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Instagram is rolling out a long-sought option to add text and layered images to photos.
The new feature uses stickers to add content on top of base photos, whether they’re by themselves or in carousels. You only have to tap a text or gallery button after choosing the main image, and you can change the sticker’s shape.
Instagram is also adding new animations, effects and fonts for Reels and Stories, as well as a “simplified” text creator.
The social network recently expanded carousels to 20 photos, or double the recent cap. Combined with the new text and layering options, you can now create very elaborate galleries without resorting to third-party apps.
This isn’t a shocking addition. Instagram is still locked in competition with TikTok, where text and other effects have been available (in different forms) for a while. This theoretically gives you a reason to stay on Instagram if you were previously frustrated by the lack of creative options.
Parent company Meta has been faring well lately, and has over 2 billion monthly active users (MAUs) on Instagram alone. However, TikTok had over 1.5 billion as of 2023, a 50% jump compared to 2021. That rival is growing quickly despite real or potential country-wide bans, and Meta is under pressure to stay ahead.
