How to Change Background Color in Instagram Story

If you love sharing on Instagram, you know that Stories are where creativity shines. But posting the same default background can make your Stories feel flat and repetitive. Learning how to change the background color on Instagram Story not only enhances your visual style but also helps your content stand out from the crowd.

Whether you want to match your brand colors, highlight text, or just make your post look aesthetic, customizing your background is easier than you think. In this guide, we’ll show you how to change your Story background — with or without a photo — using simple tools and Smartli’s AI-powered features for perfect visuals.

In this article, we’ll guide you through how to change the background color in your Instagram Story, with tips, tricks, and advanced techniques for adding extra flair to your content.

Why Changing Background Color in Instagram Stories Matters

Customizing the background color in your Instagram stories is more than just a design choice; it can significantly affect the engagement, visibility, and branding of your story. Here's why it’s important:

• Boosts Visual Appeal: The right background color can transform a simple Instagram story into something eye-catching. Whether you choose a bold color or a subtle shade, background colors enhance the overall aesthetic and encourage users to engage with your content.
• Supports Branding: If you're using Instagram as a marketing tool for your business, aligning the background color with your brand’s color palette is crucial. Consistent use of brand colors across your Instagram Stories helps reinforce brand identity, making it more recognizable and memorable to your audience.
• Evokes Emotion and Mood: Colors have a powerful psychological impact. Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow can invoke excitement, while cool tones like blue and green are calming and peaceful. Using the right color can convey your story's message more effectively and influence how your followers perceive it.
• Increases Engagement: Stories with a dynamic and custom background stand out in a crowded feed. By taking the extra step to personalize your background color, you're more likely to grab the attention of viewers and encourage them to interact with your content.

How to Change Background Color on Instagram Story (Step-by-Step)

Changing your Story background is quick and simple once you know where to look. Whether you want a solid tone, a pastel gradient, or a branded color, the Instagram app gives you creative control right at your fingertips.

Step 1 — Open the Instagram Story Creator

Start by swiping right from your home screen or tapping the “+” icon, then selecting Story. You can choose to begin with a blank background or upload a photo from your gallery as your starting point.

Step 2 — Choose a Base Image or Background

Select what kind of background you want. You can take a new picture, upload one from your camera roll, or tap Create to use a plain background. This gives you a clean canvas to apply your color.

Step 3 — Tap the Draw Tool (Pen Icon)

At the top of the screen, tap the Draw Tool (the squiggly pen icon). A color palette will appear at the bottom. Pick the hue that fits your design or brand theme.

Step 4 — Hold Down to Fill the Screen

Once your color is selected, tap and hold anywhere on the screen for about two seconds. The entire background will instantly fill with that color, replacing the default one.

Step 5 — Add Stickers, Text, or GIFs

Now that your background is ready, it’s time to personalize. Use Instagram’s built-in tools to add text, emojis, or GIFs.
For a more professional touch, you can create text overlays using Smartli’s AI Text-to-Photo tool. It helps you design eye-catching captions or callouts before uploading them to your Story.

Pro Tip: Try soft gradients, neutrals, or pastel shades to create an elegant, modern look. These colors make your Stories feel more aesthetic and visually cohesive.

How to Change the Background Color on Instagram Story with a Photo

If you’re adding a photo to your Story and want to change the background without covering it up. This technique creates a layered, creative effect — great for aesthetic product showcases, quotes, or announcements.

Here’s how to do it:

• Upload your photo — Open Instagram Stories and choose the photo you want to share.
• Tap the Draw Tool — At the top of the screen, select the pen icon and pick a background color from the palette.
• Hold to fill — Press and hold anywhere on the screen for about two seconds to apply your chosen color over the photo.
• Use the Eraser Tool — Gently erase parts of the color to reveal your photo underneath. This allows you to frame your image artistically while maintaining visibility.

This method lets you mix visuals creatively — keeping your photo visible while changing the surrounding background for emphasis.

How to Change Background Color on Instagram Story Without Covering the Photo

If you prefer to keep your photo fully visible and just change the space around it, there’s an easy workaround. This method helps you adjust your background without hiding any part of your image.

