What "adding a story to your story" means
When you see the phrase "add a story to your story," it usually means one of two things depending on which platform you're using. On Instagram and Facebook, it means posting a new photo or video to your existing Story — the temporary posts that disappear after 24 hours. On Snapchat, it means adding a new Snap to your Story feed. The steps are slightly different on each platform, but the basic idea is the same: you're creating a temporary post that your followers can see.
Most people do this several times a day. You might post a photo of your lunch, then a video of something funny that happened, then a selfie — each one is a separate "story" added to your overall Story. They stack up in order, and people can swipe through them one by one.
Key Takeaways
- On Instagram and Facebook, tap the camera icon or your profile picture, take or upload a photo or video, and tap "Your Story" to post it.
- On Snapchat, swipe right from the camera screen to open your Story, then tap the plus button to add a new Snap.
- You can add text, stickers, filters, and drawings to any story before posting it on all three platforms.
- Stories disappear after 24 hours unless you save them to a permanent highlight or archive on Instagram and Facebook.
How to add a story on Instagram
Open Instagram and look at the top left of your screen. You'll see either a camera icon or your own profile picture with a small plus sign. Tap either one. This opens the camera.
Take a new photo or video by holding down the circle button at the bottom of the screen. If you want to use a photo or video you already have on your phone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open your camera roll, then tap the photo or video you want. Once you've chosen or taken your image, you'll see editing options at the bottom — these let you add text, stickers, or draw on the image.
At the bottom of the screen, you'll see "Your Story" as one of several options. Tap it. Your story is now posted and will be visible to your followers for 24 hours. If you want to save it after it disappears, tap the three dots in the top right corner before posting and turn on "Save to Archive."
How to add a story on Facebook
Open Facebook and look at the top of your feed. You'll see a row of profile pictures, and one of them will be yours with a plus sign on it. Tap your profile picture. This opens the camera.
Take a photo or video, or tap the image icon at the bottom to choose one from your phone. You can add text, stickers, or drawings using the tools at the bottom of the screen. When you're ready, tap "Share to Story" at the bottom right. Your story is now posted and will disappear after 24 hours.
Facebook stories work almost identically to Instagram stories because Facebook owns Instagram. The main difference is where you find the button to start — it's in your feed rather than in the top corner.
How to add a story on Snapchat
Open Snapchat and you'll see the camera screen. Swipe right with one finger to open your Stories page. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a plus button inside a circle. Tap it to create a new Snap.
Take a photo by tapping the circle button once, or hold it down to record a video. You can add text, stickers, filters, or drawings using the icons on the sides of the screen. When you're done, tap the arrow at the bottom right and select "My Story." Your Snap is now added to your Story and will disappear after 24 hours.
Snapchat stories work differently from Instagram and Facebook in one important way: your Snapchat Story is visible to everyone who follows you, but each person can only see it once. After they view it, it's marked as seen on their end.
Adding text, stickers, and filters before posting
All three platforms let you edit your story before you post it. On Instagram and Facebook, after you take or choose your photo, look at the bottom of the screen. You'll see icons for text, stickers, drawing tools, and filters. Tap any of these to add them to your image. Text appears as a box you can drag around; stickers are small graphics you can place anywhere; filters change the color or look of the whole image; and the drawing tool lets you write or draw directly on the photo.
On Snapchat, the editing tools are on the sides of the screen rather than the bottom. Swipe left to see filters, tap the sticker icon to add stickers, tap the "T" to add text, and tap the pen icon to draw. You can layer multiple effects on top of each other — for example, add a filter and then draw on top of it.
None of these edits are permanent. If you decide you don't like how something looks, you can undo it before posting, or delete the story after it's posted and try again.
What happens to your story after 24 hours
By default, your story disappears completely after 24 hours on all three platforms. No one can see it anymore, and it's gone from your profile. However, all three platforms offer ways to keep your stories around longer if you want to.
On Instagram and Facebook, you can save stories to "Highlights" — these are permanent collections that sit on your profile below your bio. To save a story to a Highlight, tap the three dots on your story while it's still live (before the 24 hours are up) and select "Add to Highlights." You can create a new Highlight or add it to an existing one. You can also turn on "Archive" in your settings, which automatically saves every story you post to a private archive that only you can see.
On Snapchat, you can save individual Snaps to your phone by tapping the download icon before posting, or you can save them after posting by tapping the three dots on your story and selecting "Save." Snapchat doesn't have a built-in highlight feature like Instagram and Facebook do.
Troubleshooting common problems
If you can't find the button to add a story, make sure you're looking in the right place. On Instagram, it's the camera icon or your profile picture in the top left. On Facebook, it's your profile picture with a plus sign in the feed. On Snapchat, you need to swipe right from the camera screen first. If you still don't see it, try closing and reopening the app.
If your story won't post, check that you have a working internet connection. Stories require an active connection to upload. If the upload keeps failing, try taking a smaller video or a simpler photo — very large files sometimes fail to upload. You can also try closing the app and trying again.
If you posted something by mistake and want to remove it, you can delete it before the 24 hours are up. On Instagram and Facebook, tap the three dots on your story and select "Delete." On Snapchat, tap the three dots and select "Delete Story." Once you delete it, no one can see it anymore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people screenshot my story?
Yes, people can take screenshots of your story on all three platforms. Instagram and Snapchat will notify you if someone screenshots your story, but Facebook does not. If you're concerned about privacy, consider who you're sharing with before posting.
Can I edit a story after I post it?
No, you cannot edit a story after it's posted on any of these platforms. You can only delete it and post a new one. Make sure you're happy with how it looks before you tap the final "post" or "share" button.
What's the difference between a story and a regular post?
Stories disappear after 24 hours, while regular posts stay on your profile permanently. Stories also appear at the top of the feed in a separate row, while regular posts appear in the main feed. Stories are meant to be temporary and casual, while regular posts are usually more polished.
Can I post the same photo to my story on multiple platforms at once?
No, you have to post to each platform separately. However, you can take one photo and then manually post it to Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat one after another. Some third-party apps claim to do this automatically, but they're not official and may violate the platforms' terms of service.
Why does my story look different on other people's phones?
Stories are formatted to fit different phone sizes and screen orientations. A photo that looks good on your phone might look stretched or cut off on someone else's phone if they're using a different device. This is normal and happens on all three platforms.