How to Add 6 Pictures on an Instagram Story

Want to combine multiple photos into a single, eye-catching Instagram Story without spamming your followers with a dozen separate slides? You can easily create beautiful collages with up to six pictures, turning a simple update into a professional-looking design. This guide will walk you through several methods for adding multiple pictures to one story, from Instagram’s quick built-in tools to third-party apps that offer maximum creative control.

Good Reasons to Post Multiple Photos in One Story

Before jumping into the how-to, let's touch on why this is such a powerful content strategy. A single Story slide that features several photos feels more intentional and polished than tapping through a series of disconnected images. It’s not just about aesthetics, it’s about better communication and a better audience experience.

• It reduces "tap fatigue." Your followers are busy. Presenting a set of related photos - like outfit details, product angles, or event highlights - all at once respects their time and prevents them from tapping away out of boredom.
• It improves storytelling. You can show a sequence of events, a before-and-after comparison, or a collection of moments in a single, cohesive visual. It frames your images as part of a larger narrative, not just random snapshots.
• It looks more professional. A well-arranged collage signals a higher level of effort and creativity, which can elevate your brand's perception. It shows you’re thoughtful about how you present your content.
• It increases viewing time. A visually dense and interesting slide makes people pause. They’ll spend a few extra seconds taking in all the details, which tells the Instagram algorithm that your content is engaging.

Method 1: The Photo Sticker Hack (The Easiest & Most Flexible Way)

This is the most popular and versatile method because it's built right into Instagram and gives you complete freedom over the size, placement, and rotation of your photos. You can layer images, mix different shapes, and create a dynamic, scrapbook-style collage in seconds.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Photo Sticker Method

1. Open the Instagram Story editor. Swipe right from your feed or tap the plus (+) icon and select "Story."
2. Set Your Background. Your collage needs a canvas. You have a few options here:
   • Solid Color: Tap the "Create" (Aa) option on the left. Tap the circle in the bottom corner to cycle through different background colors and gradients.
   • A Photo Background: Select a photo from your camera roll. You can then use your fingers to zoom and position it as the background layer. A blurry, out-of-focus image or a simple texture often works best.
3. Open the Sticker Tray. Tap the sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of the screen.
4. Find the Photo Sticker. Scroll through the sticker options until you see a circle icon that shows a preview of your camera roll, usually with a little mountain-and-sun logo. This is your magic button.
5. Select Your First Photo. Tapping the photo sticker will open your phone’s photo gallery. Choose the first image you want to add to your collage. It will appear on your screen as a sticker.
6. Arrange and Resize. You can now use your fingers to move, resize, and rotate the photo anywhere on the screen. Place it where you want your first element to go.
7. Change the Photo's Shape. Here’s a great little trick! Simply tap on the photo sticker you just added. Instagram will cycle it through different shapes - from a rectangle with rounded corners to a circle, star, or heart.
8. Repeat for More Photos. To add your next photo, simply tap the sticker icon again, select the photo sticker, and choose your next image. You can do this until you have all six of your desired photos arranged on the screen.
9. Add Your Finishing Touches. Once all your photos are placed, you can layer text, GIFs, polls, or music on top to complete your design. You can even layer the photos on top of each other for a more creative effect.

Pros and Cons of the Sticker Method

• Pros: Extremely flexible, totally freeform, and requires no additional downloads. The ability to change shapes is a fun bonus.
• Cons: Lacks the clean grid lines of a formal collage, so it can look messy if your photos aren't arranged carefully.

Method 2: Instagram's Layout Mode (For Perfect Grids)

If you prefer a clean, structured, and perfectly symmetrical collage, Instagram’s built-in "Layout" mode is your best friend. This tool gives you several pre-made grid templates to drop your photos into, creating a polished look with zero guesswork.

How to Use Instagram's Layout Feature

1. Open the Story editor.
2. Select "Layout." On the left side of the screen, tap the icon that looks like a grid. This will activate Layout mode.
3. Choose Your Grid Style. Right above the grid icon, you’ll now see another option called "Change Grid." Tap on it to see the different collage templates Instagram offers. You can find options for two, three, four, and up to six photos. Select the six-photo grid.
4. Add Your Photos to Each Section. You can add photos in two ways:
   • Live Photos: Tap the shutter button in the center to take a photo that will fill the currently selected grid section.
   • From Your Camera Roll: Tap the plus icon (+) in the bottom-left corner to open your gallery and select the photo you want to add to a section of your grid.
5. Fill All the Slots. Continue adding photos from your gallery or taking new ones until all six slots in the grid are full. If you add a photo you don’t like, tap it and then tap the delete icon to remove it.
6. Confirm and Post. Once you're happy with your collage, tap the checkmark at the bottom. This will finalize the layout and take you back to the main Story editor, where you can add text, music, or other elements before posting.

