Over the last year Instagram Stories have become one of my absolute favorite ways to share content online. I love getting creative with mine (especially when I travel) and I’m always looking for new apps and tools that allow me to add something special and different to my photos and videos.
Let’s face it. The Instagram algorithm absolutely sucks. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to grow a following and engagement is down across the board. This is why it’s so important to utilize and leverage stories to promote your content and develop a connection with your audience.
I got great feedback in the fall when I wrote this post explaining how I was customizing the text in my stories. Since then I’ve continued using some of the same tactics, but I’ve also tested and experimented with a bunch of new graphic design apps and text overlay editors. I’m always getting asked “How did you do that???” so I put together this follow up guide including (in my opinion) the best apps for customizing Instagram Stories.
So are you ready to take your stories to the next level? Keep on reading!
The Best Apps For Customizing Instagram Stories
FONT CANDY
In the last six months Font Candy has become my favorite and most-used app for customizing photos for Instagram Stories. It’s way more than just a tool that let’s you add text to your pictures. There are helpful crop presets so you can ensure your final creation is the correct dimensions for the platform you plan on posting to (Instagram Stories is 9:16 or 1080px by 1920px.) There are also hundreds of fun fonts and cool artwork to play with and add to your photo.
What sets Font Candy apart from other text apps is that it allows users to import their own fonts and artwork. So if you’re like me and use Instagram to promote your blog or business, having the ability to maintain branding across platforms is key.
Recognize the graphics that I use to promote new blog posts or a shopping find? I customized those in Font Candy! All I did was create a few different simple background templates in Photoshop (which I imported to my iPhone) to easily re-use and save with new text and imagery.
ADOBE SPARK
Adobe Spark is the latest app I’ve added to my creative arsenal and from what I can tell it goes far beyond simple text overlay editors. This graphic design app allows users to animate wording and add effects to photos turning them videos.
Adobe Spark also includes helpful features like suggested color palettes (pulled from all the shades in your photo), resizing tools (so you get the right crop dimensions) and layout options for creating collages. The only downside I can find is that you can’t upload your own fonts. I’d probably use Adobe Spark much more often if this was possible!
TYPORAMA
If you’re looking for an app that let’s you quickly add attention-grabbing text to photos then check out Typorama. Users can choose from multiple layouts of styled text. Typorama also includes advanced cropping tools, a fun selection of filters and the ability to upload your own branded watermark.
Using Typorama you can crop images to the appropriate dimensions for Instagram Stories, add creative text, filters and overlays, along with your own branded watermark (you create and upload this yourself– I made mine in Photoshop!)
DIPTIC
Interested in creating collages or slideshows? Then consider checking out Diptic. There are a ton of customizable layouts where you can adjust the border color and frame. Diptic allows allows users to add text to creations. Additional features are available with small in-app purchases like the option to change the aspect ratio of your collage. If you’re using Diptic for Instagram Stories you’ll need to do this so you can save your file as 9:16.
IN SHOT
In Shot is a great mobile editing app for video clips. It’s easy to use and has many of the same features you’ll find in a text editing app for photos like Font Candy or Adobe Spark. In Shot lets users easily string clips together, add the speed and customize them with text, music, artwork. filters and voiceovers. It’s a great alternative if you’re looking for a way to edit videos on your phone versus an advanced desktop program like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro.
HYPE TYPE
Hype Type is a fun no-fuss app for adding animated text over video clips and boomerangs. You can’t customize the fonts and colors as much as In Shot, but it’s easy to use and will definitely grab the attention of your followers. You can even add music over a video and crop your clip to the dimensions of your choosing.
When using Hype Type make sure your clip is between 5 seconds long and shorter than 15 seconds. If you want to add multiple sections of animated text, just continually save your file and reopen it to add a new layer.
Do you like using Instagram Stories? What apps do you use to create yours? If there’s one I missed or that you think I should check out I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
PS! If you’re looking for more info on adding custom text to your stories make sure to check out this post here: How To Add Custom Fonts To Your Instagram Story
Lynne says
Fabulously helpful! Favorited!
Olga says
Ahh, this was so helpful, thank you! I especially want to check out Adobe Spark!
Olga
http://www.littlethingsolga.com
Lauren Oliver says
This post is so, so helpful! I only knew about Hype Type, and thought people were making all the graphics on their computers haha! So nice to know there’s loads of phone apps for this!
Lauren
http://oliverstwistblog.com
cozystylist says
This is great, I always love the way you edit your Instagram stories. Thanks for sharing this!
samantha says
I rarely edit my Insta stories, but this is a great idea! Love all the options you gave here!
X
Samantha
http://www.thenewyorkblonde.com
fortune dushey says
Thank you for these great suggestions! Going to check them out!
Lane says
This was so helpful! Thanks for sharing! Which App do you like using the most? – Lane
Dee Monti says
So helpful thank you Katie! x
Vie says
Fantastic!This helps a lot!
Andrés says
Thanks for the great app reviews! Makes it a lot easier and avoids me to try every single app out there! Thanks!
Nicci says
Very helpful post. I am going try try these out myself and hopefully I find one or two favorites xx
http://niccimarquart.com/
lauren says
thank you for this post girl! i was googling for IG story apps and yours came up the second link….these all look awesome. question for you….there are a few people using an app that allows you to basically “film” what you’re doing on your phone from almost like a birds eye view. People use it for tutorials of like how to go to something on their website, as an example. Do you know what app they are using?
MOMof4 says
Hi, is Typorama available for Android?
Thank you very much!
Kate says
Awesome insights. Thanks, Katie.
If somebody ever needs to display their Instagram stories on their websites, in real time, check out EmbedStories.
https://embedsocial.com/products/free-instagram-stories-widget/
There is a free version so you can try it out, right now:
Hope this helps!
Elisaudo says
Thanks. Great tips. I Will try all. But certanty i will work with all, once each has especific feature.
Debby says
Thank you so much Katie! This is really helpful as I was looking for some great apps to boost my IG-stories.
Sarah says
Loved it !
Agnes W says
Thank you so much for sharing all these!
25 Sweetpeas says
Fabulous post! Will have to check some of these out! I was just working with Easil and love it but really its so slow so maybe an app option would be better!
Anni says
Hi there thank you so much for this advise! I totally will try them
rafael says
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tomatedigital.toolsforinstagram
This app splits any video in 15 seconds pieces and upload to stories… super pratical for not be recording a thousand videos when you want to say something longer
Heather says
Thanks so much for making this post! I’ve been looking for apps to use to help with IG stories and these are already improving my IG game! *high-five!*
Patricia says
Thanks for this post! Exactly what I was researching:)
xx Patricia
http://www.rebelrosefashion.com
Hermanto says
Useful information, very nice. Now my stories will not boring anymore… thank’s you 🙂
Ariel says
I love this and find it to be very informative.
Ritika Vijayavargi says
Its really gonna help me.
Thank you for sharing your research.
Soheil says
Really thank you for your guide, I will try all…
April Clayton says
This was super helpful! Ive been wanting to up my instagram stories game for ages! thank you 🙂 xx
Eirini says
That was really helpful and, to be honest, I was trying to find these apps for such a long time! Thank you!
Greetings from Greece
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Ruhanee says
Fantastic! Great post. Very informative. I love writing on pictures. Recently I have started using Add Text To Photos App (https://bit.ly/2YOPH4U) Will definitely try this one.