By now, it’s preeeeettty obvious I love Instagram. I love being with all of you on this platform, and sharing all of my favorite tricks and hacks with you, too! Did you know that you can turn photos into boomerangs? Or did you know that you can create a rainbow gradient with your text… or save common DM replies in your DM section?! Seriously, there’s SO many amazing Instagram Story hacks and today, I’m sharing some of my favorites with YOU! 

Custom Collage Graphic

Have you ever wondered how people make those super cute graphics where their post is right in the middle of it, so you can tap on it? It’s WAY easier than you think. Start by creating your graphic. Put a transparent shape where you want your post to show through. When you’ve got a post you want to share from your feed into your stories, tap on the airplane icon and adjust where your post is going to sit on the screen. Navigate over to your camera roll, where the custom graphic is saved and hit the “share” button. Choose “copy photo” and then head back to Instagram, where you’ll tap on the screen and paste. The photo you copied will show up and all you have to do is resize it now! 

Turning a Live Photo into a Boomerang

Using an iPhone, you can turn live photos into boomerangs. I mean, how cool is that?! All you’ll do is open your stories and add the live photo like you would any other photo. Then, just hold down anywhere on the screen for a few seconds. When you release your finger, the live photo is now a boomerang! Super easy!! And don’t forget, if you tap on the boomerang settings in the upper right hand corner, you can change the speed! 

Custom Collages within Instagram

You can actually make custom collages within Instagram without another app! Take a photo – it literally doesn’t matter what it is. Change the background color to a solid color. Then navigate to whatever photos you want to include. You’ll hit the “share” button, then “copy photo” (like we did in the other hack!). Then you can paste them onto the screen you colored. Now, you’re able to move them around to make them into a custom collage! 

Quick Tips for Text 

For the first tip, add your copy! Tap the color icon then use the eyedropper to choose any color from your image. I LOVE doing this! You can also tap on the text and go through the colors. If you hold down on the image, a gradient will pop up to give you even more shades and options. Something more advanced is making a rainbow gradient. Select all of the text you want included. Tap and hold down on the left hand side dot. Hold down on the color you want, so the gradient appears. Start dragging the text selection over then move your finger on the color. Repeat until you’re done! Tap and hold down to choose different colors. It takes some coordination but it’s a TON of fun.

Sharing Multiple Question Responses

If you’re like me, I LOVE using the question box in my stories. And it’s a great idea to share responses to your questions, so other users can see and learn from your followers too. To share multiple responses, hit “reply” and add it to the story like usual. Then place the response wherever you want. When you’re ready, download the image. Now, exit out of the story and repeat, but instead of making a new story, swipe up and add the image you just saved. Repeat the process as many times as you need to share your responses. 

Erase to Reveal a Photo Underneath

For this, you’ll add your image like normal. Then tap and hold on whatever color you want the top layer to be. Select the eraser, adjust the size, and then create a fun design to reveal your photo underneath. You could write something, just make a fun design, or whatever you want. Have fun with it! Bonus hack: if you use the marker instead of the paint, the color overlay will be more transparent. 

Save common DM replies in your DMs area!

When you’re in a direct message with something, tap the bottom right hand plus icon. Then tap the far right icon… it looks like a chatbot! Here, you can label your responses and add your messages. It’s a nice tool to have when you’re answering messages a lot!

Green Screen on Instagram 

Whether you want to use a green screen in Instagram stories or on your Reels, this will be helpful! Go to the effects on your stories, and search “green screen”. The first one that comes up will be “Green Screen by Instagram”. That’s the one we want! Select the filter and a green screen pops up! You can add media as the background and then have your video in front of it. 

I hope these Instagram Story hacks were helpful to you! These tips and tricks are SO fun and a great way to try something new on your Stories this week. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!