If the arrival of the iPhone turned everyone into photographers, the Instagram app’s robust photo filters allow you to become a photo editor with just a few clicks. Knowing how to apply filters can help you achieve a unified aesthetic and level up your Instagram game, whether you’re using the social media platform for personal photos or for your brand’s marketing and ads.
Let’s take a closer look at the best practices of using Instagram filters and some examples of these visual enhancements in action.
What are Instagram filters?
Instagram filters are presets that automatically edit your images. Filters adjust photo settings like contrast, sharpness, saturation, exposure, and more. Some filters can also add a semi-transparent layer on top of your image or video, uniformly overlaying a color on your image. While you can make changes to each of these settings manually, filters allow you to do so in a more streamlined and holistic way. The images your brand shares on social media add up to create a unique online presence. In other words, Instagram filters help your images share one coherent aesthetic that supports your brand story.
Additionally, you can add what are called Effects to your Stories and Reels. Some behave like filters, adjusting lighting and saturation, while others add graphic effects like falling snow or turning your face into a banana. You can also add overlays and stickers—graphic elements that layer onto your videos and photos.
How to apply filters on Instagram
- How to apply filters to Instagram posts
- How to apply filters or effects to Instagram stories
- How to apply filters or effects to Instagram reels
Filters are available for Instagram posts and Stories. Effects are available for Instagram Stories and Reels. Here’s how to use these features, step by step.
How to apply filters to Instagram posts
To apply a filter to an Instagram post:
1. Tap the plus sign icon in the bottom center of the app’s home screen menu. Select the image you’d like to post, then tap Next. Tap the Filter button at the bottom of the screen.
2. A library of filters appears along the bottom of the screen. Tap each one to preview your post with the filter applied. When you preview a filter, an icon with sliding adjustment bars appears on the filter preview thumbnail. Tap that to tweak the strength of the filter.
3. Once you’ve selected your filter, tap Next to add a caption, location, or other details to your post. Then tap Share to publish your image.
How to apply filters or effects to Instagram Stories
To apply a filter or an effect to an Instagram story:
1. Tap the plus sign icon in the bottom center of the app’s home screen menu. Select Story at the bottom of your screen. Then tap the thumbnail in the bottom left corner of your screen to select the image or video you’d like to post.
2. To select a filter, swipe your finger left across the screen to toggle through the library of filters and preview them.
3. To add effects, tap the sparkle icon at the top of the screen and browse through the library of camera effects by swiping your finger left along the bottom of the screen. Tap each effect’s icon to see it applied.
4. Once you’ve selected a filter, add whatever additional elements you’d like to include in your story, and then tap the arrow in the bottom right to publish your story.
How to apply filters or effects to Instagram Reels
To apply an effect to an Instagram Reel:
1. Tap the plus sign icon in the bottom center of the app’s home screen menu. Select Reel at the bottom of your screen, and then select the frames you’d like to include in your reel. Tap Next.
2. Tap the sparkle icon at the bottom of your screen. A library of camera effects will pop up. Tap each one to preview it, and then swipe down to exit the library.
3. In this same screen, you can edit the rest of your reel. When you’re done, tap Next to enter a caption, tag people, or add a location. Then tap Share to publish.
You can also access the effects gallery from Instagram’s built-in camera when taking new photos or videos.
Best practices for applying Instagram filters
Follow these best practices to lend just the right level of creative touch to any photo.
Match your brand identity
When choosing a filter, make sure the tones it highlights enhance your brand identity. If your brand’s aesthetic is high-energy, exciting, and trendy, choose a high-contrast filter that also makes colors appear more saturated, such as Boost, Lark, or Lo-Fi. If your brand is more minimal and simple, try a filter like Reyes, Aden, or Willow instead.
Stay consistent
Once you’ve committed to a look for your brand on Instagram, stick to it. When a user views your brand’s Instagram profile, the grid should appear holistic—but that might not always mean using the exact same filter.
Since different images begin with different lighting, color balance, depth, and so on, the goal is to use whichever filter works best to achieve a cohesive finished product, even if that means your filters change slightly from time to time. A photo that leans cool might benefit from a warmer filter, whereas a photo that’s already bright might not benefit from a filter that’s going to just pump up the brightness further.
Don’t overdo it
Heavy-handed editing can often be distracting. Overly bright colors, jarring textures or effects, and overexposure can feel amateurish—a risk with tools everyone has access to. Since anyone can apply a filter, remember that what sets your brand apart is your understanding of when and how to employ one effectively. Sometimes, less may very well be more.
Start with strong photography
Remember: A filter can’t transform a weak photo into a strong one. If your photo is too blurry or overexposed, or if it lacks an interesting subject to begin with, no filter will be able to make it truly pop. In general, create and post high-resolution, well-lit photos to your account to elicit high Instagram engagement. Whether you’re shooting in-studio product photos or outdoor lifestyle photos of your products in use, start with quality inputs.
