Open Instagram and tap the camera icon

To add a story on Instagram, start by opening the Instagram app on your phone. Look at the bottom of the screen — you'll see several icons. Tap the camera icon on the far left. This opens your phone's camera and puts you in story mode.

If you're already on your home feed, you can also swipe left from the center of the screen. This takes you directly to the camera without tapping any buttons. Either method works the same way.

Key Takeaways

  • The camera icon at the bottom left of Instagram opens story mode, where you can take a photo or video right away.
  • You can upload a photo or video you already have on your phone by swiping up from the bottom of the camera screen.
  • Stories disappear after 24 hours unless you save them to your profile as a highlight.
  • You can add text, stickers, filters, and drawings to your story before posting it.
  • Tap "Your Story" at the top of your feed to see who has viewed your story after you post it.

Take a photo or video for your story

Once you're in camera mode, you'll see a large circle at the bottom center of the screen. Tap and hold this circle to record a video, or tap it once to take a photo. The camera starts on selfie mode by default, so you're looking at your own face. If you want to switch to the back camera, tap the two-arrow icon in the top right corner.

You can hold down the circle for up to 15 seconds to record a video. If you want to record longer, keep your finger on the circle — it will keep recording. Most people post videos between 3 and 10 seconds long because they hold people's attention better.

Upload a photo or video you already have

You don't have to take a new photo or video. If you want to post something already on your phone, swipe up from the bottom of the camera screen. This opens your phone's photo library. Scroll through and tap the photo or video you want to use.

You can select multiple photos at once by tapping each one. Instagram will turn them into a slideshow that plays automatically when someone views your story. This is useful if you want to tell a quick story with several images in order.

Add text, stickers, and effects before posting

After you take or choose your photo or video, the editing screen appears. At the top of the screen, you'll see several icons. The "Aa" icon lets you add text — tap it and type whatever you want. You can change the text color by tapping the color circle, and you can make the text bigger or smaller by pinching the text with two fingers.

The smiley face icon opens stickers and filters. Tap it to see options like date stamps, location tags, and fun animated stickers. The pen icon lets you draw on your photo with your finger. You can change the brush color and thickness before you draw. None of these additions are required — you can post a plain photo if you want.

Post your story or save it as a draft

When you're happy with how your story looks, tap "Your Story" at the bottom left. This posts your story immediately, and it will be visible to your followers for the next 24 hours. After 24 hours, it disappears from your profile automatically.

If you're not ready to post yet, tap the X at the top left to close the editor. Instagram will ask if you want to save your story as a draft. Tap "Save Draft" and you can finish editing it later. Your drafts stay on your phone until you delete them or post them.

Control who sees your story

By default, everyone who follows you can see your story. If you want to hide it from certain people, tap "Your Story" and then tap the three dots in the top right corner. Tap "Story Settings" and then "Hide Story From." Select the people you want to block from seeing this particular story.

You can also make your story visible to only your close friends. Before you tap "Your Story," look for "Close Friends" at the bottom of the screen. Tap it instead of "Your Story" and only the people on your close friends list will see it. You can change your close friends list anytime in your settings.

Save your story so it doesn't disappear

Stories vanish after 24 hours, but you can save them permanently to your profile as a highlight. After you post your story, tap it on your profile. Tap the bookmark icon at the bottom. This saves it to your phone, but it doesn't keep it on your profile.

To keep a story visible on your profile after 24 hours, you need to add it to a highlight. Tap the three dots on your story and select "Add to Highlights." Choose an existing highlight or create a new one. Highlights appear as circles below your profile photo and stay there until you delete them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can people screenshot my story without me knowing?

Instagram notifies you when someone takes a screenshot of your story. You'll see a notification that says who screenshotted it. However, if someone uses their phone's built-in screenshot tool instead of Instagram's screenshot detection, you won't be notified.

What happens if I delete my story before 24 hours?

You can delete your story anytime by tapping it, then tapping the three dots and selecting "Delete." Once deleted, it's gone from your profile and no one can see it anymore. If you saved it as a highlight, the highlight stays on your profile unless you delete that separately.

Can I edit my story after I post it?

You cannot edit a story once it's posted. You can only delete it and post a new version. If you want to make changes before posting, tap the X to close the editor and save it as a draft instead.

Why can't I see the camera icon?

Make sure you're on your home feed, not on someone else's profile or a different page. The camera icon only appears at the bottom of your home feed. If you still don't see it, try closing and reopening the Instagram app.