Ah: Instagram. I have a love/hate relationship with the platform, but I will say that one of my favorite features on the platform is Instagram Stories. I used to be an avid Snapchat user (RIP), and I loved being able to show my readers an authentic, behind the scenes look at my life. I can’t tell you how often I open up the Instagram app just to scroll through Stories rather than actual posts nowadays!
Over the last year, I’ve noticed that brands are opting for sponsored Instagram stories in addition to in-feed Instagram posts. While I still love being candid on IG stories with no filter, I’ve started thinking a bit more about my IG Stories strategy and curating this channel a bit more. I’ve stopped sharing a lot of my IG Stories in real-time to protect my privacy (especially if I’m sharing my location!), so I have a little more time to play around with apps and elevate my Stories.
I have a lot of people ask what apps I use to create my more stylized Instagram Stories, and today I’m spilling all of my secrets for you with these best apps for Instagram stories!
Best Apps for Instagram Stories:
Unfold
Hands down, my favorite app for Instagram Stories is the Unfold App. With the unfold app, you can use dozens of templates to stitch photos and video together, add frames, and make your stories appear to be a page out of a scrapbook. Whenever I have a sponsored Instagram Story or if I have a lot of snaps from a media event I’d like to share, I’ll usually play around in the Unfold app to make it look as captivating as possible.
The Unfold app is free with in-app purchases. You get the standard pack (CS1) complimentary, which comes with 25 different templates. If you want to purchase additional packs, they typically range from $0.99 to $1.99.
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kirakira+
I had to embed a video from the one and only Eva Chen for this one — but kirakira+ is one of my favorite apps to add a little bit of sparkle to your photos and videos. They offer seven different filters, and you can adjust the intensity of the sparkles as well. While this app isn’t free, it’s only 99 cents (which I gladly paid for a little bit of extra sparkle!)
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8mm Vintage Camera
I’ve used this app a few times, and it’s great to play around with. The 8mm Vintage Camera App gives your videos a retro feel, and there’s a variety of vintage filters to choose from. I also love that this app will add scratches, dirt, and a plethora of color gradients to your videos as well. I’ve seen the Instagram queen herself, Tezza, use this app quite often in her stories over the last year. This app is $1.99 in the App Store.
Photoshop
A lot of people ask me how I created my “New Blog Post” template — and the truth? I created mine in Photoshop. I understand this isn’t a super convenient or budget-friendly option, but if you’re familiar with the app, I’d recommend looking into it. My friend Miss Molly Moon can create a custom template for you; all you need to do in the app would be to place whatever new image you like in the PSD file she’ll provide you with!
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What apps are your favorite to use on Instagram Stories?
