How to Post Just Text on an Instagram Story

Sometimes the most powerful message you can share on social media doesn't need a high-production video or a perfectly filtered photo - it just needs text. A simple text-only Instagram Story can be one of the most direct and effective ways to communicate with your audience, whether you're launching a flash sale, asking an urgent question, or sharing a candid thought. This guide will walk you through exactly how to post just text on your Instagram Story and share some pro tips to make your words grab attention and drive engagement.

Why Bother with Text-Only Instagram Stories?

In a visual-first world, you might wonder why a plain text Story would even work. The answer lies in its simplicity. When your followers are endlessly tapping through flashy videos and dynamic photos, a clean, bold text slide can be a pattern interrupt - the very thing that makes them pause and read. Text-based Stories are brilliant for several marketing and brand-building goals.

• Quick Announcements & Updates: Is your website down for maintenance? Are you running a 24-hour flash sale? Did you just hit a major milestone? Text is the fastest way to get urgent information to your audience without needing to design a graphic or film a video.
• Driving Engagement: Text is the foundation for some of Instagram's most powerful engagement tools. Think Polls, Quizzes, Sliders, and the "Ask Me a Question" sticker. These features thrive on text-based prompts that encourage your audience to interact directly.
• Sharing Testimonials and Quotes: Customer testimonials, powerful industry quotes, or simple words of encouragement are incredibly impactful. Placing them on a clean background gives the message room to breathe and lets your audience fully absorb it.
• Humanizing Your Brand: A simple text Story can feel more personal and raw than a polished feed post. Use it to share behind-the-scenes thoughts, ask for feedback, or just share a "note to self" that resonates with your community. It builds a deeper, more authentic connection.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Posting Text on Your Story

Instagram has a dedicated feature for this called "Create Mode." It’s designed specifically for sharing content without needing a photo or video from your camera roll. Here’s how you get it done.

Step 1: Open The Instagram Story Creator

Just like any other Story, start by opening the Instagram app. From your home feed, you can either:

• Swipe right from anywhere on the screen.
• Tap the plus sign (+) at the top right of your screen and select "Story" from the menu.

Step 2: Choose 'Create' Mode

Once the Story camera opens, look at the vertical menu on the left side of your screen. You'll see several options like "Boomerang," "Layout," and others. At the top of this list, you'll see the option you need:

Tap the "Aa" icon. This is "Create" mode, and it will take you away from the camera view and into a text editor with a default colored background.

Step 3: Write Your Message

The screen will now display a prompt that says "Tap to type." Do exactly that! The keyboard will appear, and you can write out your message. Don't worry about perfecting the style just yet, get your words down first.

Step 4: Customize Your Text's Appearance

Now for the fun part. Once your text is written, several icons will appear at the top of the screen that let you control how it looks. This is where you can infuse your brand's personality into the post.

Font Styles

At the bottom center of the screen (just above your keyboard), you'll see a series of font style buttons. Swipe left and right through these options to see which font best fits the tone of your message. Some fonts have alternative styles, which you can see by tapping the A-with-stars button at the top left.

Text Color

Tap the colorful circle icon at the top of the screen. This will bring up a color palette at the bottom. You can select one of the default colors or long-press on any color to open a full-spectrum color gradient for more precise options. You can also tap the dropper icon to select a color from anywhere on your screen (which is helpful for brand consistency!).

Text Highlight or Background

The icon with an "A" and two stars (A*) deserves special attention. Tapping this button cycles through different text effects, like adding a solid or semi-transparent background color to your text. This is an excellent way to make your words pop, especially if your main background is busy or has low contrast.

Alignment and Size

At the top-left, you’ll see a button with lines on it. Tap this to change your text alignment from left, to center, to right. To resize or rotate your text, use two fingers on the text box. Pinch to make it smaller, expand to make it bigger, and twist to rotate it.

Step 5: Change the Story Background

That default gradient background is fine, but you can change it. In the bottom-right corner of the screen, you’ll see a circular icon displaying a miniature version of your current background. Tap it to cycle through dozens of different solid colors, beautiful gradients, and other pre-set options. Keep tapping until you find one that suits your message and brand aesthetic.

Step 6: Elevate with Interactive Stickers

A text-based Story is the perfect opportunity for interaction. Before posting, tap the Sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of your screen. This is where you can add:

• Polls: Ask a simple A or B question.
• Quizzes: Test your audience's knowledge about your brand or industry.
• Question Boxes: Let your followers ask you anything or prompt them with a question.
• Emoji Sliders: A quick, low-effort way for followers to share their opinion.
• Countdown Timers: Build hype for an upcoming launch, event, or sale.

Adding a sticker transforms your Story from a broadcast into a conversation.

Step 7: Share Your Story

Once you're happy with your text, background, and any added stickers, you're ready to go live. Simply tap the "Your Story" button in the bottom-left corner to post it for all your followers, or choose "Close Friends" to share it with a select group.

Pro Tips for Text Stories That Stop the Scroll

Knowing the basics is one thing, but making your text Stories truly effective requires a bit of strategy and creativity.

Create Custom Backgrounds Using the Draw Tool

If the backgrounds in "Create" mode feel limiting, there's another way. Take a photo of anything - your desk, the ceiling, anything at all. Then:

1. Tap the three dots in the top right and select "Draw."
2. Choose a color from the palette at the bottom (or use the dropper to select a brand color).
3. Long-press anywhere on the screen for a few seconds. The entire screen will fill with that solid color!
4. Tap "Done," and now you have a perfectly on-brand, solid color background ready for you to add text, GIFs, and stickers onto.

Make Multi-Color or "Rainbow" Text

This trick is a visual favorite and really makes text stand out. It looks complicated, but it's simple once you get the hang of it.

1. Type your message and then select all of it.
2. With the text highlighted, place one thumb on the end-selector handle (the blue dot on the right).
3. Place another thumb on a color in the color palette (let's say purple, on the far right).
4. Now, in one smooth motion, drag both thumbs to the left at the same time and speed.
5. As you move your thumbs, each letter will change color, creating a beautiful gradient effect.

Break Up Long Messages

Instagram Stories are a rapid-fire medium. No one wants to read a giant wall of text on a single slide. If you have a longer message to share, break it up into smaller, digestible chunks. Post several consecutive text-based Stories, with each one containing just one or two sentences. This technique creates a "tap-through" narrative that keeps people engaged and a lot more likely to absorb your entire message.

Use a "Text Box" Hack with Type and Glyphs

For a unique design, you can create your own text backgrounds. Start by typing a series of underscores `_` or other solid characters (`█`). Use the text background tool (A* icon) to add a color. Resize this block to create a clean, minimalist "container." Then, open a *new* text box, type your *actual* message, and place it on top of the shape you just created. It's a simple, clever way to add more design depth to your Story.

Final Thoughts

Text-only Instagram Stories are a wonderfully versatile and low-effort way to connect with your audience in a direct and effective manner. By moving beyond selfies and videos, you can use Create Mode to make quick-fire announcements, ask engaging questions, and share valuable moments of inspiration or social proof that reinforce your brand's voice.

Once you master crafting these engaging stories, organizing them into a consistent content plan is the next step. At Postbase, we believe a great social strategy should be easy to visualize. Our simple drag-and-drop calendar lets you see your entire schedule - including feed posts, Reels, and TikToks - all in one place. You can drop placeholders for your text stories into the calendar to make sure your spontaneous-feeling polls and Q&As are hitting at just the right time, creating a well-rounded strategy that never misses a beat.