10 Instagram Posting Trends and Apps to Use

Follow these trends to add some pizzazz to your Instagram posts

Updated on February 15, 2021

If you browse Instagram and follow popular users, you may have noticed that certain posting trends are popular. Some of the bigger trends use third-party apps to edit or add new things to photos and videos.

Even if a trend is clear, finding an app to follow that trend isn't always clear. Here's a list of ten big Instagram posting trends and the corresponding third-party apps you can use to join the fun and get in on those trends.

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Insta-Size and Add Filters: Squaready

Instagram allows you to post whole images and videos without cropping them if you tap the two arrows in the bottom left corner before posting. That's a great Instagram feature, but if you want a photo editing app that will let you do the same thing, Squaready is it.

Squareready lets you "Insta-size" your pictures and videos, and then you can add filters, lines, text, and more before posting to Instagram.

Download For:

iOS

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Create Collages: Layout from Instagram

Even though Instagram lets you post up to 10 photos and/or videos in a single post, it's still a trend to create posts made up of a collection of photos or videos, framed as a collage. Luckily, Instagram has a free app for creating collages called Layout from Instagram.

Layout is a separate app from Instagram; however, you can access it when you're in Instagram. Tap an image or video to upload, and then you're redirected to the Layout app where you can create your collage.

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iOS

Android

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Add Text Overlay: Over

You can certainly write out everything you need to explain in the caption of an Instagram post, but sometimes adding words or quotes to an actual photo or video using a beautiful font looks so much better. Users can choose from a wide range of text overlay apps to add clearer messages in different fonts to their posts, and the Over app from GoDaddy Design Studio is one of the best.

Download For:

iOS

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Repost a Photo: Repost for Instagram

Instagram is one of the few popular social networking apps that doesn't have a share or repost feature that you can use to post photos and videos from friends onto your own page. You could take a screenshot of a friend's post and post that, or you could opt for a better solution and use the Repost for Instagram app.

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iOS

Android

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Photo Slideshow with Music: PicPlay

You've probably seen at least one slideshow video posted on Instagram. The PicPlay app lets you add photos and videos from Instagram, Facebook, or from your smartphone to merge into a slideshow. Then, you can add music and post directly to Instagram as a video. It's a fun way to share a collection of photos as a video.

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iOS

Android

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Add Popular Hashtags: Top Tags for Likes

Power users on Instagram know that adding the right hashtags is the key to getting more likes. But instead of manually adding them every time you make a new post, you might prefer to use an app that curates the most popular hashtags and automatically adds them to your posts, maximizing your potential of gaining likes from those hashtags.

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iOS

Android

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Mirror and Blend Images: Split Pic

Adding text overlay in cool fonts or framed collages are big on Instagram, but if you follow some of the pros, you've probably seem some other things—like trippy reflection effects, blended images, and multiple clones of the same person in one photo. These types of effects look complicated, but with the Split Pic app, they're pretty easy to do.

Download For:

iOS

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Enhance Images with 29 Tools and Filters: Snapseed

People don't just share simple photos on Instagram anymore. These days, you'll find all sorts of posts with different shapes, lines, colors, and other effects such as image blurring and face-enhancing. The Snapseed app offers 29 tools and filters to create stunningly gorgeous images without professional or complicated Photoshopping skills.

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iOS

Android

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Speed Up Videos: Lapse It

Instagram video posts are limited to a maximum of just 15 seconds. To fit a whole lot more video into such a short time length, speeding up the video to create artsy time lapses have become a big trend. With Lapse It, you can create time lapse videos and add all kind of filters and effects. The app also includes tutorials to help you get the most out of the many available features.

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iOS

Android

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Add Videos With Music: Magisto

Videos on Instagram now encompass more than just posting casual uncut clips of your surroundings. Users are posting videos that help, teach, and inform their followers. Many people even use Instagram to sell products or services. To make the best videos, you need a professional editing app like Magisto. Magisto lets you create quick videos that include slideshows, music, collages, and more.

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iOS

Android

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