Instagram basically devoured Snapchat with the implementation of Story, Boomerang, and augmented face filters. Now they added Reels (to compete with TikTok). This made Instagram much more than just a social network for capturing and sharing photos. However, with all these new features, people kind of forgot about the good old filters that were the main attraction when Instagram emerged as a leading photo-sharing social network a couple of years ago.
Instagram filters are still popular and many users use them on daily basis. But we can’t argue with the fact that Stories and Reels have a much bigger variety of filters. Some of them are ludicrously advanced and aesthetically pleasing and they are great for both selfies, videos, or anything else. Also, there are many built-in editing tools in default Camera apps so many users will edit photos there.
Editor’s note: Initially, we wrote this article to cover hidden Instagram filters but that option is not available anymore. So, we made sure to explain how to use all filters from Instagram Stories, save photos or videos locally, and then post them as regular posts. If you want to learn more, continue reading below.
How to use filters from Stories in Instagram Posts
So, how to save filters from Stories and use them in regular posts? It’s somewhat simple but there are a few things to know. Firstly, the quality might not be the best because Instagram compresses pictures in Stories and, when you download them and re-upload for Posts, it will compress them once again. Hence, the lack of quality is not unexpected.
The second thing you need to understand is that the majority of filters in Stories are active, meaning that if you save photos with certain filters, they’ll be stored as video clips. You can, of course, edit them in Google Photos or Gallery (exporting frames) before uploading. Or you can simply take a screenshot although that should be your last resort.
So, without further ado, let’s see how to use filters, music, or additional features from Instagram Stories and save them for later posting. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open the Instagram app.
- Click + at the top and select Stories.
- Record a video or take a photo/import a photo from Gallery.
- Now, you have a lot of things to choose from, including filters, effects, music (for videos), inserting text, etc. Add whatever you please and tap Done.
- Tap on the vertical 3-dots and select Save.
- Save the photo or video clip locally and open Posts from the + icon to create a new post.
- Upload the photo, use Posts filters if you need them, and add location and description if that’s your cup of tea.
That’s it. If you have something on your mind, feel free to ask in the comments or reach us on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for reading and have a good day.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in September 2017. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
