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This tutorial is a result of one of those queries which users ask us via our Contact form, Social Media or personal accounts of our editors.

There was a question a user requested me to answer on Quora: How can I add Instagram stories from Gallery or Camera Roll? and hence I have come up with this tutorial to explain the steps to add photos and videos to Instagram story from smartphone’s Gallery.

Besides that, we have also explained the steps to add multiple stories.

Moreover, you’ll also learn to upload long videos to Instagram stories from iPhone and Android.

Add Posts To Instagram Stories From Gallery Or Camera Roll (Video)

You might wish to upload a photo from your iPhone Camera Roll or Android Gallery because that is one of the best shots you took. Or you weren’t able to access Instagram when that moment was happening. For such situations, Instagram does allow you to post photos and videos from your smartphone’s gallery to your Stories at a later time.

Here’s how.

You can also follow our step-by-step instructions:

1. Open Instagram and tap on the Camera icon at the top left corner or swipe right on your news feed to create a story. If it is your first photo or video in your story then you can also tap on the Your Story avatar in the stories tray.

2. You will be taken to the Story Camera. Here you will be able to see the Gallery icon with the thumbnail of the most recent media in your phone’s Gallery at the bottom left. Tap on it to get the photos or videos from the Camera Roll or Gallery.

3. On this screen, you will be able to see all the media from your Gallery or Camera Roll. You can even switch to different albums by tapping on Gallery drop-down menu. Unlike earlier, it is also possible to select photos that are more than 24 hours older. Basically any photo or video in your gallery.

On iPhone, users need to tap on the Last 24 Hours drop-down menu to select from old photos or videos in the Camera Roll.

4. Next, tap on the desired photo to select it. The date sticker will automatically be added to the photo or video showing when it was taken if it’s from another day. But you have the freedom to resize, rotate or even remove it by simply dragging and dropping it to the trash icon like you would delete any other sticker.

5. After this, you can do all the editing you want as usual and then send it to your story or friends via DM.

Upload Multiple Photos Or Videos To Instagram Stories

Instagram has added a more convenient option to select multiple media from Gallery at once for adding to story. But it is only available on the Android app for now. So, if you are an iOS user you can skip to the second method. It can also be used by Android users but why use that when you have a better way.

Also, please note that the second method is the way to go if you wish to add multiple pictures/videos while capturing from Instagram Camera and not from your phone’s Gallery or Camera Roll.

Method 1: Android

1. You can also upload multiple photos/videos to Instagram story from Gallery at once by using the “Select Multiple” icon at the top right on the window that appears in step 3 above. But that is available only on Android app for now.

Add multiple photos or videos to Story

2. This will give you the freedom to select multiple photos and videos. Tap on the desired media files and select Next when you’re satisfied. You can undo a selection by tapping on it once again.

3. The next screen will allow you to edit the photos/videos you selected individually. You can switch to different files by tapping on their respective thumbnails at the bottom left. Then you can do all the editing like adding filters, stickers, text etc. for them.

If you wish you can also remove specific selected photo/videos. In order to do so, long press on the desired file thumbnail or simply tap on its thumbnail again when selected and select the trash icon.

4. Finally, tap on Next and share the photos/videos to your story at once or send them to your friends.

Method 2: Add Multiple Stories On iOS And Android For Uploading From Gallery Or Instagram Camera

The steps and screenshots used in this tutorial are from the iOS app but the procedure remains the same for Android.

1. Open the Instagram app and on the home(news feed) screen you have following 3 ways to add the first photo/video to your story. You may choose any one of them.

Tap on Your Story where all the stories of users you follow are shown above the news feed.

where all the stories of users you follow are shown above the news feed. Select the Camera icon at the top left corner of the Home screen.

at the top left corner of the Home screen. Swipe right on the news feed screen.

3 Ways to get to the Camera screen

2. Using any one of the options will take you to the Camera screen where you can easily upload photo or video and create an Instagram story.

