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How to Change the Background Color on Your Instagram Story

5 min read

If you’re using Instagram for your business, you’re probably more than familiar with Instagram Stories.

Whether you use it to talk directly to your followers, alert followers of a new Instagram post, share a quote or photo of significance, or doing a quick repost of content from other accounts, Instagram Stories are a tremendous tool for your business.

But did you know that you also have the ability to change your Instagram story background color?

Most users tend to stick with the default background Instagram chooses based on the colors in your image because the methods to change it aren’t obvious at first glance.

And hey, sometimes, the gradient default color works just fine for your Instagram story background. But most of the time, you could probably use a little more creative freedom!

This blog post tutorial will go over three ways to change the background color of your Story, depending on the effect you are going for!

Changing Instagram Story Background Color: 3 Tricks to Know

If you want to give your Insta story a new background, you have 3 options:

Change to a solid background
Upload a background from your camera roll
Add a color tint to your Instagram Story photo

Tailwind Tip: If you can’t find the icons or features discussed in this article, it may be time to head to the App Store (for iPhone) or Google Play store (for Android) and update your Instagram app! 😉

1. Changing Your Instagram Story Background to a Solid Color

To change your background to a solid color:

Upload a photo from your camera roll to the Stories feature on the Instagram app
Click the pen icon
Select your desired color with the color dropper tool or choose from the default color options
Tap (press and hold) the pen or eraser tool
Long press (press and hold) the middle of your background

Tailwind Tip: This method is also PERFECT for creating Instagram highlight covers. Just upload the image you want (usually an icon of some sort, such as an airplane to symbolize travel) and change the background color to your brand color.

Repeat for each highlight cover!

Adding an Image Over Your New Background

You can also add a photo over your new background. To do this:

Open your Photos app
Select the image you want to add
Click the ‘Copy Photo’ option from the options menu at the bottom of the screen
Return to the Instagram app (Your Story-in-the-making should still be open)
Click the ‘Add Sticker’ pop-up of your copied photo in the bottom left corner

2. Changing Your Instagram Story Background From Your Camera Roll

If you want to use a specific image or background with more design to it, you can simply make your own.

Here’s how:

Open a design tool, like Easil or Canva
Design the background you are envisioning
Download the image to your phone
Upload it to Instagram Stories
Place stickers, text, hashtags, Gifs, and emojis over the background to personalize it even more!
Optional: Add another image on top (see above)

Tailwind Tip: If you love your new Stories so much you want to know how to add them to Instagram highlights, click on your Story after you post it.

There will be an icon labeled ‘Highlight’ that will allow you to create a new Highlight for your profile or add the Story to an existing one.

3. Adding a Color Tint to Change Background of Instagram Story

To add a color tint to your Instagram Story:

Upload or take a photo in Stories
Tap the Pen icon
Choose the color tint you want from the available options of using the color dropper tool
Tap the highlighter icon
Long press on your background (may be necessary depending on the version of the app you have)
Tap/long press a second time to make a denser color tint
Tap/Long press a third time to create a solid color

Conclusion: How to Change Background Color on Insta Stories

Now that you know how to change your Instagram Story background color, you’re probably excited to get started!

There are many reasons you might want to liven up your Instagram Story and change the background color, but one of the most popular uses is creating branded Instagram highlight covers!

Plus, you can keep your Instagram personal brand cohesive and unique with a little splash of color on your Instagram Stories!

Now that you know how to change the background color on an IG Story, you’re ready to take the social media world by storm!

What tips and tricks would you like to hear about next? Let us know in the comments below 👇

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Kelsey Basler

Kelsey is a senior pursuing a dual degree in Marketing and Psychology at the University of Oklahoma. A current Marketing Intern at Tailwind, she’s passionate about creative problem-solving, marketing, and event planning!