Want a completely black Instagram Story but don't have a black image ready? Start with a saved image or make one in Canva, then upload it from your camera roll. You can leave it plain or add text and photos before sharing.
Post a black image from your camera roll
Already have a solid-black image on your phone? You're ready to upload it. With this method, the black screen comes from the image you select from your camera roll.
Tap the + on your Instagram profile photo to open Stories.
Select the black image from your camera roll to add it to your Story.
Publish it using the Story-sharing controls.
If you're stuck because you don't have a solid-black image, make one in Canva with the steps below, then return to Instagram to upload it.
Make a solid-black background in Canva
Open Canva’s Instagram Story Maker in your browser. You can prepare the image here without installing desktop software.
Select Start designing an Instagram Story. This opens the browser-based design workflow for preparing your Story image.
Select the page background in the design editor. Canva supports background editing on both desktop and mobile, so you can also make the background on your phone.
Choose Background color. This is the page-background control used to choose the solid color for your design.
Select a solid black color tile to turn the page black. The black background can remain plain or serve as the background for text and photos.
For a completely black screen, leave the page free of text and photos. Adding either creates a Story with content over a black background instead of an entirely black image.
Choose a template for a starting layout
For a prepared layout, start on Canva’s Instagram Story templates page. You can customize a template’s text and images as well as its background.
Select a template, or choose Create a blank Instagram Story for an empty design. A blank design also provides a starting point when you only want a solid-black page.
Select the page background.
Open Background color.
Select a solid black color tile. The template workflow uses the same background-color control as a blank Story design.
Customize the design’s text or images to suit your Story. Individual template assets may have different plan requirements, so the available assets are not necessarily included in the same plan.
Use the right editing surface
Use an Instagram Story design in Canva for these background steps. Canva’s page-background controls are not available in Canva Docs.
If you're considering changing your app’s appearance, that is a separate setting from the image you publish. A dark Instagram interface does not make the Story you publish black.
A translucent highlighter overlay also won't give you a solid-black result. For a true black screen, select a solid black background in Canva or upload an existing solid-black image.
Add text or photos over the black background
Want a message or photo on your Story instead of an empty black screen? Use your black Canva page as the base. Canva supports placing text or photos over the page background before you save the design.
Add the text you want on the Story to the design. If you started with a template, you can customize its existing text.
Place your chosen photos over the black background. You can also customize images already included in a template.
Keep the page background set to black as you customize the content. Save the text and photos together with that background in the finished image.
Save your design and share it on Instagram
Save the finished Canva design to your device as an image file.
Put that image in your phone’s camera roll, where Instagram’s Stories picker can find it.
Tap the + on your Instagram profile photo to open Stories.
Select your finished black-background image from the camera roll. The same upload workflow applies whether you saved a plain black page or a design containing text and photos.
Use the Story-sharing controls to publish it.
If you made the design on a computer, transfer the saved image to your phone’s camera roll before starting the upload.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install desktop software to make the background?
No. Canva’s Instagram Story Maker works in a browser without a desktop software installation.
Can I make the black background in Canva on my phone?
Yes. Canva supports background editing on mobile and desktop. These page-background controls do not apply to Canva Docs.
Are all Canva Story template assets included in the same plan?
No. Plan requirements vary by template asset. You can also start with a blank Instagram Story design.