How to find and use Instagram filters

Social Media Specialist
Updated 30 November, 2023
Lauren Taylor
Social Media Specialist
Reading time — 10 minutes

Instagram is primarily a visual platform. People look at the image first. If it is dull, the post won't be noticed, even if it implies a great concept. Instagram filters are what can make pictures vivid and catchy. Choosing the right one for your photo or video can help to attract followers and get more likes and comments.

There is a great variety of filters in the Instagram app. They are used for enhancing photos, give them an extra edge, or simply set the mood. Each of them puts a special effect on the image, gives it a style and makes it interesting.

Explore the effects, which will be popular in 2022 to stay in trends. We will tell you about the best Instagram filters, how to search for them, and use them.

The best Instagram filters for posts

Let's look at the Instagram filters that users like to add to their posts. They can be used when editing.

You don't have to search for these Instagram filters. You will see them right after you upload or make a photo or video.

Here is how you can find Instagram filters for posts:

  1. Tap the plus.
  2. Choose Post.
  3. Choose a photo.
  4. Tap continue.

Remember, you can adjust an Instagram filter strength in the app. Once you've chosen a filter (1), tap it again to see the scale. Drag the slider (2) to the left of the bar to make the effect stronger. Drag it to the left to reduce the effect if you think it's too much. Tap Done (3) to save the changes.

These filters are different from what you can use in Instagram Stories. But you can always create a story with your favorite filter, download it and post to your grid.

Below, you can read about the best Instagram filters for posts. On the first picture, you will see the original photo, and on the second one, there is the same photo with a filter.

Clarendon 

Clarendon is one of the most trendy Instagram filters. It enhances colors. Bright tones become even brighter, and dark tones become darker. Thus, it increases the saturation and contrast.

At the same time, it highlights bright areas, adding blue shades to them. That makes the picture look bright in general.

Gingham

Gingham is an Instagram filter to be used for creating a sophisticated vintage image. It is not recommended for bright pictures, though. This filter reduces the saturation of all the colors in the picture. Brightness is also lessened. Thus, the image looks faded.

Lark

Lark is good for your photos of nature. The Instagram filter enhances blue and green colors. Saturation of red colors, in contrast, are reduced. All these make a picture more bright and vivid.

Reyes

Reyes makes your Instagram photo looks vintage. It highlights the colors. Use this filter when you want to post a picture in modest shades.

Reyes makes the skin look good. Probably, this is one of the quickest ways to edit your selfie or a portrait photo.

Juno

Juno is one of the most popular Instagram filters. It increases the contrast in the picture. Besides, it adds saturation to the red and yellow colors. This filter is for you if you want to make a photo vivid.

Ludwig 

Ludwig is used mostly for city landscapes, but it also works well with portraits. This Instagram filter enhances red colors in a photo and makes the saturation of other colors lower. Thus, dark colors can become black. And bright colors become warmer.

Due to the colors changing, the contrast increases. Shadows and highlights, and thus, every detail, appear more clear.

Aden

Aden gives your Instagram photos a retro style. This filter highlights the colors, moves green and blue colors closer to the red part of the spectrum. Thus, the picture consists of pastel colors, which are orange and brown.

Inkwell

If you are not into bright and warm photos, there is another Instagram filter for you to use. Inkwell turns your photo into a black-and-white image. It turns every color into a gray shade and increases contrast in the picture.

This filter can save a bad photo. For some reason, every picture looks better in black and white colors. 

Nashville

Another Instagram filter for retro or vintage posts is Nashville. It lightens the picture and adds violet shades. It looks like the picture is behind a thin violet fabric. It's great for posting memories that are precious to your heart on Instagram. 

How to use Instagram filters in Stories and Reels

Instagram Stories and Reels have a much bigger variety of filters. And it becomes even bigger with every day. There are not only color effects, but also masks and interactive options. And we are going to tell you how to use them.

Where to search for Stories and Reels filters on Instagram

Filters for Instagram Stories and Reels are generally the same. You can use them both when recording or editing. There are three ways you can search for Instagram filters.

If you want to use Instagram Story filters and have them working correctly, the first thing to do is to check if your app is updated.

Search for the Instagram Story filters on the authors' pages

If you know the author of the Instagram Story filter you want to use, then you can find it in a couple of taps. Just go to their profile page and choose the tab with sparkles. There you will find all the filters this user created.

