How do stories work?
On this page
A story is a photo or short video you share for 24 hours, with optional text and a clip of a song. After 24 hours it disappears on its own. Stories sit in the row at the top of your home feed.
Post a story
- On your home feed, tap Your story (or the small plus, Add to your story) at the start of the Stories row.
- Tap Add a photo or video, or drop a file on it. Photos can be JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP up to 20 MB. Videos can be MP4, MOV or WebM up to 100 MB.
- Add text if you like (up to 150 characters, one line).
- To add music, tap Add a song, search songs or artists (or pick a suggestion), then Pick the part: choose 10s, 15s or 30s and drag the highlight along the waveform. It loops while you choose.
- Tap Share to story. You'll see "Your story is up".
You can also post a design straight from Canvas with Add to your story. See Canvas.
Watching stories
- Tap a bubble in the Stories row. A ring around someone's profile photo anywhere on the site also means they have a live story; tap it to watch.
- Unwatched stories come first in the row.
- A photo story shows for 15 seconds, or for the length of its song clip. A video plays to the end.
- Tap the left side to go back and the right side to skip ahead. On a computer you can also use the arrow buttons.
- If a story has a song, the song's name shows at the bottom. Tap it to open the song.
Who can see your story
Only you and the people who follow you can see your stories. offtheave staff can also see them, to keep the site safe. There's no privacy setting for a single story, so share only what you're happy for your followers to see. Stories don't show a list of who viewed them.
Delete a story
Open your story and tap the trash icon (Delete story). It's removed right away.
Limits
- Every story needs a photo or video. Text-only stories aren't possible.
- Stories last 24 hours.
- Song clips are 10, 15 or 30 seconds. You can use public songs, or your own.
- When a video story has a song, the video plays muted so the song can be heard.
Troubleshooting
- Add a photo or video: you tried to post without media.
- Use a JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP photo, or an MP4, MOV or WebM video: convert the file and try again.
- Photos can be up to 20 MB / Videos can be up to 100 MB: use a smaller file.
- That song can't be added to a story: the song is private or no longer available. Pick another.
Related
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