Here’s how:

• Add your photo to the Story — Upload or take a picture as usual.
• Select your background — Take a screenshot of the background color you want, or use a ready-made plain color from Smartli’s AI Background Tool for a polished look.
• Layer your photo — Import your photo again as a sticker or image overlay using Instagram’s sticker feature.

Once layered, you can move, resize, or adjust transparency for a professional design feel. This approach gives your Story a cleaner and more balanced layout — all without using third-party editing apps.

How to Change Instagram Story Background Color Using iPhone

If you’re on an iPhone, you can enhance your Story even more.

For Photos from Your Gallery

• Open your Photos app, choose an image, and tap Edit → Markup.
• Use the pen tool to draw or color parts of your image.
• Save and upload it to Instagram.

How to Add Text to a Photo on iPhone

Adding text to your Instagram Story images is simple:

1. Open a photo in Photos → Edit → Markup.
2. Tap the “+” and choose Text.
3. Type your caption, adjust font, and color.
   

Alternatively, use Smartli’s AI Description Generator to add styled captions, quotes, or product names to your images before uploading them to Instagram. It’s faster and gives you creative freedom.

Advanced Tips to Enhance Your Instagram Story Backgrounds

While changing the background color is simple, there are advanced techniques to make your Instagram story stand out even more. Here are some creative tips to enhance your background and make your stories pop:

• Use Gradient Backgrounds: Instagram allows you to use gradient backgrounds, where two colors seamlessly blend into one another. Gradient backgrounds add depth and dimension to your story, making it more visually appealing. You can choose from preset gradients or create your own by adjusting the color range.
• Use Custom Images or Patterns: Instead of a solid color, you can upload a custom image or pattern as your background. Create designs on tools like Canva or Adobe Spark and upload them to Instagram to make your story more personalized and visually attractive. You can use a custom background that reflects your brand’s theme or promotes a special offer.
• Combine Text and Background for Impact: Contrast your background color with text to make it more readable and engaging. For example, light-colored backgrounds with dark text are highly visible, and vice versa. Play with the font style, size, and alignment to match the background color and create a balanced and cohesive look.
• Create Transparency Effects: If you want to blend your content with the background seamlessly, try using transparency effects. Instagram offers a brush tool that can erase parts of your image, allowing the background color to show through. This gives your story a sleek and modern look.
• Add Dynamic Elements Like Stickers: To make your Instagram Story more fun, add dynamic elements like stickers, GIFs, and emojis that match the background color. Instagram’s extensive library of stickers allows you to choose items that match your brand’s personality and style.

Using Instagram Story Backgrounds to Strengthen Brand Identity

Instagram stories are a valuable marketing tool, especially for businesses. Customizing the background color of your Instagram stories is a powerful way to reinforce your brand’s identity and maintain a consistent aesthetic across your content.

• Align with Brand Colors: If you have a brand color palette, make sure to use it consistently across your Instagram stories. Consistent use of your brand colors helps your followers instantly recognize your content in their feeds. If you're using platforms like Spocket for product sourcing, aligning your Instagram stories with your store’s color theme creates a seamless brand experience for customers.
• Create Visual Consistency: Just like maintaining a consistent logo or product packaging, keeping a consistent color scheme in your stories ensures that your audience connects your content with your brand. This visual consistency helps build brand trust and loyalty, making it easier for followers to recognize your content.
• Incorporate Your Brand’s Personality: Colors have the power to convey your brand’s personality. For example, vibrant and energetic colors like orange and yellow may be used to represent a fun and youthful brand, while darker shades like navy or black can convey sophistication and elegance. Tailor the colors to reflect your brand’s message and values.
• Incorporate Calls to Action (CTAs): Use background colors to highlight CTAs like “Swipe Up,” “Shop Now,” or “DM for more info.” Using contrasting background colors or gradients can make your CTAs stand out, encouraging more engagement from your followers.

