How to Stack Photos on Instagram Story

Creating those beautiful, layered photo collages you see on Instagram Stories is one of the best ways to elevate your content from a simple snapshot to an engaging visual story. Ditching the single-photo-per-slide formula opens up a ton of creative possibilities, and it's much easier than it looks. This guide will walk you through several methods for stacking photos on your Instagram Story, from the simple copy-paste trick to using Instagram's built-in tools for a more polished look.

Why Should You Stack Photos on Your Instagram Story?

Layering multiple images on a single Story slide isn’t just a cool visual effect, it’s a smart strategy for boosting engagement and telling richer stories. When you present followers with a static, single image, they might just tap right past it. A multi-photo collage, on the other hand, gives their eyes more to look at and encourages them to pause and take in all the details.

Think of it as creating a mini mood board or a digital scrapbook page. You can use this technique to:

• Showcase multiple products at once: Launching a new collection? Stack photos of each item on a branded background to give your audience a comprehensive look in one slide.
• Create "Photo Dump" style content: The "photo dump" aesthetic is popular because it feels authentic and offers a wider glimpse into your life or brand. Stacking photos lets you curate this look beautifully.
• Provide behind-the-scenes glimpses: Layer photos from a photoshoot, an event, or a typical workday to bring your followers into your world and build a stronger connection.
• Compile before-and-after shots: Whether you're in fitness, home renovation, or beauty, stacking a before and after picture side-by-side or layered is an incredibly effective way to show transformation.
• Compare and contrast items: Show different colorways of a product or present different options to help your audience make a decision.

Ultimately, stacking photos transforms your Story from a slideshow into a thoughtfully designed piece of content that feels more premium and intentional, keeping followers engaged for longer.

Method 1: The Quick & Easy Copy-Paste Trick (For iPhone Users)

If you're an iPhone user, this is arguably the fastest and most flexible way to stack photos. It allows you to freely position and resize each image without being boxed into Instagram's pre-set grids. The best part is that it feels intuitive once you do it a couple of times.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Set Your Background: Start by opening the Instagram Story editor. You need a base layer to work on. You can take a new photo, upload one from your camera roll, or use the "Create" mode (Aa) to select a solid color or gradient background. A simple background usually works best so your stacked photos can really stand out.
2. Open Your Photos App: Without closing Instagram (just switch apps), go to your iPhone’s Photos app.
3. Find and Copy Your First Photo: Browse through your library and open the first image you want to add to your Story. In the bottom-left corner, tap the Share icon (the square with an arrow pointing up).
4. Select "Copy Photo": A menu of options will appear. Scroll down and tap "Copy Photo." The photo is now copied to your clipboard, just like a piece of text.
5. Return to Instagram: Switch back to the Instagram app. Your Story editor should still be open. Almost immediately, a small pop-up will appear in the bottom-left corner with a preview of the photo you just copied. It will say "Add sticker."
6. Add the Sticker: Tap on that pop-up. Voila! Your copied photo is now pasted onto your Story as a "sticker." You can now use two fingers to resize, rotate, and drag it anywhere on the screen.
7. Repeat the Process: Ready to add another layer? Just repeat the process. Switch back to your Photos app, find your next image, copy it, and paste it back into Instagram. You can do this as many times as you like to create complex and dynamic collages.

A Note for Android Users: Unfortunately, this direct copy-paste functionality doesn't work on most Android devices. While some keyboards like SwiftKey have a clipboard feature that can handle this, it’s not as seamless. But don't worry - the next method works perfectly for everyone.