Pros and Cons of Layout Mode

• Pros: Creates perfectly aligned, tidy-looking collages in seconds. Great for product showcases or comparisons.
• Cons: No creative freedom. You're limited to the fixed grids provided, and you can't resize or overlap images.

Method 3: The Copy & Paste Hack for iPhone Users

This is a clever workaround for iOS users that operates similarly to the sticker method but can feel a bit faster for some people. It lets you pull photos directly from your Photos app without repeatedly opening the sticker tray inside Instagram.

How to Use the Copy & Paste Method

1. Start your Story. First, set up your background in the Instagram Story editor just like you would for the sticker method (solid color or photo background).
2. Navigate to Your Photos App. Switch apps by swiping up from the bottom of your screen and opening your iPhone's Photos app.
3. Copy a Photo. Find and open the image you want to use. Tap the "Share" icon (the box with an arrow pointing up) in the bottom-left corner, and then select "Copy Photo." The image is now copied to your clipboard.
4. Return to Instagram. Switch back to the open Instagram Story editor.
5. Paste the Photo. As soon as you open the app, a small pop-up should appear in the corner with a preview of your copied image that says "Add sticker." Tap it, and your photo will appear as a sticker on your Story.
   *Pro Tip: If the pop-up doesn't appear, don't worry. Simply tap the "Text" (Aa) tool, and then long-press on the screen until the "Paste" option appears. Tap it, and your photo will be added.
6. Repeat the Process. Hop back and forth between your Photos app and Instagram to copy and paste all six photos onto your Story canvas. You can resize, rotate, and arrange them just like any other sticker.

Why Use This Method?

While an iOS-only trick, it's great for quickly grabbing screenshots or images you’ve just saved from the web. The workflow is fast once you get the hang of it, and it gives you the same freeform control as the Photo Sticker method.

Method 4: Using Third-Party Apps for Branded Designs

While Instagram's built-in tools are fantastic for speed, sometimes you need more creative power, custom branding, or unique templates. This is where third-party design apps come in. They allow you to prepare your collages in advance and upload them to Instagram as a single, perfectly designed image or video.

Why Go External?

• Consistent Branding: Use your brand fonts, colors, and logos.
• Professional Templates: Access thousands of pre-made designs for any occasion.
• Animations and Video: Make your collages dynamic with moving elements.

Recommended Apps for Story Collages

• Canva: This is a powerhouse of graphic design for non-designers. Canva offers a massive library of Instagram Story templates, many of which include grids for 6 or more photos. You can fully customize everything, from the background color to the font styles, ensuring your collage perfectly matches your brand aesthetic.
• Unfold: If you love a minimalist, elegant, and film-inspired look, Unfold is for you. It's famous for its clean templates that often mimic classic film strips or polaroids. Its drag-and-drop interface makes creating chic multi-photo Stories incredibly simple.
• Mojo: Mojo takes things a step further by helping you create animated collages. You can use its templates to have your photos fade in, slide across the screen, or appear with animated text effects. This is a brilliant way to capture attention and stop users from mindlessly tapping through Stories.

Final Thoughts

Creating a six-photo Instagram Story is a handy skill for any creator or marketer to have. You can quickly use Instagram's native Sticker and Layout features for spontaneous, on-the-go collages, or turn to dedicated design apps like Canva and Unfold when you want a more branded and polished look that you can plan in advance.

Once you’ve mastered creating beautiful multi-photo Stories, the next logical step is planning them within your larger content strategy. At Postbase, we designed our platform with a visual-first calendar because we know how important it is to see your whole content plan - from Reels to feed posts to Stories - in one place. I personally use it to schedule my Story cards and then drag and drop them to see how they flow with the rest of my content for the week. It helps me tell a much more cohesive story without relying on messy spreadsheets or notes.