How to Add Photo Stickers to an Instagram Story

Before you start

You can make a photo sticker from an image already saved on your phone, or from a photo taken earlier in the app. The process runs on your device through the Instagram app; it does not require a separate online sticker service. Make sure you can open the photo from your gallery in Instagram. An image with a clear subject works best, but Instagram does not require a specific file format for this step.

Step-by-step instructions

The exact menu names can vary slightly between Android and iOS versions, and Instagram occasionally moves options. If you cannot see a label exactly as written, look for the closest matching icon or wording.

• Open Instagram and tap the plus icon, then choose Story, or tap Your story if it is available.
• Take a new photo or select an existing image to use as the background.
• Open the sticker tray. Depending on your app version, this may be the square smiley-face icon or a stickers icon at the top of the screen.
• Find the photo sticker option. It may be labelled Photo, Photos, or Gallery, or appear as a small image icon.
• Pick the image you want to turn into a sticker from the gallery.
• Instagram adds the selected image as a cutout-style sticker where possible. If automatic cutout does not appear, the full image is placed on the story.
• Drag the sticker to reposition it.
• Pinch outward with two fingers to make it larger, or pinch inward to make it smaller.
• Tap the sticker if you want to change its shape. Options may include a square or circular frame.
• Tap Done or the check mark when the position and size look right.

You can repeat the process to add several photo stickers. If you make a mistake, tap the sticker and use Undo, or drag it to the trash icon if your version shows one.

Check the output

Before sharing, look at the story preview screen. Check that the sticker is fully inside the visible area, because story edges can be cropped on some displays. If the sticker is a cutout, zoom in closely to check for rough or missing edges. A very small source image can appear soft or pixelated when enlarged, so avoid stretching it beyond what the preview shows clearly.

Common problems and next steps

If your gallery image does not appear, update the Instagram app and check in your phone settings that Instagram has permission to access your photos. When a cutout selects the wrong part of the image, try a photo with more contrast between the subject and background. If the sticker looks low quality, use a higher-resolution source image. A sticker added this way does not alter the original photo, so you can remove the sticker from the story and try another image without losing the original file.

After publishing, the story shows the sticker in the same position and relative size you set in the preview. If the result is not what you expected, delete the story and repeat the steps with a different background or sticker image.