The quickest way to add a sticker
Open Instagram and tap your profile picture or the camera icon to start a new story. Take a photo or video, or select one from your camera roll. Once you have your content on screen, tap the sticker icon — it looks like a square smiley face — in the toolbar at the top. A menu appears with different sticker categories. Tap any sticker to place it on your story, then drag it to reposition, pinch to resize, or tap again to rotate it.
You can add as many stickers as you want to a single story frame. Each sticker can be moved independently, and you can layer them on top of each other. When you are happy with the placement, tap outside the sticker or move to the next step to post or continue editing.
Key Takeaways
- The sticker button is a square smiley face icon in the top toolbar, and tapping it opens all available sticker types.
- Instagram offers stickers for polls, questions, countdowns, location tags, hashtags, mentions, and decorative designs — each with different functions.
- You can resize, rotate, and reposition any sticker by dragging, pinching, or tapping it after placement.
- Interactive stickers like polls and questions let followers respond directly within the story without leaving Instagram.
- Stickers stay on the story frame you add them to; if you add a new frame, you start with a blank canvas.
Finding stickers by category
When you tap the sticker icon, Instagram shows you categories at the bottom of the screen. Swipe left through the categories to see what is available. The decorative stickers section includes seasonal designs, shapes, and text overlays. The interactive section holds polls, questions, countdowns, and quizzes — these let your followers respond or vote directly in the story.
Location stickers add a map pin and the name of where you are. Hashtag stickers let you add a hashtag as a visual element. Mention stickers tag another account. Music stickers attach a song clip. The exact categories and stickers available change based on your account type and region, so you may see different options than someone else.
Using interactive stickers that get responses
Poll stickers let followers vote between two options. Tap the sticker, enter your question and the two choices, then post. When someone votes, you see their response in your story insights. Question stickers work the same way but accept text answers instead of yes-or-no votes.
Countdown stickers let you set a date and time, and followers see how long until that moment arrives. Quiz stickers present a question with multiple choice answers, and you can see which answers people picked. These interactive stickers are useful for engagement because they encourage followers to interact with your story rather than just watch it.
Resizing, rotating, and layering stickers
After you place a sticker, tap it once to select it. A circle with arrows appears around the sticker. Drag the sticker anywhere on the frame to move it. Pinch inward or outward with two fingers to make it smaller or larger. Rotate it by placing two fingers on the sticker and twisting.
You can place stickers on top of each other to create layered designs. The sticker you add last appears on top. If you want to change the order, delete the top sticker and add it again, or delete the bottom one and re-add it. There is no limit to how many stickers you can add to one frame, though too many can make the story hard to read.
Stickers that show your location or mention other accounts
Location stickers display a map pin and the name of your current location or a location you choose. Tap the location sticker, search for a place, and select it. The sticker appears with that location's name. This is useful if you want followers to know where you are or where you took the photo.
Mention stickers tag another Instagram account by username. Tap the mention sticker, type or search for the account name, and select it. The account receives a notification that you mentioned them in your story. Hashtag stickers work similarly — tap the sticker, type a hashtag, and it appears as a clickable element. Followers can tap the hashtag to see other posts using it.
Adding music and text stickers
Music stickers attach a song to your story. Tap the music sticker, search for a song by title or artist, and select it. You can choose which part of the song plays and how long it plays for. The sticker shows the song title and artist, and followers can tap it to listen or add the song to a playlist.
Text stickers are different from the text tool — they are pre-designed text overlays with fonts and colors already built in. Tap a text sticker, type your message, and it appears in that sticker's style. You can still resize and reposition it like any other sticker. The regular text tool (separate from stickers) gives you more control over font and color, but text stickers are faster if you like the built-in designs.
Removing stickers and fixing mistakes
To delete a sticker, tap it to select it, then tap the delete icon (usually an X or trash can) that appears. If you cannot see a delete button, try tapping the sticker again or swiping up on it. Some stickers delete by swiping them off the screen.
If you add a sticker by mistake and want to undo it, swipe up with three fingers or use the undo button if your version of Instagram shows one. You can also just delete the sticker individually. There is no way to undo after you post the story, so check your work before you tap the share button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same sticker more than once on one story frame?
Yes. Tap the sticker icon again and select the same sticker as many times as you want. Each copy can be sized and positioned separately. This is useful for creating patterns or repeating design elements.
Do stickers work the same way on the Instagram app and the web version?
Stickers work on the mobile app. The web version of Instagram has limited story editing tools, so some stickers may not be available or may work differently. For full sticker access, use the mobile app on iPhone or Android.
What happens to stickers if I save my story as a draft?
Stickers stay on the story when you save it as a draft. When you open the draft later to finish editing or posting, all your stickers remain in place and you can add or remove them before posting.
Why do I not see certain stickers that my friends have?
Instagram rolls out new stickers gradually, so different accounts may see different options at different times. Your account type (personal, creator, business) and your region can also affect which stickers appear. Check back later to see if new stickers become available to you.
Can followers interact with decorative stickers or only with polls and questions?
Followers can only interact with specific interactive stickers like polls, questions, quizzes, and countdowns. Decorative stickers, location stickers, and mention stickers are visual only — followers cannot tap them to respond, though they can tap mention or location stickers to visit that account or location.