Go to the user's Instagram page to find and use a filter they made:

  1. Go to the filters tab.
  2. Choose a filter.
  3. Tap the Try it button.
If you don't see the button, you need to update the app.

Try popular Instagram Story filters:

  • Celebrity Look-Alike by @juliataskaeva
  • Disney by @arnopartissimo
  • 2020 Prediction by @filippo.soccini
  • 'Friends' by @natali.zmi

Search for the Story filters in the Instagram camera

Of course, you are unlikely to remember the author who created that very Instagram Story filter you saw back then. So, you may use another way to search for it. 

In the Instagram camera, you will find trendy Reel and Story filters. Open it by swiping to the left from the Home page. Then follow the steps:

  1. Choose Stories or Reels.
  2. Choose a filter.

By default, users only see part of the Instagram filters. If you scroll to the right, you will see more.

At the end, tap the last button to open filters search. Scroll down to explore new and popular effects.

Use the search to find a particular Instagram Story filter or the author. In the same bar, you can type a keyword to find a suitable effect for your Instagram picture or video. 

Adjust your Instagram Story filters

You can mark and unmark filters to save them in the Instagram camera. Thus, you can access them quickly. You won't have to search for them in the future.

Choose a Reel and Story filter, tap the flag near its name to save it in the camera. The flag should get filled with color.

Saved Instagram filters appear on the left from the record button.

Use filters you see in Instagram Stories

If you ever saw a cool filter when swiping through Instagram Stories, and caught yourself thinking "I'd try it", we are happy to say you can use it. 

If a user added an Instagram filter when making a story, you see its name at the top. Tap it if you want to use it. 

Can you create your own Instagram filter?

Yes, you can create your own Instagram filter for Reels and Stories. We suggest you go the proved by many users way and use Spark AR Studio.

This software has a user-friendly interface. There are a lot of templates that makes creating your custom Instagram filter easy. Choose a type, whether it will be an added to the picture object, effect, makeup or background, and then adjust it. 

You can create a new Instagram filter for fun. Share them with friends.

But custom filters can also be used as a marketing tool on Instagram. Brands should definitely try it. Make a cool Story filter so that users will share it. Some people will go to your page and subscribe. Thus, you get fame and new followers. 

Looks at the examples of Instagram filters created by brands:

More filters for your Instagram in mobile apps

Despite the variety of Instagram filters, you may miss the one you need. Use other photo editing apps to make aesthetic pictures for the feed. There you can add effects and adjust colors too.

PhotoDirector 

Photo Director is a multipurpose app. It is easy to use. You can get a lot of animated photo effects for your images. The advantages include: fun photo effects, simple white balance and color adjustments.

AirBrush

The application has a wide range of features for photo editing. Use it to add fun or aesthetic filters to your Instagram photos, change skin tan, remove pimples or blemishes, whiten your teeth. All these can be done with a couple of clicks to make your image perfect. 

AfterFocus

This application has several effects that you won't find among Instagram filters. Use it to blur a part of your picture. You can choose the area that will be in focus. This setting is very accurate, you mark the area with a brush.

VSCO

This is a legend among mobile photo editors. If you are keen on editing photos, you probably heard about it. We are talking about VSCO.

VSCO has all the necessary tools to work on the images from a mobile device. In addition to different accurate settings, there are also filters that you can use for your Instagram photos. They are called presets in the app.

The most popular filters are:

  • HB2 adds contrast to a photo. It can improve the image quality and fix a too pale or faded picture.
  • J2 filter is used for correcting photos that you want to post on Instagram but can't because they are too bright. This preset adds dark shades to photos.  
  • M5 is a vintage filter, but it's different from what you can find on Instagram. It highlights the image and adds brown shades to it.  

Use Instagram filters for good

Instagram filters improve your photos and videos. They make them more aesthetic or fun. You can choose from a variety of options for any taste. If you are a brand, they are a good influence on your whole marketing strategy.

If this immense variety is not enough, you can always use other apps and software. With them, you have almost unlimited opportunities for photo editing.

When you use Instagram filters, don't forget to keep it reasonable. Applying too many effects may make the photo look bad. Besides, when it comes to your photos, users appreciate posting your real image. 

If you like creating the beauty, you may want to try the Section design tool on your link in bio page. Adorn it right now!