Instagram continues its recent spree of product improvements with a new feature that lets users add text to photos directly from the post editor, eliminating the need for third-party apps. This update also allows users to overlay pictures on top of other images or carousels as stickers.

Launched on Wednesday, these updates are designed to provide users with “creative flexibility to make content stand out and explore new, more entertaining storytelling with photos and carousels,” according to Instagram’s blog.

Using the new text tools is straightforward: after selecting the image(s) you want to post, simply tap the text button (Aa) to add your desired words. To use a picture as a sticker, tap the gallery button in the top-right corner, and then adjust the sticker’s shape from a square, circle, heart, or star, by tapping on it.

These changes extend to reels where new fonts, effects, and animations have been introduced to make text more dynamic.

This marks Instagram’s third major update in August, following the launch of a Snap Map-like feature test, the song-on-profile feature, and the ability to share up to 20 slides in a single post.

The increase in the number of slides per post aligns with TikTok’s carousel feature, which allows users to include up to 35 photos in a single post. By introducing these updates, Instagram seems intent on maintaining its relevance in a community increasingly dominated by TikTok, which, despite its origins as a short-video platform, is rapidly gaining traction as a photo-centric network.

As of August 2024, 2010-founded Instagram ranks as the fourth most popular social network with 2.35 billion monthly users, while TikTok, launched in 2016, holds the fifth spot with 1.67 billion users.