How to copy and paste a photo on Instagram

By now you could call yourself a true fan of Instagram, the popular social network owned by Facebook. Stories, filters, posts in the Feed and direct are now your daily bread. To say it all, however, there is still some detail relating to the use of Instagram that eludes you. For example, you’ve been wondering for a while if it’s possible to copy an image from an app and then paste it on Instagram, in order to add it to a story or feed post.

You have tried and tried, countless times, to copy the images of your Gallery and those found on the Net; however, once it comes to the “fateful” moment to paste them on a story or a post, there is really no way of inserting them. How do you say? This is the case and, therefore, would you like to know if there is a solution to this problem? So, if that’s okay with you, I can give you my help and give you some “tips” about it.

As you may have already understood, Instagram does not allow you to directly insert images copied in posts and stories. However, there is a handy feature built into the social network app and another simple gimmick that can help you get around this limitation. If you want to know more and, therefore, want to find out how to copy and paste a photo on Instagram, read on: you will find everything explained below. Enjoy your reading and have fun!

Index

• How to copy and paste a photo on Instagram Stories
• How to copy and paste a photo on Instagram in the Feed

How to copy and paste a photo on Instagram Stories

If you agree, I would start speaking to the inclusion of images in the stories of Instagram thanks to a built-in feature in the app that allows you to add, mo ‘sticker, image taken from your phone’s gallery. I assure you that this is just what you need if you were looking for how to copy and paste a photo on Instagram on Android or how to copy and paste a photo on Instagram for iPhone (the option is in fact available on both Android and iPhone, while obviously it is not possible to proceed from a PC, where there is not yet a function for publishing the stories).

To proceed, the first thing you need to do is make sure that the Instagram app is updated to the latest version: I have explained to you in this guide how to do it.

Once you have updated the application, open it and tap the + icon located at the top right of the main page (i.e. the card that has the house symbol ). Then, click on the Story item located on the black bar at the bottom right and, once you have accessed the story creation menu, press the Aa button at the top of the list on the left.

At this point, tap on the icon of the smiling sticker located at the top center and, from here, press the button with the two overlapping rectangles and the + symbol. Then browse the list of images stored on your device and tap the one you want to paste on the story you are creating. Once you have applied the image in this way, if you hold your fingers at opposite corners of it and if you move them, you can enlarge and reduce it.

If, on the other hand, you want to move it to another point on the screen, just hold down a finger on it and drag it to the position you prefer. You can paste as many images as you want into the same story by repeating the steps above. To change the background color of the story, then press on the colored circle located at the top right. If you want, you can also draw freehand on the story, by pressing the wavy line icon located at the top right, and enter some text by tapping the Aa button next to it.

Once you have finished your creation, click on the Send to button at the bottom right and, finally, click on the Share button next to the item Your story. See how easy it was? If you need more tips on creating Instagram stories, read my tutorial on the topic. In my guide on how to put multiple photos in the same story on Instagram I explained to you, instead, the operation of the Layout function, which allows you to create stories with cute photo collages.

How to copy and paste a photo on Instagram in the Feed

As for the Instagram Feed, that is the “standard” posts containing only photos or videos that, unlike the stories, always remain visible on the profile and do not expire after 24 hours, you should know that there is no integrated function that allows you to paste pictures into them.

If, therefore, you are wondering how to copy and paste a photo on Instagram (intended as a Feed) the only possible solution is to create a post (structured as a single image) that includes multiple images, i.e. a collage.

To do this you will have to resort to specific third-party solutions. I immediately propose one that I consider particularly valid: Canva. Haven’t you ever heard of it? I’ll immediately explain what it is. Canva is the app version of the famous online service of the same name for creating multimedia content, including posters, playbills, logos, tickets and, precisely, collages for Instagram, using a very intuitive editor.

Canva includes various reference templates to use as a “base” for your creations, and many of them are free (the others typically cost around a dollar). To download Canva on an Android device, just open the official page of the app on the Play Store on your device and press the Install button. If your smartphone or tablet does not have access to Google services, take a look at the alternative stores.

If, on the other hand, you intend to install Canva on an iPhone or iPad, open the application page on the App Store directly from your device, tap the Get / Install button and proceed by verifying your identity via Face ID , Touch ID or password of the ‘ Apple ID (if required).

Once you have installed the app, open it from the home screen or from the app menu and choose whether to register with your email address or with your Google or Facebook accounts. Now that you have accessed the main page of the app you can proceed to create your collage to be published on Instagram.

Just scroll through the proposals you find on the Home tab (the one with the house symbol ) to find the one that’s right for you. Eventually, you can also check the Instagram Post and Collage categories that you find in the list (choose a template categorized as Instagram Post if you want to publish the collage directly from the app once you have finished editing it). When you’ve found the post template that’s right for you, click on its preview to start customizing it.

Just tap on the various elements that make up the future post (photos, background, text, logos and so on) to change them from time to time. To replace one of the preset photos, click on them; then tap the + button in the lower left corner and press the Photo item.

On the next screen, to upload your images, simply go to the Uploads tab and then press the Upload multimedia content button. Therefore, scroll through the list of photos stored on your device and, once you have found the one you are looking for, tap on its preview and then press the Select button to load it. Press the Upload Media button from time to time and repeat the last step to upload as many images as you want.

From the Uploads tab , by clicking on each of the displayed photos, you can add it to the template you are editing. At this point, by holding your finger on the image just “pasted” and moving it, you can place it where you prefer. To reduce the size of the images, simply tap on them, hold your finger on the white dot in the lower corner and move the latter to enlarge or reduce the image.

If you want an image to be superimposed on all the others, just double-tap on it. By pressing on an image, you can also select it and apply various effects on it, delete it, flip it, duplicate it or cut it by pressing, from time to time, on the appropriate buttons at the bottom of the screen. When you are satisfied with the final result, press the down arrow icon (top right) to download the final image to your device’s Gallery.

If, on the other hand, you want to publish the image directly on Instagram, press the button with the arrow symbol pointing upwards (top right) and choose the item Instagram Post (if present). Really comfortable, isn’t it?

Should you have chosen a “vertical” collage template, the Instagram app could automatically cut the top and bottom edges. To prevent this from happening, take a look at my tutorial on how to post photos on Instagram without cutting them.

The one I just explained how it works is just one of several applications to create photo collages: to find out all the most valid ones, I refer you to my dedicated guide, which I have just linked to you.