You want the shop's stories to feel alive. Story text moves with the animate button in the text tool. Instagram announced it on its official account in February 2021: tap the animate button while creating your story and the text moves. Checked October 2026. This guide walks through it step by step, with a fix for when the button is missing and alternatives such as GIF stickers and the Edits app. For image size and where to place text, see Instagram story size first.

Three ways to make text move

Make text move with the animate button

You do this right inside the story screen, with no other app.

1. Open the story camera

   Tap + at the top right, or swipe right from the feed.

2. Shoot or choose an image

   Shoot new, or tap the gallery icon at the bottom left to pick a photo or video from your device.

3. Tap Aa and type

   Do not tap Done yet.

4. Tap the animate icon

   It sits on the top bar while editing text, next to alignment, color and background. The app previews the moving text.

5. Pick a style and tap Done

   Move the text mid-frame, away from the top and bottom edges, then share as usual.

The animation style depends on the font you choose, and changing the font changes the motion. The guides we read list styles such as typing, fade in, bounce, stretch, sway and glow. Flip through the fonts and watch the preview in the app before choosing. We do not pair font names with styles because fonts differ across app versions.

The cause column lists possibilities named by the guides' authors and summarized by us. Instagram has not published a list of supported accounts or fonts.

Style text so it reads well

Moving or not, text has to be readable first. Pick a color that contrasts with the background and keep it mid-frame. If you do not want a photo, Type mode writes text on a colored background. Instagram announced you pick Type under the record button, next to Normal, with styles, backgrounds and highlighted words or phrases. That is from a 2018 announcement, so recheck the menu in your app.

Add GIF stickers to make text move

The second option is GIF stickers. The sticker tray has a GIF library, which Instagram announced with many moving stickers including bouncing letters. It suits ready-made lettering such as SALE or NEW.

1. Shoot or upload an image first

   Stickers go on once you have a photo or video.

2. Open the sticker tray

   Tap the smiley icon on the top toolbar.

3. Pick GIF and search

   Type a word like sale or new and tap the sticker you like.

4. Resize and place

   Use two fingers to resize, then place it mid-frame, off the product.

Animate text in Edits

The third option is Edits, Instagram's video editing app, for finer control or multi-clip videos. Its help page lists an animate button, for projects you started in the app.

1. Open a project in Edits

   Tap the projects icon on the bottom bar, then tap the project to edit.

2. Add text

   Tap the text icon on the bottom bar and type your text.

3. Tap the animate icon

   Help says to tap it to animate your text. You can also choose how it is shown, color, effect, alignment and highlight.

4. Adjust size and position

   Swipe up or down on the left to change size, tap and hold the text to move it, then tap Done.

Once you have the video, save it to your device from the app's export menu, go back to the story camera, tap the gallery icon and choose it. Add stickers as usual.

Change the story background color

You do not need another app. Use the draw tool in Stories.

1. Shoot or choose an image

2. Tap Draw

3. Pick a color, press and hold a color for a gradient view, or use the eyedropper to pick a color from the image

4. Press and hold on the screen and the color fills the background

For a see-through background that still shows the image, use the same steps but pick the highlighter pen before pressing and holding. You can erase parts to reveal the image below, then add text on top.

Stickers shops use often

The stickers below live in the sticker tray as Instagram describes. The shop ideas are ours, not app rules.

Sharing someone else's story into yours

Instagram clearly describes one route: the story owner mentions the person they want to pass it on. If they forgot to mention someone, they can still do it afterwards by tapping the three dots, choosing More and then Add Mention. The mentioned person can add the story to their own. A shop that wants customers to reshare can mention willing customers first, and should ask permission before putting a customer's story into its own.

To keep a nice story on your profile, see story size and how to save Highlights. For multi-page images people swipe through, see carousel templates that teach and sell.

ArticleInstagram Story Size and How to Save Stories as HighlightsThe recommended Instagram story size is 9:16 or 1080x1920 pixels, with a safe zone for text, how to find stories that vanished in your archive and how to save them as Highlights. Checked October 2026.

If a new shop's stories get few views, see Instagram views or all Instagram services. Ordered numbers do not make the text better and do not guarantee sales. To try one first, see the free trial page.

Article6 Instagram Carousel Templates That Teach, Get Saved and SellSix slide-by-slide Instagram carousel templates: checklist, before-after, wrong-right, comparison, steps and Q&A, with Thai examples and a pre-post checklist. Finish one in 40 minutes.

Story text FAQ

Summary

Text moves with the animate button after you tap Aa, and the style follows the font. If the button is missing, use GIF stickers or Edits. Let one thing move, keep it mid-frame and preview on your phone before sharing.