add the people you want included. You can change this list anytime.
There is no middle ground between these two options within the Story feature itself. If you want to hide your Story from specific people without using Close Friends, your only option is to block them or remove them as followers. Keep in mind that people you have removed as followers can still see your Story if your account is public, unless you also block them.
Adding text, stickers, and effects to your Story
After you take or select a photo or video, swipe up from the bottom to see the full editing menu. The text tool (looks like "Aa") lets you type a caption and choose the font, size, and color. The sticker tool (looks like a square smiley face) gives you access to location tags, hashtags, mentions, polls, questions, and emoji stickers. You can move any sticker or text around by dragging it, and resize it by pinching.
Filters appear as a row of circles at the bottom of the camera screen before you take your photo or video. Swipe left through them to preview different looks, then tap one to explore it. You can also draw on your Story using the pen tool — swipe up to find it, choose a color and brush size, and draw directly on the image. All of these edits are optional; you can post a plain photo or video without any of them.
What happens when someone views your Story
When someone views your Story, you can see their name in a list. Open your Story by tapping your profile picture, then swipe up to see who has watched it. This list updates in real time as more people view it. The order usually shows the most recent viewers first, though Instagram does not publicly explain exactly how it ranks them.
People can reply to your Story by sending you a direct message. These replies appear in your DM inbox, not as comments on the Story itself. If you do not want replies, you can turn them off in your Story settings. Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, select "Settings and privacy," then "Privacy," then "Story," and toggle off "Allow replies and shares."
Saving your Story as a Highlight on your profile
Stories normally disappear after 24 hours, but you can save them permanently by creating a Highlight. A Highlight is a collection of Stories that stays on your profile below your bio. To create one, go to your profile and tap the circle with a plus sign that says "New." Name the Highlight, then select which Stories you want to include. You can add Stories from the past 24 hours, or older Stories if you saved them to your archive first.
To save a Story to your archive before it expires, open your Story, tap the three dots in the bottom right, and select "Save." The Story moves to your archive but is no longer visible to your followers. You can then add it to a Highlight later if you change your mind. Each Highlight shows a preview image on your profile, which you can customize by tapping the Highlight and selecting a new cover photo.
Controlling who can see your Stories and reply to them
Beyond Close Friends, Instagram lets you hide your Story from specific people without blocking them. Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, select "Settings and privacy," then "Privacy," then "Story." Tap "Hide story from" and select the people you want to exclude. They will not see your Stories, but they can still see your regular posts and follow you.
You can also prevent people from replying to your Stories. In the same Story privacy settings, toggle off "Allow replies and shares." This stops everyone from sending you direct messages in response to your Story, though they can still view it. If you want to allow replies from some people but not others, you will need to use Close Friends instead, since Instagram does not offer a selective reply setting.
Troubleshooting common problems
If you cannot see the Story camera, make sure you are using the latest version of Instagram. Go to your phone's app store, search for Instagram, and update if a newer version is available. If the app is up to date and the camera still does not appear, try closing and reopening the app. If that does not work, restart your phone.
If your Story fails to post, check your internet connection and make sure you have enough storage space on your phone. Stories with very large video files sometimes fail to upload on slower connections. Try uploading again, or trim the video to make it shorter. If the problem continues, uninstall and reinstall Instagram. This usually fixes posting issues without affecting your account or saved content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I post the same photo to my Story and my feed at the same time?
Yes. After you take a photo in the Story camera, you can post it to your Story, then go back and post it to your feed separately. You can also use the gallery to select a photo you have already posted to your feed and add it to your Story. Instagram does not prevent you from posting the same image in both places.
What is the difference between a Story and a Highlight?
A Story disappears after 24 hours and appears at the top of your followers' feeds while it is active. A Highlight is a permanent collection of Stories that stays on your profile below your bio. You create Highlights by saving Stories before they expire, then grouping them into themed collections.
Can someone screenshot my Story without me knowing?
Instagram notifies you if someone takes a screenshot of your Story, but only if you have not disabled notifications. The notification appears in your direct messages. If someone takes a screenshot using their phone's built-in screenshot tool rather than Instagram's screenshot feature, you will not be notified.
How do I delete a Story before 24 hours are up?
Open your Story by tapping your profile picture, then tap the three dots in the bottom right corner. Select "Delete" and confirm. The Story is removed when ready and your followers will no longer see it. You can also delete individual Stories from a Highlight without deleting the entire Highlight.
Why can I not see the text tool in my Story editor?
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the full editing menu. The text tool should appear as an "Aa" icon. If it still does not show up, update Instagram to the latest version. Some older versions of the app have missing or rearranged editing tools.