How to Add Multiple Frames on an Instagram Story

Tired of posting one photo at a time in your Instagram Story? There’s a better way. This guide will walk you through three simple methods to add multiple photos to a single Instagram Story frame, transforming your basic updates into engaging visual collages that stop your followers mid-tap. We'll cover everything from Instagram’s built-in tools to clever hacks that give you total creative control.

The Easiest Method: Using Instagram's Built-In "Layout" Feature

If you're looking for the fastest and most straightforward way to create a photo collage, you don't even need to leave the Instagram app. The "Layout" feature is built directly into the Story creation camera, making it incredibly easy to create clean, simple grids in just a few seconds.

This method is perfect when you want a quick, organized look without the fuss of manually arranging photos. Think of it as your go-to for comparing products, showing off a series of related shots, or just sharing a few favorite moments at once.

How to Use the Layout Feature

• Step 1: Open the Instagram Story Camera. Swipe right from your home feed or tap the plus icon and select "Story."
• Step 2: Find the Layout Tool. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a vertical toolbar with several icons. Tap the one that looks like a grid - this is the "Layout" icon.
• Step 3: Choose Your Grid Style. Once you tap Layout, you'll see a small grid icon appear at the bottom center of the screen that says "Change grid." Tap it to cycle through the different layout options. Instagram offers several configurations, from a classic two-image split to a more complex six-photo grid.
• Step 4: Add Your Photos. Now you can populate the grid. You have two options:
  • From Your Camera Roll: Tap the small square preview in the bottom-left corner to open your camera roll. Select the first photo you want to add, and it will fill the top-left section of the grid. Continue selecting photos until each frame is full.
  • Take Photos in Real-Time: Tap the capture button in the center to take a new photo for each section of your grid. The frame you're currently filling will be highlighted.
• Step 5: Finalize and Post. After filling all the frames, tap the checkmark at the bottom of the screen. Now you’re back in the standard Story editor. You can add text, stickers, GIFs, or music to your collage just like any other Story. When you're happy with it, share it with your followers!

The bottom line: The Layout feature is your best friend for speed and simplicity. While it doesn't offer the creative freedom of other methods, it's incredibly reliable and perfect for clean, professional-looking collages on the fly.

The Creative's Choice: The Photo Sticker Hack

If the rigid grids of the Layout feature feel too restrictive, the "Photo Sticker" method is about to become your favorite creative hack. This technique allows you to add multiple photos from your camera roll as tappable "stickers" onto a single Story background. You have complete control over their size, position, angle, and layering, which opens up a world of design possibilities.

This is the ideal method for creating dynamic, scrapbook-style layouts, mood boards, or visually rich product showcases where you want photos to overlap and interact with each other.

Here's How It Works:

1. Step 1: Start Your Story with a Clear Background. Before adding any photos, set up your canvas. You can take a new photo, upload an image from your camera roll to use as a backdrop, or create a simple colored background. To do the latter, tap the "Create" mode (the "Aa" icon) and select a color or gradient.
2. Step 2: Access the Sticker Tray. Tap the sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of the editing screen. This is where you find everything from GIFs to polls.
3. Step 3: Find the Photo Sticker. Scroll down until you see an icon that looks like a photo gallery with two cards. It usually has a little camera symbol next to it. Tap this to open your phone's camera roll.
4. Step 4: Select and Place Your First Photo. Choose the first image you want to add. It will appear on your Story as a sticker with a hard rectangular edge. Now you can use two fingers to pinch and zoom to resize it, twist to rotate it, and drag it anywhere you want on the screen.
5. Step 5: Tap the Photo to Change Its Shape. Here's a neat trick: tapping on the photo sticker will cycle through different shapes. You can change it from a rectangle to a circle, a star, a heart, and more. This small touch can add a lot of personality to your design.
6. Step 6: Repeat for More Photos. To add another picture, simply go back to the sticker tray, select the Photo Sticker again, and choose your next image. You can add as many as you'd like, layering them on top of each other to create a visually rich collage.

By combining this technique with text, drawings, and other stickers, you can build a truly unique and branded Story frame that captures your audience's attention much more effectively than a single image ever could.

For Ultimate Design Freedom: Using Third-Party Collage Apps

When you want to create beautiful, polished, and on-brand collages that look like they were made by a professional graphic designer, it's time to turn to third-party apps. Tools like Canva, Unfold, Mojo, and Adobe Express are packed with templates specifically designed for Instagram Stories. They provide a level of customization and design quality that goes beyond what's possible within the Instagram app itself.

This is the best route for businesses, brands, and creators who want to maintain a consistent aesthetic across their Stories. These apps allow you to work with brand fonts, specific color palettes, animated text, and unique layouts that make your content instantly recognizable.

The General Workflow (Works for Most Apps):

• Step 1: Choose Your App and a Template. Open your preferred design app (like Canva) and browse their library of Instagram Story templates. They have thousands of options, from minimalist photo grids to intricate, animated collages.
• Step 2: Customize the Template with Your Content. Once you've selected a template, start personalizing it. The placeholder images can be replaced with your own photos from your camera roll. You can edit the text, change the fonts to match your branding, and adjust the colors of different design elements. This is your chance to get creative and truly make the design your own.
• Step 3: Export Your Finished Design. When your collage looks perfect, save or export the image (or video, if it's animated) directly to your phone’s camera roll. Most apps will export it in the correct 9:16 aspect ratio, so it will look perfect on Instagram.
• Step 4: Upload to Your Instagram Story. Now, head back to the Instagram app. Open the Story camera, swipe up to access your camera roll, and select the final collage image you just saved. You are now uploading one single, beautifully designed asset that contains multiple photos. You can still add final touches like polls, music, or link stickers before publishing.

Using a third-party app requires an extra step, but the results are often worth it. It’s the difference between a quick, casual update and a thoughtfully crafted piece of branded content.

Creative Ideas for Your Multi-Photo Stories

Now that you know how to add multiple photos, you can start getting strategic. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Tell a Step-by-Step Story: Show the process of a recipe, a DIY project, or a workout routine in a single, easy-to-follow frame.
• Create a Before-and-After: A simple two-frame layout is perfect for showcasing transformations, whether it's a home remodel, a new haircut, or a design refresh.
• Showcase Product Details: Use a multi-frame collage to display a product from different angles, highlight specific features in close-up shots, and show it being used in a lifestyle photo.
• Build a Mood Board: Share the inspiration behind a new project, collection, or blog post. A creative photo-sticker collage is perfect for building an aesthetic vibe.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're using the simple native Layout tool, getting creative with the Photo Sticker hack, or designing a masterpiece in a third-party app, combining multiple photos into one Story is a fantastic way to make your content more dynamic and effective. You now have everything you need to break free from the one-photo limit and start creating richer, more compelling visual narratives for your audience.

Once you've mastered creating standout Stories, keeping your content flow consistent is the next step. At Postbase, we designed our platform specifically for the way social media works today, with a strong focus on visual-first formats like Stories and Reels. You can use our visual calendar to plan out your entire content strategy, spot gaps in your schedule, and see exactly how your multi-frame stories fit into your larger brand narrative. Scheduling your designs ahead of time helps you stay organized and on-point, ensuring your brand always shows up professionally.