How to Change the Background Color of Your Instagram Story

By Sruthy

By Sruthy

Sruthy, with her 10+ years of experience, is a dynamic professional who seamlessly blends her creative soul with technical prowess. With a Technical Degree in Graphics Design and Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics and Communication, she brings a unique combination of artistic flair…

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Updated January 16, 2025
Edited by Kamila

Edited by Kamila

Kamila is an AI-based technical expert, author, and trainer with a Master’s degree in CRM. She has over 15 years of work experience in several top-notch IT companies. She has published more than 500 articles on various Software Testing Related Topics, Programming Languages, AI Concepts,…

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Are you unable to find ways to change the background color on your Instagram story? Unleash your creative skills and quickly customize the background color of your IG stories with this simple guide:

If you’re anything like me, you probably enjoy spending time on Instagram and sharing moments with friends and family. Instagram is a digital place where your friends can connect with you and see what you are up to, even when they are sitting miles away from you.

Instagram has a post feature, where you can post a picture and add a caption which will be highlighted in your profile. However, some moments need to be shared but they cannot remain in your profile. So, that’s where the Instagram Stories feature comes into play.

Instagram Story Background: Steps to Change Color

Change Background Color on Instagram Story

Instagram introduced Stories in 2016, a feature that allows us to share our everyday moments, special events, thoughts, and more through images and short videos that disappear after 24 hours. You can share Stories with your Close Friends list or all the Instagram followers, depending upon your privacy.

With the emergence of Stories, Instagram introduced features like language translation, auto-caption using stickers, and adding effects, and layers, enabling users to give their Stories a personal touch. One of the most outstanding features is the ability to add Stories to your profile as story highlights that live permanently in your profile.

The Hootsuite report reveals that around 500 million+ IG users watch Stories every day. With this huge number, you may now understand the relevance of Instagram Stories in this age of social media. How effectively can we use these Stories to strengthen our relationships by sharing some valuable moments or occasions about our close ones?

Besides personal growth, Instagram stories are a powerful tool for our businesses. A SocialPilot report shows that 36% of brands use Instagram Stories to promote their products. Another statistic highlights the brand publishes an average of 13 Instagram Stories per month.

Whether you’re sharing something new related to you or your business or even reposting funny things from your friends’ accounts, you always want to customize your Stories to match your style. And that’s where the Instagram story background plays a significant role.

Unfortunately, most Instagrammers like to stick with the default Instagram story background. Sometimes, it’s ideal to do it, but you could be more creative and experiment with your Instagram Stories background. However, are you wondering how to do it?

Changing the background color on the Instagram story, including gradient color, brand color, or as per your choice, makes it look more eye-catching to your followers. In this blog, I’m going to share my experience with “How to change the background color on the Instagram story,” along with some other useful methods.

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Easy Methods to Change Background Color on Instagram Story

Change the Background Color of the Instagram Story

[image source]

Alt text: By changing the background color and adding some quirky or relatable texts can make your stories look more interesting.

Changing the background color on the Instagram story is just one step towards Instagram story customization. You can customize your Instagram story background colors by leveraging built-in tools to add gradients, solid colors, or even an image. Here, I’m going to share the ways that are primarily used to do it, including my own experience.

Further Reading => Best Instagram Story Viewers of the Year

Option #1: Change to a Solid Color

Changing the Instagram story background to a solid color is one of the simplest and fastest ways I found. A solid background gave my Instagram story a simple but effective look.

Here are the steps that you need to follow:

Step #1: Open the app and click on the Plus (+) on your profile.

Open the app

Step #2: Now, upload a photo from your camera roll or take a fresh one using the Instagram camera.

Step #3: Click the three dots “…” in the top right corner of the story screen.

upload a photo

[image source]

Step #4: Select the “Draw” option and then the Pen icon.

Draw option

Step #5: In this step, you choose the color at the bottom of the screen. (Note: You can choose a color either using the eyedropper color or the default color options.)

choose the color

[image source]

Step #6: Once you have selected your desired color, all you need to do is press and hold in the middle of the screen, and with just a glance, the entire screen will be filled with the color you chose.

selected your desired color

Step #7: Click on the done option in the upper right corner. Now, you can add another image, a piece of text, or stickers to create your desired story.

Change the Background of an Instagram Story

Things to Remember:

  1. Click the “Eraser” icon to reveal the image hidden below the color.
  2. Use the slider available on the left side of the story screen to increase or decrease the eraser brush size.
  3. Use the “Undo” button at the top of the screen to restore your story’s original look.

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Option #2: Change to a Transparent Color

Wait, what if someone doesn’t want to use a solid color for their Instagram story background? Then, give it a try with the transparent color. I tried it as well. The entire process for both of them is identical, but the only difference is that I needed to choose the highlighter option instead of the pen option.

Steps to follow:

Step #1: Open the app and hit the (+) symbol at the bottom.

Step #2: Select and upload an image from the gallery or click a new one.

Step #3: Hit the “…” in the top right corner and then tap the Draw icon.

