How to Blur Background on Instagram Story

Adding a blur to your background is one of the simplest ways to give your Instagram Story a professional, high-quality feel, making you or your subject the star of the show. It’s a technique photographers use to create depth and focus, and you can achieve the same effect right from your phone. This guide will walk you through exactly how to blur your background for Stories, both within Instagram itself and using other handy apps for photos you’ve already taken.

Why a Blurred Background is a Game-Changer for Your Stories

Before we get into the step-by-step methods, let’s talk about why this is such a powerful look. A blurred background, also known as the "bokeh" effect in photography, does more than just look pretty. It’s a strategic choice made by top creators, brands, and marketers for several compelling reasons:

• It eliminates distractions. Got a messy room or a chaotic background? A quick blur cleans it all up, forcing your viewers to lock their eyes on what matters: you, your product, or your message.
• It directs the viewer’s eye. Our eyes are naturally drawn to the sharpest point in an image. By keeping your subject in focus and blurring everything else, you are telling your audience exactly where to look. This is especially useful for product showcases or tutorials.
• It conveys professionalism. The effect mimics the shallow depth-of-field look typically produced by expensive DSLR cameras with prime lenses. Using it on your Stories instantly elevates your content, making it look more polished and thoughtfully produced.
• It creates an aesthetic mood. A soft, dreamy background can contribute to a specific vibe - whether it’s relaxed, artistic, or intimate. It adds a layer of visual polish that helps tell your brand’s story.

Now that you know the 'why,' let's get into the 'how'.

Method 1: The Native Instagram "Focus" Effect (The Easiest Way)

Instagram has a built-in camera effect specifically for this purpose. For a long time, it was called "Focus," and while IG changes the names of things often, the functionality for creating a portrait-style blur remains accessible right in the Story camera. It's the fastest and most direct way to get the job done for photos and videos you shoot in the moment.

Here’s how to access and use it:

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Instagram’s Focus Effect

1. Open Instagram and swipe right to open the Story camera. You can also tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom and select "Story."
2. Locate the camera effects. Below the main shutter button, you’ll see a carousel of camera effects. It usually starts with your most recently used filters. To find the native blur effect, you'll need to scroll through the icons to the right.
3. Search for the "Focus" or a similar effect. The name might vary, but these effects often live with Instagram's other AR effects created by its parent company, Meta. If you can’t find it, scroll all the way to the end of the effect carousel and tap the "Browse Effects" icon (a magnifying glass).
4. In the Effect Gallery, use the search feature. Tap the search icon in the top right corner and type in "Portrait," "Focus," or "Background Blur." You'll find several options. Look for the simpler ones often created by Instagram or Meta themselves for the most reliable performance.
5. Select and aim your camera. Once you've selected the effect, the camera will try to detect a face. Point the camera at yourself (selfie mode) or another person. As soon as it finds a face, the person will snap into focus, and the background will magically soften into a pleasant blur.
6. Capture your Story. Tap the shutter button to take a photo or press and hold it to record a video. The background will remain blurred throughout the recording. Once you're happy with it, you can add stickers, text, and other elements before sharing to your Story.

Troubleshooting the Native Blur Feature

• It’s not working! This effect relies on machine learning to distinguish a person from the background. It needs to clearly detect a face to activate. Make sure you are in good lighting and that the face is not obscured.
• Can it work on objects? Generally, no. The native Instagram feature is optimized for people. If you want to blur the background behind an object or product, you’ll need to use our next method.
• Does my phone support it? Most modern smartphones support this feature, but very old devices may not have the processing power to run the effect smoothly.

Method 2: Blurring the Background on Photos You’ve Already Taken

What if the perfect shot is already sitting in your camera roll? Unfortunately, Instagram doesn't offer a feature to add a background blur after you've taken a photo. For this, you’ll need to turn to a third-party photo editing app. The process is simple: edit the photo in the app, save it, and then upload the edited version to your Instagram Story.

