A Story is a single image or video that appears full screen for a short time. Flomixy shows you how it will look before you publish.
Previewing your Story
In the post composer, choose the Story format. The preview shows your media in a tall 9:16 frame with the Instagram Story header and reply bar.
Mobile or Desktop view
Instagram shows Stories differently on a phone and on the web. Use the Mobile / Desktop switch above the preview to compare:
- Mobile (default): your media fills the whole tall frame, so a square photo is cropped at the sides.
- Desktop: your media fits inside the frame on a black background, with black bars above and below, and the web reply row (message field, heart and send).
The Safe zones and Phone frame options are only shown in Mobile view.
Good to know
- A single Story holds exactly one image or video. To share several, publish them as separate Stories (see below).
- If your media isn't 9:16, the preview tells you how much will be cropped on mobile.
Turning a carousel into Stories
An Instagram carousel can also go out as Stories, one Story per photo or video, in carousel order. A Story holds only one item, so this is how you share the whole set.
- While creating a post: tick Also publish as a Story. With two or more files you choose First media only (one Story) or All media as separate Stories. With All, the Stories publish one minute apart, in order, and each is fitted to 9:16. The review step shows the total, for example "5 Stories, 1 minute apart".
- From a published Instagram post: open the post and, in Where this post goes, click Make Story (or Make Stories when the post has several files) on the Instagram row. The composer opens in Story format with the post's media already added (all files when there are several). Pick a time and publish.
Videos shorter than 3 seconds or longer than 60 seconds can't be Stories and are skipped, and the composer tells you which ones. If none of the media fits, you'll be asked to add an image or a video within that range.
Stories don't take a caption, but you can still tag people.
Viewing a published Story
On a published post that also went out as a Story, the preview on the right shows one version at a time. Use the tabs above the preview, or click a row under Where this post goes, to switch between the feed post and each Story (one per account).
Stories stay on Instagram for 24 hours. After that the preview is dimmed with a note that the Story has expired, and its View on Instagram and Copy link buttons are disabled.
Editing a Story deck before it is published
When a draft has several Stories for one account, the edit page shows them as one swipeable preview. Swipe to the Story you want to change, then use the buttons under the preview:
- Replace swaps the picture or video of that Story only. The other Stories keep their media.
- Remove takes that Story out of the deck. The remaining Stories stay in order, and you cannot remove the last one.
- Tag on photo, then click the Story, adds a tagged person to the Story you are looking at. Tags are saved per Story.
Click Save to apply your changes. Stories that are already published or publishing cannot be changed, and these buttons are not available if your role cannot edit posts.