Step #4: Select the highlighter icon instead of a pen.

Change the Background

[image source]

Step #5: Choose the color for the Instagram story background. (Note: The highlighter colors are transparent when applied.). You choose from a basic color palette given at the bottom or you can even hold your finger pressed on a color and a whole rainbow color palette will appear.

Step #6: Next, tap and hold on the screen to fill the image with the selected highlighter color. It’s done.

highlighter color

[image source]

Remember, leveraging a transparent color background for an Instagram story can add a sleek, minimalist look. This applied color serves as a filter placed over whatever image is beneath it. It is an excellent way to give your brand a modern appearance by fitting an image within your brand’s color scheme.

A Creative Tip: You can use the eraser option to uncover a specific part of your story to give a sneak peek to the viewers.

Transparent Trick

Option #3: Change to a Gradient Color

The next method to change the background color on the Instagram story is to add a gradient color. In this way, we can pick a single color that transitions into another color, giving a captivating effect to our Instagram story.

To begin, use the built-in Create tool, which offers pre-designed templates and Instagram Stories colors to add uniqueness to the images.

To do this, follow these steps:

Step #1: Open Instagram and tap on the (+) on your profile.

Step #2: Now, click on the Camera option.

Camera option

Step #3: Once you click on the camera option, the Instagram camera will open and you will see an Aa icon on the left side of the screen. (Note: It automatically adds a gradient color to the story’s background.)

Aa icon

Step #4: Next, tap on the small circle (O) symbol in the bottom right of the screen to change the color scheme.

change the color scheme

Step #5: Once the color is decided, start creating a story. Tap the “Stickers” icon in the top center of the screen to insert text, images, stickers, or even polls.

Change the Background of an Instagram Story to a Gradient Color

A Creative Tip: If you want more color choices, save a favorite gradient image & use it as your story background. To do this, tap on the Stickers menu and then click the (++) option to import an image from the camera roll.

Option #4: Change to an Image

So far, we’ve covered three ways of how to change Instagram story background color. However, these methods may not be ideal for more personalized branding and promotion. Here, you can change the Instagram story background to a unique image to make it more precise.

Here are the steps you can follow:

Step #1: Open Instagram and click the (+) icon at the bottom of the screen.

Step #2: Click on Story, Swipe up to the camera roll, and select a high-quality image for the story background.

Step #3: The image covers the screen of the story.

Step #4: Next, adjust the image size by using pinch-to-zoom gestures.

Step #5: Once it’s done, tap on the “Sticker” icon to add additional content, such as photos, polls, links, or text, on top of the background image.

screen of the story.

A Creative Tip: If you want to add a magnificent image to your story background, then you can check out Unsplash, Pinterest, Pexels, Shutterstock, or more. Don’t forget to check the licensing details of the images you choose. Ensure to upload the background images with an accurate size (1080px x 566px) for Instagram Story.

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Option #5: Change to Branded Colors

This method is an excellent choice for many entrepreneurs who are looking for better brand recognition using social platforms. A business person can use Instagram Stories to promote it by incorporating their brand colors into posts.

To do this, follow the following steps:

Step #1: To begin, take a screenshot of your branded colors and save it in the camera roll.

Step #2: Now, open Instagram and click on your profile to add your Story.

Step #3: Click on the image that displays your brand colors.

branded colors

Step #4: Click on the three dots (…) and then select the Draw icon in the top right corner.

Draw icon

Step #5: Now, tap on the “Eyedropper” tool.

Eyedropper

Step #6: Drag it over your brand color to get your desired color.

desired color

Step #7: Once you have selected your desired color, you press and hold the middle of the screen, and you will get your desired background color.

desired background color

Step #8: After that, make additional changes by uploading new images, text, GIFs, or other elements you want on top of your story background color.

Option #6: With a Video Using a Green Screen

Till now, we’ve focused on images to change the Instagram story background. However, this method showcases something new: creating green-screen videos.

To create a green screen video, follow these steps:

Step #1: Click on the (+) sign at the bottom of the screen and create a new story.

Step #2: Now, swipe to the right of the white circle (O) at the bottom of the screen until you find the magnifying glass icon.

create a new story

Step #3: Tap on the magnifying glass.

magnifying glass

Step #4: Enter “green screen” into the search bar. Several green screen effects pop up; choose the one.

green screen

Step #5: In this step, a dynamic green screen background adds automatically to your story.

Step #6: Select “Add Media” to import an image from the camera roll you want to upload to your story background.

Step #7: Finally, record a video over the green screen and upload it to the story feed at the bottom of the screen.

This feature allows you to create a unique story background by recording yourself over any video background from your gallery. It is a very handy and great way to create a branded video or use it for fun. This feature can be used for images too.

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Option #7: Using an External Editor and Templates

You can even consider using an external editor and template to change the background color on your Instagram story. These options can be ideal for businesses that are producing large amounts of content.

Several external editor tools, like Photoroom and Adobe Express, and pre-designed templates, are readily available to create Instagram stories directly. You can also add background images, edits, and other additional changes by using them.

