How to Change the Background Color on Instagram Story

Knowing how to change the background color on Instagram Story posts is a fundamental skill for e-commerce merchants looking to maintain brand consistency and engagement. The process to change background color on Instagram Story is straightforward, allowing you to customize visuals whether you're starting fresh, adding media, or sharing an existing post to your Story.

This guide will walk you through the practical steps to change the background color on Instagram Story, helping you create visually appealing content that resonates with your audience and reflects your store's aesthetic.

What You Need Before You Start

Before diving into the steps, ensure you have the latest version of the Instagram app installed on your mobile device. While Instagram offers a range of tools, having a clear idea of your brand's color palette will help you select background colors that align with your overall marketing strategy. Consider colors that complement your products or reflect seasonal campaigns.

How to Change the Background Color on Instagram Story: Step-by-Step

Customizing your Instagram Story background is simple once you know where to find the tools. Here’s how to change the background color on Instagram Story for different scenarios:

For a New, Plain Instagram Story Background

1. Open Instagram Stories: Tap the camera icon in the top left corner or swipe right from your feed.
2. Access Create Mode: At the bottom, scroll through the options (e.g., Reel, Story) and tap 'Create' (the 'Aa' icon).
3. Choose a Solid Color: You'll see a default color background. Tap the colored circle in the bottom right corner to cycle through preset solid colors.
4. More Color Options: If you want a specific shade, tap the color circle again, and then tap the eyedropper tool or the color grid to select from a wider spectrum, including gradients.
5. Add Text/Stickers: Once your desired background color is set, you can add text, stickers, or GIFs to your Story.

Changing Background Color on Instagram Story with a Photo or Video

When you add a photo or video to your Story that doesn't fill the entire 9:16 canvas, Instagram automatically generates a background color based on the media. Here's how to change background color on Instagram Story with photo or video content:

1. Select Your Media: From the Story camera, tap the gallery icon in the bottom left to choose a photo or video from your device.
2. Access Drawing Tools: Once your media is on the screen, tap the drawing tool (a squiggly line or marker icon) at the top of the screen.
3. Pick Your Color: From the color palette at the bottom, select your desired background color. If you need a specific shade, use the eyedropper tool to pick a color directly from your photo, or tap the color grid for more options.
4. Fill the Background: Tap and hold your finger anywhere on the background area (not on your photo or video) for 1-2 seconds. The background will instantly fill with your chosen color, leaving your photo or video in the foreground. This allows you to effectively change background color on instagram story behind photo or video content.
5. Adjust and Post: You can resize and move your photo/video, add text, stickers, or other elements before posting.

How to Change Background Color on Instagram Story Repost

When you repost an Instagram feed post or Reel to your Story, Instagram often applies a default gradient or blurred background. To customize this:

1. Share a Post/Reel: Find the Instagram post or Reel you want to share. Tap the paper airplane icon below the content and select 'Add post to your story' or 'Add Reel to your story'.
2. Access Drawing Tools: Your shared content will appear on a default background. Tap the drawing tool (marker icon) at the top of the screen.
3. Select a Color: Choose a color from the palette at the bottom.
4. Fill the Background: Tap and hold anywhere on the background of the screen for 1-2 seconds. The background color will change to your selection, while the original post or Reel remains in view. This is how to change background color on instagram story repost for a cohesive look.
5. Finalize and Share: Add any additional text, GIFs, or polls, then share your customized Story.

Can You Schedule Instagram Stories?

Many e-commerce merchants and DTC marketers ask, 'can you schedule Instagram Stories?' or 'can I schedule Instagram Stories?' While the native Instagram app does not offer direct scheduling for Stories, third-party social media management platforms provide this functionality for Instagram professional accounts. Tools like Byvano allow you to plan, create, and schedule your Instagram Stories alongside your feed posts and Reels. We go deeper on this in Where to place video on a collection page for e-commerce.

By using a dedicated social media scheduler, you can ensure a consistent content flow without needing to manually post in real-time. This is particularly useful for managing your social media calendar effectively and saving time. For example, you can create and schedule a month of social media posts, including your Instagram Stories, well in advance. This approach highlights the benefits of social media scheduling vs manual posting, offering greater efficiency for busy store owners.

If you're looking for an instagram post scheduler that includes story capabilities, Byvano offers a comprehensive solution. For store owners who want a planned Instagram posts app, platforms like Byvano integrate scheduling for various content types. Schedule your Facebook and Instagram content with Byvano to streamline your efforts. Whether you need to schedule Facebook Reels or schedule Reels on Instagram, a robust scheduler makes it possible. In fact, many consider Byvano to be among the best Instagram scheduler options, and among the best bulk scheduling tools 2026 for e-commerce.

Why Store Owners Choose Byvano for Social Media Management

For Shopify and WooCommerce store owners, effective social media management is crucial for driving sales. Byvano provides a dual-purpose platform designed to meet these specific needs:

• One dashboard handles both content scheduling and shoppable video on your store. This means you don't need a separate shoppable video app to turn your social content into sales on your site.
• Byvano schedules and publishes posts, Reels, and Stories to Instagram professional accounts, as well as text, photo, video, Reel, and link posts to Facebook Pages, all from a single calendar with intuitive drag-to-reschedule functionality.
• There is no cap on the number of posts you can schedule, allowing for extensive content planning without limitations.
• Comprehensive analytics are included without extra cost, providing insights into reach, reach rate, video views, engagement rate, audience demographics (country, age, gender), and hashtag performance for every account and post.
• Every Byvano feature is free until 17 March 2027, with no credit card required. After this period, a Free plan remains, and paid plans offer flat monthly prices ($29 Starter, $99 Growth) without charging per social channel or user. You can register for free today.

Conclusion

Mastering how to change the background color on Instagram Story posts is a simple yet impactful way to enhance your brand's presence and engage your audience. By applying these techniques for new stories, photos, videos, and reposts, you can ensure your e-commerce brand maintains a professional and cohesive visual identity. Combined with the power of a social media scheduler like Byvano, you can streamline your content creation and publishing process, allowing you to focus more on growing your business and connecting with customers.