Open the Story camera, tap the gallery square in the bottom left, tap Select, then tap your videos in the order you want them to play. Tap Next, choose separate stories and share: each video becomes its own story frame, playing in the order you picked.
If you'd rather show several clips on a single frame at the same time, that's a different tool. Layout, in the tools on the left of the Story camera, puts clips or photos side by side in a grid on one frame.
Add several videos to your Story at once
- Open the Story camera. Swipe right from your feed, or tap your profile picture with the + on it.
- Tap the gallery square in the bottom left corner to open your camera roll.
- Tap Select, the multi-select icon. Small circles appear on your videos and photos.
- Tap the videos in the order you want them to play. A number appears on each one to show its place in the line.
- Tap Next.
- If Instagram asks how you want to share them, choose separate stories.
- Add text, stickers or music to each frame if you want to, then share to Your Story or Close Friends.
You can mix photos and videos in the same batch. They play in the order you tapped, whatever the type.
Before you share, swipe through the frames on the editing screen. Each one can have its own text and stickers, so this is the moment to add a short caption to the first frame telling people what the sequence is about. Once everything is shared, any changes mean deleting and reposting.
Instagram renames buttons from time to time. If a menu name looks different in your version, search the app's settings for the key word, such as 'story' or 'photos'.
Separate frames, a Layout grid or one joined clip
There are three ways to get more than one video into a Story, and each one looks different to the people watching:
| Option | What viewers see | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separate frames (Select) | Each video plays on its own, one after another | A sequence, like a day at an event or a product being made | Viewers can tap past any frame |
| Layout grid | Several clips or photos on one frame at once | Before and after, or comparing two products | Each clip is small on a phone screen |
| One joined clip | A single video you've put together in an editing app first | Full control over cuts, text and timing | Takes longer, and long clips still get split |
To use Layout, open the Story camera, tap Layout in the tools on the left, choose a grid, then add a clip or photo to each space. It suits short, simple clips best, because the people watching are looking at several small boxes on a phone screen at once.
For most everyday Stories, separate frames are the easiest choice. Each clip gets the full screen and the viewer moves through them at their own pace. A joined clip is worth the extra effort when timing matters, for example a recipe where each step has to follow the last without a tap in between.
Get the order right before you post
The catch: the order you tap is the order they play. Once the frames are posted, you can't drag them into a new order. The only fix is to delete the frames in the wrong place and post them again.
A few habits that make it easier:
- Sort the clips first. Put the videos you need into one album on your phone, then switch to that album at the top of the Story gallery so you're only looking at the clips you want.
- Tap slowly and check the numbers before you tap Next. If one is out of place, tap it again to unselect it and tap it in the right spot.
- Do the story in one sitting. If you add a clip later, it goes to the end, after everything already posted.
The same rule applies to photos. If you're mixing in pictures too, my guide on how to upload multiple photos to an Instagram Story in order walks through the photo side.
What happens to long videos
Long videos are split into several story frames automatically. You don't need to do anything, and they still play one after the other. The downside is that the cut lands wherever Instagram puts it, which can be mid-sentence on a talking-to-camera clip.
If that matters, trim the clip in your phone's own video editor before you post it, so it ends at a natural pause. Or split it yourself into a few shorter clips and add them with Select in the right order. That way you decide where each frame stops.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Music works differently across several frames too, because each frame gets its own sticker. If you want sound running under your clips, here's how to add background music to an Instagram Story video.
When the Select button doesn't show up
This is usually a permissions problem rather than a missing feature. Work through these in order:
- Update Instagram from your app store, then close and reopen it.
- On iPhone, open your phone's Settings, find Instagram, tap Photos and choose Full Access. With Limited access, Instagram only sees the items you picked earlier, so many of your videos simply don't appear.
- On Android, open your phone's Settings, go to Apps, find Instagram, open Permissions and allow access to photos and videos.
- Restart your phone if the gallery still looks empty or out of date.
- Log out of Instagram and back in, then try the Story gallery again.
If your clips post but look soft or grainy afterwards, that's a separate issue with its own fixes. Here's why Instagram Story videos turn blurry after posting.
My advice for business Stories
If it were my business account, I'd keep it to a handful of short clips that tell one small story, in order, start to finish. A clear first frame matters more than the number of clips, because that's where most people decide whether to keep tapping.
Related guides live in the Instagram Help: 81 Guides to Followers, Hashtags, Money, Accounts and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the order of story frames after posting?
No. Once frames are posted they play in the order you added them. To fix the order, delete the frames in the wrong place and post them again in the order you want.
Why are my videos split into several stories?
Instagram splits long videos into several story frames automatically. Trim the clip before posting if you want to control where each frame ends.
Why can't I see all my videos in the Story gallery?
Instagram probably doesn't have full access to your photos. On iPhone, set Instagram's Photos permission to Full Access; on Android, allow photos and videos in the app's permissions.
Can I put two videos side by side on one story?
Yes. Use Layout in the tools on the left of the Story camera, pick a grid and add a clip to each space.
Can I share several videos to Close Friends only?
Yes. Select your videos as usual, and on the sharing screen choose Close Friends instead of Your Story. All the frames from that batch go to Close Friends.