Steps to follow:

Step #1: Open the external editor (like Photoroom) and upload an image into it.

Step #2: In this step, the app runs the image through a background remover. It will ask you to replace it with a pre-designed template or use AI generative to create a new one.

Step #3: Tap on “Instant Backgrounds” to access pre-built templates or select a solid color for the story background.

Step #4: After deciding on the background, click on the “Image Resizer” option.

Step #5: Choose “Instagram Story” under the Image Sizer. Here, Photoroom resizes the image automatically as per Instagram’s specifications.

Step #6: Once the editing part is done, save the image and upload it directly into Instagram Stories.

Why Do We Need to Change Instagram Story Background Color

After understanding how to change the Instagram story background color, let’s discuss some common reasons to do it. This concept of short content was first introduced by Snapchat, where the image or a short video disappeared after being opened. However, there was one con associated with it and it was that the viewers could not view it again once it was opened.

Stories feature in Instagram allows the viewers to see the image or content for at least 24 hours before it disappears. Although a simple background can be a good choice, changing the background color of an Instagram story makes a huge difference. Whether you want to improve your Instagram (IG) clicks or visibilities – IG background color is a purposeful key to boosting your online presence.

Here’s a list of top-notch reasons you should start changing the background color of your Instagram story:

#1) Helps in Boosting Aesthetic Appeal

Changing the IG story background gives it a new, more appealing look and creates a lasting impression on followers. Remember, it doesn’t matter whether you are using a solid color, a gradient, or a texture pattern – a fresh background color always boosts the aesthetic appeal of our Instagram story, keeping followers engaged.

#2) Build Brand Consistency

Owing to your business doesn’t define its success; you need to create your branding by promoting it. Changing the Instagram story background color to align with your brand helps maintain brand consistency. If your customers experience visual cues specific to your brand repeatedly, they’ll become easy to recognize, reinforcing trust and engagement.

#3) Story Segmentation

Instagram enables you to segment longer Stories or multiple posts by showcasing them with different backgrounds. It gives each segment a unique identity and guides viewers or audiences through the sequence without being overloaded. It helps viewers understand your story’s structure and purpose without making them confused.

#4) Get More Clicks

You may know posting on Instagram frequently is essential to get the desired interactions. A report suggests users should post at least 2 Instagram stories per day to maintain a good completion rate and engagement rate.

However, due to time constraints, it’s challenging to allure viewers to check out the IG Story with a default background. However, changing the background can make your Instagram story stand out, be eye-catching to viewers, and ultimately get more clicks.

#5) Show More Creativities

Your default gradient Story backgrounds look nice, but sometimes, you need to be more creative. Your Instagram Stories have access to every color of the rainbow. Pick some colors that are distinctive to your brand, or get funky with a skeptical shade of puce (dark red). Modifying your stories lets the world know how innovative you are.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I add a background to an Instagram story video?

Follow these steps to add a background to an Instagram story video:
Tap “Stickers” at the top.
Choose “Photo Sticker” and select your background image.
Resize the image to cover the entire screen.

2. How do I remove the background from an Instagram story?

Select your photo and tap the “Remove Background” option on the right side of the screen. Next, you can add or remove any section of the photo.

3. What are the steps to change my Instagram background color to black?

You change your Instagram story background color to black by following the below-mentioned steps:
Open Instagram and click on the + option in your profile.
Select any image and then click on the three dots (…) option in the upper right corner.
Select draw from there and then you will see a color palette.
Choose black from there, and press and hold the middle of the screen.
The entire background will turn black. Now, you can add your desired image from the stickers option.

4. How do I edit a post on my Instagram story?

Unfortunately, you can’t directly edit the content after posting. However, you can save or delete the story or edit the cover photo/name for highlights.

5. Can we change the background gradient on Instagram stories?

Changing the background color gradient is simple. Here are the steps you can follow:
Open Instagram click on the + option at the bottom and select story.
Click on the Aa option on the left side.
At the bottom of the screen in the rightmost corner, you will see a circle option.
Tap on that to change the gradient color until you find the right one.

6. What are the steps to change the Instagram story background color when resharing?

Here are the steps you can follow to change background color while sharing the story:
1. Select the story in which you have tagged and click on “Add this to your story”.
2. Now, At the bottom of the screen menu, choose your colors.
3. There is a droplet tool that helps you select a custom color.
4. Click on that tool in the left-most corner of the palette, and drag it to the desired hue.
5. Once selected, press and hold the middle of the screen until the background color changes.


Conclusion

In the end, I hope you understand the different ways to change the background color on the Instagram story when sharing a post or creating a new story. And after knowing it, you’re probably excited to get started! Before beginning, understand why it is so crucial to change your Instagram background story.

There are several reasons to do this, from boosting aesthetic appeal to getting more clicks to the Instagram post, but the most superior one is to build brand consistency.

You can use these methods to help your Instagram brand create a unique identity when you choose the right background color for your Instagram Stories. However, it’s advisable to do some experiments and have fun by combining different visuals or background colors to create engaging content for your audience.

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