How to change instagram color scheme
How to Change Your Instagram Chat Themes and Colors
Variety is the spice of life. Or so the saying goes. So, it's a good thing that Instagram lets you change the themes and colors of your Instagram chats. It means you can liven up your DMs.
Previously, the closest you could get to tweaking the appearance of your Instagram chats was by activating Dark Mode. But that got boring quickly. Now, thanks to chat themes, messaging on Instagram has become a lot more fun, customizable, and visually appealing.
In this article, we explain how to use Instagram chat themes to liven up your DMs. And in case you can't get chat themes working on your Instagram account, we also offer some troubleshooting tips.
Update Your Instagram DMs to Access Themes
First, check that you have the latest version of Instagram installed on your device. Go to the Apple App Store (for iOS devices) or Google Play Store (for Android devices) and check if there's an update available for Instagram.
Once in the respective app stores, simply search for Instagram, and if you see an Update option on the application page instead of Open, tap it to download and install the latest version of the app. Alternatively, follow the links below to download the latest version.
That's the only way to ensure you're running Instagram's latest version and have access to chat features—you can't manually activate the feature.
After updating, the Direct Messaging (DM) icon will be substituted with the Facebook Messenger icon. Now, you can proceed to use chat themes in your Instagram conversations. If the Direct Messaging icon persists, check out our troubleshooting guide at the bottom of the article. Along with chat themes, you should check out other things you didn't know you could do on Instagram.
Download: Instagram for Android | iOS (Free)
How to Change Instagram Chat Themes
Now that you've got access to chat themes, you can start customizing your DM inbox.
Follow the steps below to customize your Instagram DMs with chat themes.
- Launch Instagram and tap the messaging/DM icon in the top-right corner of the app.
- Next, open a chat that you want to change.
- Tap the profile name to open the Chat settings menu.
- In the Chat Settings section, select Theme.
- Choose a preferred theme in the Themes section. Or, if you want, choose a color in the Colors and Gradients section.
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Changing your Instagram chat themes is just the tip of the iceberg, here's everything you need to know about Instagram DMs.
How Chat Themes Change the Look of Your Instagram DMs
When you choose a theme, the chat background/wallpaper will be changed to a preset image or art, while the color of your text bubbles will be modified to a shade that matches the background.
So if you want more customization, change your Instagram chat theme. You also don't need to download Instagram chat themes—they are available by default.
You should note that the wallpaper change takes effect for both parties in the chat. So, if your friend gets a little artistic and modifies the chat theme of your conversation on their Instagram app, the change will also be reflected on your end.
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This could cause confusion or conflict if you both want to use different themes or colors and can't agree on one. Chat themes work on both personal and group chats. However, they are not available on the web version of Instagram.
How Colors and Gradients Change the Look of Your Instagram DMs
Colors and gradients only change the color of your text bubble. The receiver's text bubble and background color will remain unchanged in your chat window.
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Each time a chat theme is changed, Instagram notifies both parties in the conversation via a message in the chat window.
Selecting Change Theme from the notification message allows you to swiftly change chat themes or color gradients without going to the chat details page.
What to Do if Your Instagram Chat Themes Aren't Working
If you can't change your Instagram chat themes, there are some simple ways to fix any potential issues.
As mentioned earlier, you may have to update your Instagram messaging to use chat themes. If your DM icon stays the same as the old one, close the app and relaunch.
Remember, you don't need to download Instagram again. Everything is handled in the background, and you'll be up and running in the blink of an eye.
If that doesn't work, try these fixes instead.
1. Clear Instagram's Cache (Android Only)
Accumulated cache files sometimes cause apps to malfunction. If you're experiencing problems updating Instagram messaging or using chat themes, delete the cache data for the Instagram app and try again.
- Go to Settings and tap Apps & notifications.
- Select See All Apps.
- Locate Instagram on the list of the App info page.
- Tap Storage & cache and click the Clear cache icon.
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Since Android devices use different skins of the Android OS, specific steps may vary for your phone. Your Android version might also be different.
2. Restart Your Device
You may be able to squash any device-related snags preventing chat themes from reflecting on the Instagram app by restarting your phone. Like the adage says: "Have you tried turning it off and on again?"
Restart your phone, and when the operating system has fully rebooted, launch Instagram and check if you can now use chat themes.
3. Log Out of Your Instagram Account
Finally, you can try logging out of your Instagram account. Follow these steps:
- Tap the profile icon in the bottom-left corner of the app.
- Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top-right corner and select Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Settings page and tap Log out [account name].
- Tap Remember on the pop-up prompt to save your login credentials on your device, if asked.
- Finally, click Log Out.
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Close and then reopen Instagram. Log back into your account and check if chat themes are now working correctly.
Put an End to Boring Instagram Chats
The default Instagram background and chat bubbles are bland. Chat themes let you treat your Instagram DMs like a canvas. So, why not splash on some color and get creative. That way, even if your friends are boring you, you'll have something nice to look at.
However, since these changes are reflected both on your side and the person on the other end, it might be a good idea not to change chat themes often or without consulting the other party.
How to Change Your Instagram Theme (The Easy Way!)
It’s spring cleaning season 🧹, and this year we’re cleaning up more than our closets. If you’ve been scrolling through your Instagram profile feeling a little uninspired, it might be time to change your theme on Instagram.
An Instagram theme change takes some planning and foresight 🧐.
Whether you’re planning to change the dominant color or filter of your photos, or you want to completely reimagine your content, it will take a well-executed transition and a clear new direction to avoid losing followers.
Today we’re talking about how to change your theme on Instagram: dos and don’ts, the essential tools, the best methods, and how to get your theme scheduled and ready to post.
How to Change Your Instagram Theme (Dos and Don’ts)
You can change your Instagram theme without losing that beautiful feed you’ve planned so carefully, as long as you follow a few guidelines.
- DO: Plan your new theme in advance.
- DO: Prepare a full 9-grid of daily content to post after your transition to push the old theme down.
- DON’T: Change your theme randomly with no plan and no new content lined up.
- DON’T: Pick a theme that doesn’t match your typical content color or styles—unless you’re changing everything!
How to Change Instagram Theme Color and Style in 5 Steps
From an idea to a spotless new 9-grid, there’s only five simple steps!💡
But before we get started, let’s think about your goal with your new Instagram theme.
Are you making a gradual change with the seasons so your feed feels current? 🍃🌸☀️
Are you changing your theme to highlight a specific campaign, product, or content shift? Are you switching to a new way of editing photos? Or are you just looking to mix up your Instagram color theme?
Establishing why you’re changing your theme will help you figure out the best way to transition and communicate the shift to your followers.
For example, a gradual season change should feel seamless to your followers the way real season changes do.
But a pivot to highlight a piece of content or a brand shift should draw attention, you’ll want your followers to notice the change right away.
Step 1: Choose Your New Instagram Feed Colors
The first step to changing your Instagram theme is choosing your new color palette 🎨.
Having your new colors in mind will help you decide the best way to transition.
In this example, @alilabelle switched from a film-inspired, washed-out color palette, to a pinker, brighter palette.
She was able to slowly incorporate film photos with more and more pink to ease the transition to her final theme.
Step 2: Decide How You’re Going to Transition Your Instagram Feed Theme
After you’ve picked your color palette, it’s time to plan the in-between.
Whether you want a transition that signals to your followers that you’re changing the theme, or you want a more seamless and gradual transition, planning ahead of time will make sure the right effect comes across.
The following methods are our favorite for transitioning your theme:
Method 1: Use Instagram Theme Dividers
Instagram theme dividers are a row of three photos that show up in your Instagram feed between themes, giving a stark contrast between when your old theme ended and the new one began.
The dividers can be three white images, a photo split into three images, or any other set of images that are set apart from the rest of your feed.
You can find Instagram theme dividers by searching #themedivider on Instagram or Pinterest!
Or you can make your own with an app like PhotoSplit for Instagram.
A theme divider is the best method if your new theme is very different than the old theme, or if you’re trying to draw attention to a particular campaign or event.
Method 2: Change Your Instagram Theme with a Bridge Photo
A bridge photo is the first photo you post when you start a theme change. It has colors from your old theme and your new theme, so it connects the two and makes the change look seamless.
In this example, @kaylynweir has a primarily orange theme, but she uses a few bridge photos with blue and orange featured prominently.
These photos allow her to sprinkle in photos that are predominately blue, like her photos of the ocean, without them looking wonky and out of place in her feed.
Method 3: Blend In Your New Instagram Color Theme Gradually
If you want the least disruption to your feed, you can do a gradual change to a new theme.
This method takes the most foresight and planning your Instagram grid, but it can lead to a satisfying scroll through your feed.
A gradual change works well for slight shifts in a theme like changing your theme along with the seasons, or for a change in filter.
In this example, @designlovefest moved from a pastel, pink color palette to a brighter and bluer palette by slowly posting images with more colors.
She transitions from pink to multicolor, before landing in a blue theme.
Step 3: Gather the Tools You Need to Change Your Instagram Theme
Before you start the change, you’ll want to get all your ducks in a row. 🦆🦆🦆
First, you’ll need a 9-grid planning app like Tailwind for Instagram.
This will help you see what your feed will look like when you add new photos, so you can try out different methods for changing your Instagram theme and see what looks best.
Then, depending on how you decide to transition your theme, you might need a few more tools like:
- New presets or color filters
- Apps to edit your photos in your new style
- Theme dividers or a photo-splitting app
Step 4: Plan Out Content for Your New Feed Theme in Advance
Along with those tools, you’ll need your content at the ready!
Before you start changing your theme, you want to have at least 9 photos or videos prepared. Why? You want your new theme can come to life quickly.
Posting a photo from your new theme every day will push your old feed out of the way faster.
Your followers will see your new grid take shape. Plus, the transition will be less obvious as it gets buried by new photos.
Tailwind’s scheduling tool is the perfect place to get your photos, captions, and hashtags ready to go as you’re planning content.
Step 5: Post Your New Instagram Feed Theme to Instagram
It’s time! Launch your new theme by scheduling your theme transition and new 9-grid in Tailwind for Instagram.
With Tailwind, you can see how your photos will look in the feed. You can also prepare captions and hashtags, and schedule your post!
Our Smart Schedule tool will automatically post photos at the best time of day. This gives you more exposure with less guesswork!
Your new feed will be scheduled in no time, then you can sit back and watch it take shape. 👍
Start a Free Trial of Tailwind for Instagram!
- Schedule photos and videos directly to your Instagram feed with Auto Post.
- Optimize every post for more engagement with SmartSchedule and Hashtag Finder.
- Automatically hide your post’s hashtags in the first comment to keep your caption clean & clutter-free.
- Make your posts more discoverable with user tagging & location tagging.
- Analyze what's working across every post and profile with smart analytics.
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Color palette for Instagram - how to create it using templates, services and specialists
A harmonious combination of account colors helps the client to form the right impression about the company, product and product. It is important to choose the right shades and midtones that will combine or complement each other. When people land on a profile page, the first thing they notice is the visual. It affects the trust and interest of potential customers.
Therefore, do not forget to choose the right colors and shades for your page. And to make it easier, we have collected tips, tricks and rules in this article.
Characteristics and properties of color
Start choosing a palette by looking for the feeling that the design should evoke. For most people, certain shades are associated with certain character traits and moods.
To work with color correctly, it is worth understanding the structure a little. Each color has:
- Tone . Basic color specification. If you represent all the colors in the form of a diagram, then each place in the circle of colors will mean a tone.
- Brightness . The degree of illumination of the object. The more light hits, the brighter.
- Saturation . tone level. You can say saturation or juiciness.
We will not dwell on this in more detail, because we need to choose a palette, and not study the whole theory :-)
Types of color harmonies
To make it easier to create a color palette for Instagram *, you can use one of 4 basic color schemes:
- Monochrome .
You can use several shades of the same color of different depths to compose the color palette of your Instagram* profile. Harmony here is based on the fact that the derivative of the entire palette is one color. - Triad . Three colors are taken from different parts of the circle. The main requirement is that they must be connected by the vertices of the triangles in the center of the circle and form a triangle.
- Contrast . Take two colors that are on opposite sides of the circle.
- Analogue . Mix one color with neighbors in a circle.
- Tetrad . They take 4 colors that can be combined into a rectangle if placed on a circle.
If you use one of several proposed schemes, the color combinations for your Instagram* account are harmonious and pleasant.
To make it easier to understand the principle of construction, here is a screen from the ColorScheme online constructor, which we will talk about below.
Color selection for a brand: tables of associations and combinations
We recommend building a color palette for Instagram * not on your wishes, but on meanings and associations which colors should evoke buyers. Below we will analyze what to rely on when choosing.
Brand association table
First, select the primary colors that will be associated with the brand. Usually choose 1-2 colors. If there are a lot of them, it will be quite difficult to sort out this mess.
What to think about before choosing a color:
- Determine the brand values . How can you describe your company? For example: stylish, elegant, modern, or vice versa simple, eco-friendly, soft.
- What emotions does the brand or product evoke in customers . It can be: convenience, softness, practicality, security, pleasure, comfort and others.
Then we look for those colors that can match the selected words. For example, luxury is often associated with gold and white. For the right selection, you can study color theory or pay attention to our table.
Color association table
| Color | Meaning | Meaning |
| Red | Energy, courage and confidence. But sometimes it is perceived as a threat and danger, so you should think carefully before using it in a bright way. | Able to stimulate appetite, so it is often used in the restaurant business. |
| Orange | Energy, sensuality, abundance, sunshine and love of life. | Accounts related to goods for children and animals, topics related to their arrangement, pleasure and comfort. Also suitable for mass market. |
| Yellow | Friendliness, optimism, confidence, cheerfulness. | Pleasure and entertainment goods. |
| Green | Peace, comfort, tenderness, tranquility, harmony. | A good choice for accounts that focus on the principles of healthy lifestyle, ecology and food safety. |
| Blue and light blue | Calm, cold, logic, peace, rest, safety. | Suitable for personal profiles of psychologists, lawyers, teachers, payment system or bank. |
| Purple | Charm, dignity, majesty, sophistication. | Exotic and mysterious - the basis of the account. Astrologers, creative blogs, divination, paraphernalia and unusual goods. |
| Black | Dignity, efficiency, hardness, durability. | Premium goods, expensive products, men's goods, sports, gadgets, cars. |
| White | Peace, clarity, happiness, hygiene, innocence. | Eco-brands, thematic blogs. |
| Gold and silver | Wealth, sophistication, rigor, elegance. | Jewelry, exclusive products and services, high value goods, perfumes. |
Shade combination chart
Some basic colors can be easily combined using a simple chart. If you use it, the color palette for Instagram* will look harmonious.
| Basic colors | Harmonizing | Non-harmonious |
| Red | Green, blue, bluish green, golden yellow, gray | Violet, brick, brown, chestnut, reddish yellow |
| Pink | Bordeaux, brown, gray | Blue, red, chestnut, lilac |
| Orange | Sky blue, green, violet, mauve, brown, white | Red |
| Brown | Beige, greenish blue, grey, golden | Bordeaux, chestnut, lilac, pink |
| Yellow | Green, brown, gold | Bordeaux, pink |
| Blue | Red, brown, blue, orange, light purple | Bordeaux, dark purple, lilac |
| Blue | Red, grey, golden, burgundy | Green, lilac, pink, brown |
| Purple | Gold, yellow, orange, light green, green, herbal, seawater | Brick red |
| Lilac | Grey, chestnut, light purple, green | Blue, brick, red, burgundy, gold, pink |
| Bordeaux | Green, blue-green, grey, pink, blue | Lilac, chestnut, red, gold |
| Gray | Black, green, red, blue, pink, yellow, sky blue | Brown, beige |
Color Association Chart
Another cheat sheet to help you create your Instagram color palette*.
Color temperature and associations also often influence buyers.
| Color | Temperature | Distance | Humidity | Sound | Nature |
| Red | hot | close | dry | loud | fire, blood, wine |
| Orange | warm | close | dry | loud | flame, orange, autumn |
| Yellow | warm | close | dry | ringing | sun, sunflower, desert |
| Green | neutral | undefined | neutral | calm | spring, tree, grass, swamp |
| Blue | cool | distant | wet | quiet | coolness, air, electricity, ice |
| Blue | cold | distant | wet | quiet | water, sea, cold |
| Purple | cold | distant | wet | quiet | lilac, violet, space |
| White | cool | close | neutral | quiet | milk, day, gold |
| Gray | cold | retiring | wet | quiet | ashes, old age, dust, silver |
| Black | cold | distant | dry | sharp | night, coal, abyss |
How to determine the color palette for an Instagram* account
Instagram* is primarily a visual social network, so the quality of your profile visual plays a huge role.
It is important to think in advance which visual concept you are following. If you have already published posts, but just now you are thinking about how to create a color palette for Instagram * - it does not matter. Let's start creating a new visual right now. And for this we offer 3 ways at once.
For more cool visual tricks, see our article How to Create a Beautiful Instagram Visual* in 2022.
Fast: using templates
When you need to quickly come up with several options for color combinations for your Instagram* account, you can simply use ready-made templates from thematic websites.
One such site is Pinterest. Here you can find many harmonious combinations and choose the right ones for yourself. Type in the search line "color palette" in Russian or English. You will see thousands of beautiful harmonious combinations, each of which can be used in your profile.
A convenient built-in tool for creating a visual is in SMMplanner - so all posts can be quickly and easily created through this delayed posting service.
When you register using the link to SMMplanner, you will get free access to all features for 2 weeks - try it!
The new "Canvas" section in SMMplanner is a free analogue of Canva and resembles the service that left Russia in terms of functionality. It has ready-made templates and background options - you can choose a suitable photo background, a solid background, or completely remove the background from the design. The tool is available on all autoposting service plans, including a limited free version.
For more information on how to prepare posts for publication using templates, see our article Designing posts on Instagram* using templates and programs.
Simple: using online services
If you already have at least 9 posts in your feed, you can choose a color palette and think about the content of further posts. To create a palette, you can use the following services:
- Coolors.
co; - Gradients.app;
- Color.adobe.com.
In any of the offered services, we make a screen of our feed and upload it to the site. It analyzes and suggests a palette of 5 colors that will suit your profile. Each of the services has its own characteristics, it is worth trying all.
Let's try to build a color palette using the Gradients service.
Uploading an image to the siteAfter uploading, the site immediately highlights the main colors of the palette, and also helps to choose bright ones among them, which will help emphasize individual details and attract attention.
You can not only look at the main colors of the picture, but also download them together with the paletteIn addition, the site offers colors with numbers for different profile blocks: for background, text, muted elements, and even opposite ones - for contrast frames.
The reverse side of the palette can also be used in some casesInteresting: with the help of services
If there are no posts or you want to choose a new uniform style for your profile, you can use online services for building a color scheme, for example Colorscheme.
When you have decided on the main colors that will characterize your brand, you can start to form a color palette yourself.
Choose the appropriate color scheme: mono, contrast, triad or other, which we talked about above. For example, take a triad and choose blue. The service itself will arrange the colors corresponding to the triad. It turned out bright, but harmonious.
If you hover over any shade, get its number for further workYou can also see here:
- color wheel;
- color list;
- view diagram;
- light page example;
- dark page example;
- grayscale color model;
- vision simulation (in case your subscribers are visually impaired).
You can also copy the link where the received colors will be permanently stored.
Qualitatively: with the help of a specialist
A longer way is to invite a designer who will create an Instagram color palette* for your company, give you a choice from several options and justify each of his proposals.
Unlike other methods, in collaboration with the master, there is less chance of making a mistake and taking repulsive or incompatible colors. He can create logos for the company, icons that will also be in harmony with the chosen color. But this option is usually much more expensive and takes more time. This is justified mainly for large brands that are willing to spend money on such development. For small and medium-sized businesses, the option of self-modeling a palette using services is quite suitable.
Basic color matching tips
To make your preparation easier, we've put together a few tips to help you along the way.
Profile mood and tone
First of all, you should think about what emotions your page should evoke. Depending on the answer, you can choose, if not specific colors, then at least their brightness and saturation.
If the blog is about aesthetics, melancholy and philosophy, you should choose muted tones, among which there are no bright shades.
For professional blogs, light, beige and cream shades work well. They create a feeling of calm and contentment. Conversely, if you need to create an energetic profile in which subscribers are regularly encouraged to take action, you can look for suitable tones among bright and juicy matching colors. They have a stimulating effect on the psyche.
General style through filters
You can use the same filters to make shots more similar to each other. Choose one filter that suits the style of the company and profile, and use it for each uploaded frame.
And with standalone applications like Lightroom, you can create your own unique filter and use it on your photos. Contrast, brightness, exposure and a few other settings are adjusted, and you're done - every frame in your profile will look unique. But such difficulties are usually chosen by those bloggers or companies that did not fit the filters available on Instagram*. Or those who want to stand out and be very different from others even in filters.
Appropriate fonts and typography
If your profile regularly uses text on pictures - quotes/themes/captions, choose non-typical fonts. Choose the ones that match the style of your account.
The easiest way to find them is through the "Canvas" section in SMMplanner. Everything is here at once: both templates, and fonts, and the convenience of placing any objects in the picture, the ability to experiment with color and upload your own fonts. Posting will become a pleasant experience, not a daily routine :–)
You can also peep beautiful fonts from other bloggers and companies right on Instagram*. For example, it is interesting to watch the posts of Misterdoodle.
We showed you how to create a color palette for Instagram* using templates, services or experts. It's not difficult - you just need to decide what associations your posts should evoke, and start from this. Nobody interferes with trying and experimenting, choosing new combinations and changing old ones.
Use our templates and cheat sheets, choose your style and read more about promoting profiles on our blog :-)
How to Color Scheme Instagram Posts
What's the first thing you notice when you first see an Instagram account? Yes, it can be an avatar, a name. But in most cases, you immediately see photos arranged 3 in a row. And basically it depends on these photos whether the user subscribes to you or not. Today we are going to talk about an Instagram post color scheme that will help you increase your followers and future customers. And how exactly - you will find out in the article.
How to make a beautiful Instagram
We have already talked about why Instagram is a full-fledged business platform. Especially this social network should be on your list if your target audience is young people from 18 to 30 years old. They really appreciate good content and beautiful photos. And properly placed pictures in your profile can give them unreal pleasure, which is impossible not to subscribe to.
Thus, you can significantly increase the audience of your potential customers by adding a post color scheme to your account.
If you've already created an Instagram account, it's time to strategize and draw up a content plan. At this stage, the color scheme of the posts is also prescribed.
Target video course
What is a color scheme?
The post color scheme is the ratio of colors that are used in your profile, from the profile picture to the color of the font in the photos. To make your Instagram popular, you need to think about it in advance.
There are several types of color schemes.
Monochromatic Scheme
If you have the ability to create photos with the same or similar background, it will only play into your hands. Your Instagram will become like a fashion magazine or portal.
Multitone
You can also use multiple colors in your account. But choose colors that are close in type: pastels, brights, darks, light, etc. It is best to draw up a color scheme in advance and stick to it.
The color scheme of the posts alone won't do much for you. Therefore, it must be thought out along with the content plan. Think about what topics would be best placed in a certain place, next to which photos.
Instagram post color scheme tips
- Imagine the whole picture and visualize it
If you decide to use a multi-tone color scheme, it will be difficult to imagine it in your mind. Perhaps on paper. But it is best to use computer programs like Photoshop or KeyNote. There it is best to distribute colors that will be in harmony with the "neighbors". And as a result, you will get a very beautiful profile on Instagram.
- Plan your content right on the color scheme
In this case, you will not only see the color scheme of posts, but also rotate content types, as well as keep track of which post should be done in which color.