8 examples of Instagram filter effects
- High contrast and saturation
- Low contrast and saturation
- Color tint
- Black and white
- Underexposure
- Lifted blacks
- Film grain
- Glow
A great filter can make your photo look like it was edited by an expert creative director. And while many of the images you see on Instagram, especially from major brands, are uploaded by in-house creative teams, there’s a lot you can do yourself.
If your brand doesn’t have the resources for creative work on a large scale, using filters can be a cost-effective option to help you create high-quality photos and videos. Jumping on trending Instagram filters and effects can also help users discover your brand. Here are eight examples of popular filter effects and what the businesses accomplished by using them:
1. High contrast and saturation
Brands with a lot of personality can show it off with filters that pump the contrast and saturation, like these examples from chili sauce brand Fly by Jing, spice purveyor Diaspora Co., and Good Girl Snacks. Filters like Melbourne, Jakarta, and Lark, or camera effects like Summer, are perfect for showing off food that packs a punch. Until customers can sample the actual product, bright color stands in for strong flavor.
2. Low contrast and saturation
Filters like Fade, Aden, and Reyes, and camera effects like Vintage or 1993, bring the saturation down, lighten shadows, and soften the contrast. This creates a peaceful, easy feeling that works well for Island Creek Oysters, coffee brewing equipment brand Fellow, and apparel company Naadam, making their products seem both nostalgic and sophisticated.
3. Color tint
Brands with an ethereal personality, such as wedding apparel and accessories designer Birdy Grey, P.F. Candle Co., and textile and paper atelier Silk & Willow, have an almost imperceptible color tint to their images. Everything is just ever so slightly more romantic when glossed over with warm tones. To get the look, try the filters Emerald, Rosy, or Midnight. The effect is one of seeing your life through rose (or emerald-, or midnight-) colored glasses.
4. Black and white
Nothing is more classic than black-and-white photography, and Instagram has more than five black-and-white filter effects to choose from. Try mimicking the visual styles of Clubhouse Skin, Guru energy drinks, and Truvelle Bridal with a filter like Graphite, Gritty, Tokyo, Willow, or Inkwell.
5. Underexposure
The fastest way to make a photo feel subversive and moody is to reduce its exposure. A brand that resists being crisp, clear, and bright immediately builds intrigue and comes across as edgy—take wrist weight brand Bala, healthy meal service Sakara, and outdoor outfitter and event organizer Usal Project, as examples. Get the look with filters like Perpetua and Hefe, or camera effects like Low Light or Slim Black IOS.
6. Lifted blacks
If underexposing your images feels too dark, another way to make your images feel both edgy and a bit nostalgic is to lift the blacks. Rather than increasing the contrast, this effect retains brightness while also lightening the darkest parts of your image, creating a dreamy look, as shown in examples from fashion brands Sani and Nadaam, and Clubhouse Skin. Try a filter like Gingham or a camera effect like Weekend x Vintage to achieve the look.
7. Film grain
If you want to make digital images look like film, you’re in luck: Instagram has numerous filters and camera effects designed to apply a vintage look to your modern images. These examples from Sakara, bike designer Cowboy, and responsibly sourced decor marketplace Goodee show how effective these filters can be at conjuring a carefree attitude. Check out filters like Grainy, Zoom blur, and Moiré, or camera effects like Kodak, Retro TV, Film • 03, VHS II, or Old Film.
8. Glow
Enhance natural-light images with a soft glow, like sustainable outdoor wear retailer Tentree, Truvelle Bridal, and Usal Project, whose Instagram feeds show off a dreamy, natural aesthetic. Try a filter like Soft Light or Zoom Blur, or a camera effect like Glow Shine to infuse your images with otherworldly light.
Instagram filters FAQ
How do you use filters on Instagram?
You can access Instagram’s filters during the posting process. If you’re creating a grid post, look for the filter icon at the bottom of the editing screen. If you’re posting a story, swipe left to apply filters. To apply effects to a Story or Reel, look for the sparkle icon. You can also access effects while using Instagram’s built-in camera.
How to find trending filters on Instagram?
To apply new camera effects to your Stories or Reels, tap the sparkle icon and browse the menu of effects along the bottom of the screen. Navigate to the search icon, then once you’re browsing the camera effects gallery, tap the Trending header to see trending camera effects.
Does Instagram allow third-party filters?
As of January 2025, Instagram no longer allows third-party filters, in an effort to combat the role of social media in upholding unrealistic beauty standards.
How can filters improve marketing materials on Instagram?
With just the tap of a button, applying a filter can make it seem like an expert has creatively edited your marketing materials and social media posts. Applying filters can also help you unify your entire Instagram profile page according to a single aesthetic, even if different photographers made the images.
