It's hard to remember Instagram before it launched the Stories feature - it was a simple option to share updates and interact with your followers, and there were more options than the grid option to embellish your posts. While the ability to add stickers to Stories or change the font is in an obvious place with corresponding icons, changing the background color of an Instagram Story isn't particularly intuitive. But mastering the art of how to change the background color of your Instagram Stories will instantly make your slideshow stand out, leading to more views and more engagement. The best part? There's a solution so simple, you'll be shocked that you haven't figured it out yet.
Why do you need to change the background color of your Instagram Stories? When someone tags you in a story and you select Instagram's "Add this to your story" option, the app chooses a color from the tagged image and sets it as the Instagram Story background - usually in two A gradient of hues or a solid color display. The same goes for if you select a photo from your gallery: Instagram will crop your photo so that it fills the dimensions of a typical Story screen. However, if you want to display the full photo, you can pinch the screen with two fingers to minimize the image. The image will be followed by a photo-based two-color gradient or solid color.
While these backgrounds may perfectly complement your story, they may not always match your aesthetic vision. If you want to attract followers, or just like to have a signature look, having a cohesive Instagram vibe can be helpful. Brigette Muller, a content creator known as @hummusbirrd to her 33,000 Instagram followers, advises people to “stick to a color scheme that suits your brand.” "That way, people will start to recognize the story as yours even without seeing your IG account," Mueller said.
If you want to further personalize your Instagram Stories, replacing the default background with something else is easy: all it requires is the Instagram Story customization tools you have on hand, and a little innovation. Here's a step-by-step guide to replacing your background color in just a few taps.
Change background color when uploading photos to Instagram Stories
Draft a new story and select a photo from your camera roll, or add a story you've tagged to your own. Once the drafts screen appears, pinch the screen with two fingers to shrink the drafts screen so that it doesn't fill the screen. You'll notice that the border that appears is the color gradient you didn't select.
To make your own background, click on the three horizontal dots in the upper right corner of the screen. Click Draw and you'll see various marker settings at the top and a variety of colors to choose from at the bottom of the screen.
As for which color to choose, you can choose from a color scheme that fits your profile's aesthetic, or choose a color that best matches the color of your photo. “I choose colors that make me feel calm and look good,” Mueller says. "I usually go for mint green or beige."
After selecting a color, choose a markup tool. If you want a solid color background, select the first background from the top left of the screen. If you want to lower the opacity, use a second highlighter brush. You can also add some sparkle by clicking on the third marker with a shiny icon - this will let you doodle with a neon effect.
Enlarge the nib size by dragging the scale on the left side of the screen upwards, or reduce the nib size by pulling the scale down if you want to make a more detailed design.
If you don't have time to be an artist but want to quickly add a custom pop of color to your photo slideshow, you can always use the maximum brush settings to smudge something in with the marker tool, then erase to reveal the photo.
You can also hold your finger down on the screen to fill the entire screen while using the markup feature.
Tap the screen with one finger and hold your finger still for a few seconds - it may take a few tries to get the hang of it, but once you get it right, the color you use will fill the screen.
If you use the solid marker feature, the color will completely cover your photo. To reveal your photo, click the eraser icon, use the ratio on the left to increase the size, and then erase the color from the photo. You can change the size of the eraser exactly as needed to get clean edges.
If you're using a highlighter, this method will add a translucent tint to your photo, which can be a nice effect, especially if you're covering text and the photo isn't the focus.
Change the background color when you share a story you're tagged in
If someone tags you in a story and you choose to share the story, it's much easier to change the background color. While using the draw tool on your own photos in your camera roll lets you overlay the photo with color, the draw feature only colors behind the photo when you share someone else's story.
So this means you can use any marker setting and doodle. Whether you choose to fill the entire screen with opaque markers or use transparent highlighter markers, your photos will remain fully visible in color. However, this also means you can't overlay the marker on the photo itself.
Use the Eyedropper Tool to Change Instagram Story Background Color
If you don't like any of the default color options provided by Instagram, you can use the eyedropper tool to choose a new background color using the colors from the image you shared. Click the eyedropper icon in the lower left corner and choose a color from the photo.
You can use this color to draw, or you can long-press the screen to make the entire story change to this color.
Use Create Mode to Change Instagram Story Background Color
Instagram's background color tool doesn't just work on tagged stories - you can use it when using the creation tool, too. To create a story using Create, swipe left like you would normally post a story and click the "Aa" icon on the left side of the screen.
Here you can choose from various preset gradient and solid color backgrounds for Instagram. You can also swipe the "Create" feature at the bottom of the screen to post a Gif as your story, post a recently tagged story on a preset background, and more. As always, you can do it all by adding text, drawings, and stickers from the menu at the top of the screen.