Here are a few trusted apps that do this exceptionally well:

Using Apps Like Picsart, Focos, or YouCam Perfect

While each app has a slightly different interface, the core process is nearly identical. You'll import your image, and the app will use AI to identify the subject and automatically apply a blur to the background.

General Step-by-Step for Third-Party Apps:

1. Download Your Chosen App: Head to the App Store or Google Play Store and download a photo editor known for its blur or portrait effects. Picsart, Focos (especially great for depth-of-field control), and YouCam Perfect are excellent free options with powerful premium features.
2. Import Your Photo: Open the app and grant it permission to access your photo library. Select the image you want to edit.
3. Find the "Blur" or "Portrait" Tool: Look through the editing tools for an option labeled "Blur," "Lens Blur," "Effect," or "Portrait Mode." In Picsart, you might find it under "Effects" -> "Blur." In Focos, the whole app is designed around this capability. In YouCam Perfect, it’s often a one-tap "Blur" tool.
4. Adjust the Effect: This is where these apps shine. Unlike Instagram’s on/off effect, these tools usually give you a slider to control the intensity of the blur. You can go for a subtle softening or a dramatic, creamy bokeh. Many also allow you to adjust the size of the focal area or "brush" on where you want the blur to be, giving you complete creative control.
5. Save and Upload: Once you’re satisfied with the result, save the edited image back to your camera roll. It will now be ready for you to upload directly to your Instagram Story. Just open the Story camera, swipe up, and select your masterpiece.

This method gives you much more flexibility and works on any type of photo - people, pets, products, or food. It’s the go-to technique for marketers and content creators who need pixel-perfect control over their visuals.

Creative Ways to Use a Blurred Background in Your Instagram Strategy

Knowing how to blur your background is one thing, knowing when is what separates amateurs from pros. Think of it as another tool in your branding toolkit.

Blueprint 1: The Product Spotlight

If you sell a physical product, a blurred background is your best friend. Place your product on a surface and snap a photo. Use a third-party app to isolate the product and blur everything else out. This immediately makes the product feel more premium and desirable. Think of a jewelry brand showing off a ring on a model’s hand - blurring the rest of the scene makes the jewelry the undeniable hero.

Blueprint 2: The "Expert" Talk-to-Camera

When you, as a business owner or personal brand, are the subject, a blurred background adds a layer of authority. Filming a talk-to-camera Story using the native Focus effect instantly makes it feel less like a casual smartphone video and more like a professionally recorded clip. This helps build credibility and encourages your audience to pay closer attention to what you're saying.

Blueprint 3: Behind-the-Scenes Teasers

Want to show your audience a sneak peek of something without giving everything away? Use blur to your advantage. Maybe you’re revealing a new studio space, but it’s not quite ready. Stand in the foreground and use the Focus effect to tease the blurry, unfinished space behind you. It creates curiosity and anticipation.

Blueprint 4: A Foodie's Focus Pull

Running a cafe, restaurant, or food blog? Use a blur effect on your dish photography. Tap to focus on the most delicious part of the meal - like the melted cheese or the perfectly poached egg - and let the rest of the plate and the table setting gently fall out of focus. It's an old trick that makes food look irresistible every time.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the background blur on your Instagram Stories is a simple yet powerful way to elevate your content, direct your audience's attention, and build a more professional-looking brand feed. Whether you use Instagram's own Focus feature for quick, on-the-fly videos or a dedicated app for more precise control over your existing photos, you're now equipped to make your subject the clear center of attention.

Once you’ve perfected your visuals and created a library of stunning, professional-looking Stories, the next challenge is posting them consistently. At Postbase, we built our platform specifically for the modern world of social media, where assets like Stories and short-form video are central to any strategy. Our visual calendar helps you plan all your content - from Reels to Stories to TikToks - so you can see at a glance what’s going live and ensure your brand looks cohesive and remains active, even when you're not.