Best Practices for Instagram Story Background Colors

Changing the background color in your Instagram story is an excellent way to grab attention and stand out in the crowded social media space. However, to truly make your stories effective, it's important to follow some best practices when it comes to selecting and using background colors. Let’s dive into these practices and explain why they are important.

Avoid Clashing Colors

Color combinations play a crucial role in making your Instagram story aesthetically pleasing and ensuring that your message is easily readable. While it’s tempting to go for bold contrasts, you should avoid clashing colors that can make your content look chaotic or difficult to read. For example, pairing bright neon yellow text with a bright green background can create visual strain, making it harder for your audience to focus on the message.

To achieve optimal readability and visual comfort, aim for color combinations that provide enough contrast but are complementary. For instance, using dark text on a light-colored background, or vice versa, can help your message pop without overwhelming the viewer. The goal is to find a balance where your text, graphics, and background color work together harmoniously.

Don’t Overcomplicate

Simplicity is key in the world of design, especially on Instagram. Instagram Stories are meant to be quick, engaging, and easy to consume. If your story is overcrowded with too many colors, elements, or text, it may become overwhelming and detract from your main message.

Instead, focus on clean, simple backgrounds that allow the main message to stand out. For example, a solid background color with a few well-chosen text and graphic elements can make your story visually appealing without overcomplicating the design. The goal is to communicate your message effectively while maintaining a clean, easy-to-digest layout.

Using a consistent design style for your stories will also make your brand more recognizable and professional. Whether you use subtle gradients, muted tones, or minimalist elements, keep your design consistent with your overall branding.

Test and Optimize

Just like any other marketing strategy, using Instagram Stories effectively requires constant testing and optimization. What works for one audience may not work for another. Therefore, experimenting with different background colors, fonts, stickers, and layouts is essential to see what resonates best with your followers.

Instagram offers tools like Instagram Insights, which provide valuable data on how your stories are performing. With insights into how many people viewed, engaged, or skipped your story, you can fine-tune your content to increase engagement. Testing different background colors is a simple yet effective way to improve the overall impact of your stories.

For instance, try posting two similar stories with different color schemes and monitor which one gets more interaction. Over time, you can gather valuable data that informs your decision-making and helps you optimize your stories for better results.

How to Align Background Colors with Your Brand Identity

Another important consideration when choosing background colors for your Instagram Stories is how those colors align with your overall brand identity. Colors are not just visually appealing; they carry meaning and evoke certain emotions. For example, blue is often associated with trust, professionalism, and calm, while red conveys energy, passion, and urgency.

Here’s how you can use background colors strategically to align with your brand:

• Choose Colors that Reflect Your Brand’s Personality: If your brand is playful and energetic, opt for vibrant, bold colors. If you’re representing a luxury brand, use subtle, sophisticated hues like black, gold, or dark blue. Ensure the colors you use are consistent with the mood and message you want to convey.
• Use Brand Colors: If your business has established brand colors, use them in your Instagram Stories to create consistency across your social media platforms. By sticking with your brand’s color palette, you reinforce your brand identity and ensure your content is easily recognizable by your audience.
• Consider Cultural Implications of Colors: Different cultures associate different meanings with colors. For example, while white symbolizes purity in some cultures, it can signify mourning in others. Consider your target audience when choosing your background colors.
• Maintain Consistency Across Stories: Consistency in color helps create a cohesive look for your stories. If you're using your brand’s color palette, keep it consistent across multiple stories to create a visually unified experience. This makes your content instantly recognizable and easier for followers to engage with.

Conclusion

Changing the background color on your Instagram Story is one of the easiest ways to make your content stand out and reflect your personality or brand identity. A simple color change can completely transform the mood of your Story — whether you’re highlighting a quote, showcasing a product, or sharing a quick update.

By following these steps and experimenting with different shades, gradients, and creative layouts, you can build a cohesive and visually appealing Story style that attracts more engagement.

And if you want to take your creativity even further, tools like Smartli can help. From removing or replacing backgrounds to adding professional text overlays, Smartli’s AI-powered editing tools make it effortless to design Stories that look polished, on-brand, and uniquely yours.