3. Now, you have one photo or video in your story. In order to add more than one post to your Instagram story come back to the Instagram Home screen. What most of the users are doing wrong is that they are tapping on the Your Story avatar on the story tray at the top of the news feed which shows them their already uploaded photo/video with no option to upload another one. Instead of that follow the method below.

On the news feed screen, you have the following 2 ways to get to the Camera screen to upload the second or more stories.

Either tap on the Camera icon at the top left corner.

at the top left corner. Or Swipe right on the news feed screen.

2 Options to get to the Camera screen after uploading 1 photo/video to Story

4. Using either of the two options will take you to the Camera screen where you can add another photo or video to your story.

5. To upload the third photo or video to Instagram story follow the same method from Step 3.

After uploading one story, follow the method from step 3 to add any number of posts to your Instagram Story.

The drawback of this method is that you need to add multiple posts to story individually. But iPhone users don’t have the luxury of any other option.

Resize The Photo Properly While Adding From Gallery/Camera Roll

Now, you might face an issue with photos being zoomed in and not completely visible while adding them from the smartphone’s gallery to Instagram Story.

To take care of that you can pinch and resize the photo according to your requirement.

Alternatively, if you don’t bother too much about picture quality then taking the screenshot of the desired photo and then adding the screenshot to your Instagram Story will also work.

These will make the image fit perfectly with blank spaces on the top and below the picture which can be used to add text, emoticons or draw something.

Upload Long Videos To Instagram Stories

Using the methods mentioned in this guide it is possible to add videos longer than 1 minute on Instagram Stories and even more than that if desired. So, let’s get to it.

Officially, when you try to add a long video, it is split automatically into sections of 15 seconds up to 60 seconds. So, it is not possible to add videos in stories from Gallery that are more than 60 seconds. Hence, what we are going to do is trim or split the long video in small clips of 15 seconds and then add multiple videos to Instagram stories from smartphone’s Gallery or Camera roll. They will all be in continuation so it will feel like a complete video.

Here are the options you have to cut videos on your Android and iOS devices.

App 1 iOS – Continual

For iOS, there is a paid app Continual which automates the whole process. Using this app, all you have to do is select the video and it will automatically split the video into smaller parts of 15 seconds each. After which you can post the multiple videos to your story.

However, if you are one the users like me who don’t want to spend money to accomplish a task like this then there is a free app as well. Of course, you will have to put in a little bit of manual effort in that case.

App 2 iOS – Crop Video – Cut Videos Editor To Trim & Split Vid

Use the following link to install the app on your iPhone or iPad. The publisher of the app is Eduardo Lostal.

Launch the app once it is installed.

Launch the app once it is installed. Allow the app to access your photo library. All the videos will be loaded into the app. Tap on the video which you wish to split and tap on Select at the top right corner.

Now, select, Trim & Cut from the listed options.

from the listed options. On the next screen, select Cut tab at the top. After that, move the marker at the bottom to start of the video 00:00 and tap on Start Here. Next, slide the marker to 00:15 and select End Here. After setting the start and end, tap on Done at the top right.

To save the trimmed video tap on share icon at the top right and select Gallery or you can directly share it to Instagram as a story from within the app.

icon at the top right and select or you can directly share it to Instagram as a story from within the app. Now, go back and select the original full-length video. Similarly, move the start and end markers to 00:15 and 00:30 respectively. In my case, the video is shorter in length so the end marker won’t be at 30 seconds. Again trim and save it. You can follow the same method until your video is completed in parts of 15 seconds.

Once you have multiple 15 seconds videos you can upload them to your story as usual.

Post Lengthy Videos To Instagram Stories On Android

Android users can make use of VidTrim app. It is available for free on the Play Store.

Launch the app and select the video you wish to split.

Adjust the start and end markers by sliding your finger. Take care that overall length doesn’t exceed 15 seconds.

Now, tap on scissor icon and select Save As New Clip.

Similarly, do this operation until you have split the complete video into parts of 15 seconds each.

While talking about Instagram stories you might also want to undo or hide seen from Instagram Story or Messages.

Conclusion

We hope that you were able to add multiple stories and also upload long videos to Instagram Stories and express your message more clearly.

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