How to Change the Background of Your Instagram Stories (and why you should)

Are you interested in changing the background of your Instagram story? It might not be obvious, but there are a few ways to switch up the app’s default background colors. This is ideal for anyone looking to experiment beyond the app’s boring auto selections.

Posting to your IG story is a popular feature on Instagram. Some followers prefer the 24-hour feature since it's not permanent (as opposed to posting to their profile). Stories allow users to share casual life updates without sacrificing a perfectly curated grid. Keep reading to learn how to take your IG stories to the next level.

Why you should change the background of your Instagram Stories 

Stories are a quick, easy way to communicate directly with your followers, because they appear above the user’s feed. Some users don’t even scroll the grid anymore, but prefer to tap through stories. 

By using a custom background in your story, you can create unique, on-brand content with the potential to boost engagement. . The app has roughly one billion users, so originality is the only way to go to make your brand stand out. Stay ahead of the trends, and keep reading to learn how to optimize these tricks of the trade.

Whether you’re looking to write text, share a new post, or upload a photo, follow these tricks to customize your backgrounds and master the art of the IG story. 

# 1: How to change the background color of an Instagram story

Are you frustrated by the app’s auto background colors? Follow these steps to flex your color palette: 

1. Open the Instagram app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad and tap “Your Story”
2. Take a random photo, or select one from your camera roll
3. Hit the three dots icon from the top menu bar (if your version doesn’t have this menu, you can probably jump to the next step)
4. Hit the draw icon 
5. Pick a color from the bottom of the screen 
6. Tap and hold your finger on the screen (about 1-3 seconds) until your color of choice fills the background

Bonus tip: Hold down the color you desire, and a color slider will pop up. Then, slide to your unique color option to change the background of your story. 

# 2: How to change the background color of a photo on your story 

Attempting to change the background of a photo on your story can lead to a headache. Instagram automatically chooses a color gradient that matches your photo, but it might not be your taste. There are a few steps to nail this trick, but it’s worth the effort. 

1. Follow the steps above to choose your desired background-color 
2. Hit done
3. Click the Sticker icon (the square smiley face) on the top menu bar 
4. Scroll down until you see a small circle with the latest photo from your camera roll 
5. Click on the circle to choose a photo and Voila! 

Bonus Tips: Quick tap on the photo to reveal different shapes. You can share your photo in the shape of a circle, heart, star, or square. You can also create a collage by going back into the Sticker icon and adding more photos from your camera roll. 

# 3: How to change the background color of a shared post 

Are you using your story to direct your followers to your latest post? Here’s how to add a splash of color to the background:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and find a post to share 
2. Click the Share icon or the paper airplane symbol in the bottom left of the post 
3. Hit “Add post to your story” 
4. Hit the three dots icon from the top menu bar
5. Hit the draw icon
6. Pick a color from the bottom of the screen 
7. Tap and hold  until the color of your choice fills the background of your shared post

Bonus Tip: You can also change the background to a photo from your camera roll. After adding a post to your story, click on the sticker icon to find your camera roll photos. Then, enlarge the photo and move the shared post until you reach the desired sizing. This creates a layover effect on your story. 

# 4: How to create the scratch card effect 

If you’re looking to add a little mystery to your stories and rank up your click count, then you should try out the scratch card effect.

1. Choose a photo to share on your IG story 
2. Hit the three dots icon from the top menu bar (if your version doesn’t have this menu, you can probably jump to the next step)
3. Hit the draw icon 
4. Pick a color from the bottom of the screen 
5. Press and hold your finger on the screen until your color of choice fills the post
6. Choose the eraser tool from the top menu bar 
7. Erase away part of the color to reveal the photo beneath! 

This is a great way to hint at a product launch and get your followers excited about what's to come.

# 5: How to add a GIF to the background of your story 

Probably one of the least known tricks of the trade is that you can create an entire background out of a single GIF. 

1. Open Stories and hit “Aa,” or the Create button on the left-hand side of the screen.
2. Slide through the menu bar on the bottom of the screen 
3. When you hit GIF, search GIPHY for your favorite GIF
4. Hit Next on the upper-right hand corner 
5. Then add text, or add a picture from your camera roll! 

Have fun showing off your new skills! Remember to update your Instagram app to make sure you have access to all of these features.

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[Header image by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash]