Want to put a comparison post on Instagram? For instance, before and after pictures of your weight loss journey or comparing one thing vs another. You need to keep two pictures side by side on Instagram in such a situation. But how does one do that? Thankfully, it’s quite easy. You can put two photos side by side using the Instagram app or other apps. Let’s check all the methods.
Table of Contents
1. Using Layouts in the Instagram App
The Instagram app offers a native feature to put two pictures side by side on both Android and iPhone. Follow these steps:
1. Open the Instagram app on your phone.
2. Tap on the (+) icon at the bottom and go to Story.
3. Tap on the Layout icon from the sidebar and tap on the four-box icon to see the available layouts.
4. Select the side-by-side layout from the list.
5. You will see that the screen has been partitioned into two equal frames. You can either capture a new photo for each frame or upload a picture from your gallery. For that, tap on the Gallery icon at the bottom and select the first picture that will show on the left side.
6. Then, again tap on the Gallery icon and select the picture for the right side.
7. Use the zoom-in and out gesture to zoom each picture. Or, hold it with two fingers and move the picture to adjust what should be visible on the screen. Tap on the Checkmark icon.
8. You will be taken to the story editing screen where you can add text, stickers, filter, or even draw on the image. Now, you can publish the story by pressing the Your story button. Or, if you want to share this picture on your post, tap on the three dots and select Save. The image will be downloaded to your phone and you can add it to your post.
Tip: Learn how to make a photo or video collage on Instagram.
2. Using Photo Sticker
Instagram provides another native way to put two photos side-by-side using the Photo Sticker. Follow these steps to add multiple photos to one Instagram story:
1. In the Instagram app, tap on the (+) icon at the bottom and select Story.
2. Capture a new photo or upload an existing one from your gallery by tapping on the Gallery icon.
3. Once the photo shows on the story edit screen, tap on the Sticker icon at the top and press the one that says + (Android) or Gallery icon (iPhone)
Note: If you don’t see the picture icon, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Permissions on Android and select Files and Media. Grant the access. On iPhone, go to Settings > Instagram > Photos. Select All photos. If these options are already selected, turn them off and enable them again.
4. Select the picture that you want to show on the right side of your existing picture.
5. Now, using the pinch-in-and-out gesture, adjust the size of both pictures. Also, move the pictures by holding them using two fingers in a way that they appear next to each other. Or, tap on the picture to change its shape.
6. Your single picture having two pictures side-by-side is ready on Instagram. You can either publish it to your story or a post by downloading the image.
Tip: Know how to add reminders to Instagram stories and posts.
3. Using Instagram Layout App
If the native options in Instagram don’t meet your requirements in putting two photos side by side, you should try the Layout app from Instagram. It’s basically the same Layout feature that is present in the Instagram app but with extra features like mirror, flip, border, etc.
1. Install and open the Layout from Instagram app on your Android or iPhone.
2. Select the pictures that you want to keep side by side.
3. Now, from the layouts at the top, select the side-by-side layout.
4. Make the necessary changes to the final picture and tap on Save to download the picture on your phone.
4. Using Google Photos
Next, you can use the popular Google Photos app to keep two pictures side by side.
1. Open the Google Photos app on your phone. The app comes pre-installed on all Android phones but you will need to download it on your iPhone.
2. Long press on the first photo and then tap on the other photo to select it.
3. Tap on Add to and choose Collage from the list.
4. Select the side-by-side layout. Use the pinch gesture to zoom in and out of the photo. Or hold and drag the picture to adjust its position.
5. You can also edit individual photos. For that, tap on a photo and select the Edit option from the bottom.
6. Finally, tap on Save to download the image on your phone from where you can add it to Instagram.
Tip: Learn how to edit pictures in Google Photos.
5. Using InShot App
None of the above methods let you change the background or the border style when you keep photos side by side. This is where a free third-party app like InShot comes to our rescue.
1. Install and open the InShot app on your Android or iPhone.
2. Tap on the Collage option on the home screen of the app.
3. Select the photos that you want to keep side by side and press the Checkmark icon.
4. Now, you will find many interesting editing tools at the bottom. Tap on Border to change the border style of pictures. Similarly, tap on Canvas to change the canvas size. Or tap on Background to change the image background.
Furthermore, tap on an individual picture and you can flip, rotate, crop, or replace it. As always use the pinch gesture to zoom in and out the image. Once you select an image, drag it by the selection circle to change its size.
5. Tap on Save to download the picture to your phone and then upload it to Instagram story or post.
Tip: Learn how to use the InShot app to add a picture on top of another picture.
Keep Pictures Side by Side
In addition to the above methods, check out other ways to put two pictures side by side on Android and iPhone. You can also use an online tool like TinyWow to put two images side-by-side on Instagram. Also, learn how to merge pictures in Word and Google Docs.