Method 2: Use the Instagram 'Photo Sticker' (Works on All Devices)

This is Instagram's official, built-in method for layering photos, and it's a fantastic alternative that works flawlessly on both iPhone and Android. Instead of copying from your Photos app, you'll be accessing your gallery directly from the sticker menu.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Prepare Your Story: Just like before, open your Instagram Story and set up your background. It can be a color, a photo, or even a video.
2. Open the Sticker Tray: At the top of the editing screen, tap the Sticker icon (the square smiley face). This is where you find polls, GIFs, music, and more.
3. Find the Photo Sticker: Scroll through the sticker options until you see an icon featuring a preview of your most recent photo, often shaped like a circle with a small mountain/gallery icon in the corner. If you can't find it, look for the 'plus sign (+) multi-photo' icon. Tapping this will open your phone’s entire photo gallery.
4. Choose Your Photo: Select the image you want to layer onto your Story. It will immediately appear on your canvas.
5. Customize the Shape (Optional but Recommended!): This is a cool feature many people miss. After adding a photo with the sticker tool, just tap on it. Instagram will cycle through different shapes for your photo, including a rectangle with rounded corners, a circle, a star, and a heart. This is a great way to add visual flair and frame your images beautifully.
6. Position and Resize: Use two fingers to adjust the size, angle, and position of your photo layer. Move it exactly where you want it.
7. Add More Layers: To add another photo, simply repeat the process: tap the sticker icon again, select the photo sticker, choose your next image, and place it on the screen. There's no limit to how many you can add.

Method 3: The Structured Approach with 'Layout' Mode

If you're looking for a clean, organized collage rather than a free-flowing, scrapbook-style stack, Instagram's 'Layout' mode is your best friend. This feature lets you create perfect photo grids directly within the Story camera.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Open the Story Camera: Open Instagram and swipe right to access the Story creation screen.
2. Select Layout Mode: On the toolbar on the left side of the screen, tap the icon that looks like a window-pane grid. This is the Layout icon.
3. Choose a Grid: Once in Layout mode, you can tap the grid icon again (it might now say "Change Grid") to select different arrangements. You can choose from two, three, four, or six-photo layouts. The screen will be divided accordingly.
4. Add Your Photos: Now, you have two options for filling the grid:
   • Take new photos: Aim your camera and tap the shutter button to capture a photo for each section of the grid.
   • Select from your camera roll: Tap the small gallery icon in the bottom-left corner to open your camera roll and select photos to fill the grid segments one by one.
5. Finalize and Edit: Once you've filled all the sections, tap the checkmark at the bottom of the screen. This will drop your completed grid into the standard Story editor, where you can add text, draw, or place stickers on top of it.

Layout mode is perfect for uniform product showcases, step-by-step tutorials, or showcasing a series of related images in a clean format.

Creative Ideas for Better Stacked Photo Stories

Knowing how to stack photos is step one. Here’s how to make them look incredible:

• The "Camera Roll" Aesthetic: Take a screenshot of your phone's camera roll folder. Use that screenshot as the background for your Story. Then, use the photo sticker or copy-paste method to layer full-size versions of some of the photos directly on top of their thumbnails in the screenshot. It creates a cool, behind-the-scenes meta-effect.
• Torn Paper Effect: Use a design app like Canva to find a "torn paper" PNG graphic. Add your photos inside these torn paper frames before saving them to your phone. When you stack these edited photos on your Story, it creates the illusion of real paper scraps taped onto the screen.
• Use Text as a Platform: Type out a word or phrase in a thick, bold font. Resize it so it's large. Then, layer smaller photos on top of the letters, using them as a shelf or background element. This adds depth and integrates your text and images seamlessly.
• Guide the Eye with GIFs: Once your photos are stacked, search the GIF sticker library for terms like "arrow," "tap here," or "sparkle." Place these animated elements strategically to draw your viewer's attention to a specific part of your collage.

Final Thoughts

Stacking photos on your Instagram Story is a simple yet powerful technique for creating more dynamic and visually compelling content that stops the scroll. Whether you prefer the freeform creativity of the copy-paste method and photo sticker or the clean structure of Layout mode, you now have the tools to design beautiful, layered visuals that better tell your brand's story.

Once you’ve mastered creating beautiful Stories, keeping a consistent posting rhythm is the best way to grow your audience. At Postbase, we designed our platform from the ground up to handle the visual-first content that drives social media today. With our simple drag-and-drop content calendar, you can plan and schedule all your content - including Reels and video - across every platform. We built the clean, modern tool that we always wanted for ourselves to simplify content planning and make managing everything in one place feel a whole lot easier.