AR Effects for Instagram Stories are a fun way to add some creativity to your posts, and a guaranteed way to stand out from the crowd.
And now that anyone can create and publish Instagram Stories filters on Instagram, there are so many cool new effects for you to try out on your stories.
Ready to wow your followers on Instagram? Here are our top 13 fun AR effects for Instagram Stories:
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #1: “Jackie” by @danmollervfx
If you’re looking for bold and beautiful AR designs, look no further than digital artist Dan Moller.
Moller has built a strong following around his creative designs — which range from drag queen inspired makeovers in “Lewks”, to hyper-realistic butterflies in “Mariposas”.
But it’s Moller’s Warhol-inspired AR effect “Jackie” that makes our top 13 list — it’s standout, iconic, and we love it!
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #2: “no.mango” by @basphi
Visual artist and motion designer Philipp Basler brings together his love of line drawings and AR to create some seriously on-trend Instagram filters.
Basler often uses his trademark hand-drawn style in his AR filters, creating a memorable and fun effect.
Although we’re coveting all of Basler’s work, our standout favorite is “no.mango”, which reminds us of a modern-day Kandinsky interpretation!
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #3: “Full bloom” by @martinamartian
When it comes to illustrated floral designs, Sydney-born designer and artist Martina Martian is setting the AR agenda!
From bright little stickers to twirling daisies, Martian’s AR designs are both fun and charming.
Her AR effect “Full bloom” makes our hot list as it’s already a firm favorite with lifestyle influencers across the globe — plus it’s super cute!
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #4: “SELF_LOVE//” by @fcvkrender
Self-taught digital artist based Frederic Duquette is known for his “sharp architectural geometry, beaming future landscapes, and brilliant crystalline arrangements.”
Duquette’s Instagram AR effects are reflective of this, with geometric shapes and crystals that remind us of video games from the 90s — but better.
Our must-try? Duquette’s “SELF-LOVE//” filter, which is a bejeweled purple delight for your face.
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #5: “Internet Love” by @wrld.space
While many of the designers on our list have a more futuristic aesthetic, Los Angeles-based creative Clay Weishaar offers a uniquely “millennial” style of AR effects — one that’s filled with donuts, unicorns, internet memes, and pizza!
With over 50+ AR filters on Instagram and counting, Weishaar is one of the most prolific AR creators.
But it’s her candy crown filter “Internet Love” that really captures our hearts.
With individual love heart memos including “DM Me”, “@ Me”, and “Follow Me”, Weishaar secures her spot as the queen of the millennial mindset.
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #6: “holo_ninja” by @liamo.studio
When it comes to hyper-futuristic AR effects, London-based menswear and graphic designer Liam O’Neill is your go-to guy.
He even has a website where he promotes all of his filters — which is something we’re seeing more of from popular AR effects creators on Instagram and Facebook.
O’Neill has dozens of amazing AR effects that are well worth checking out, but our favorite is “holo-ninja” — which does exactly what it says on the tin.
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Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #7: “CHROMADYNAMICA” by @felipepantone
Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone is well-known for his 80s- and 90s-inspired frescoes that have appeared on walls such as the Mesa Contemporary Arts Center and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
But his reputation as a street artist might soon be outdone by his incredible AR effects for Instagram Stories, which incorporate a mixture of graffiti, neon gradients, and geometric abstraction.
Pantone’s clear dedication to the concept of ultradynamism (and the way he portrays this through his art and AR) is just one reason why “CHROMADYNAMICA” makes our top list.
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #8: “Save The Planet Mask” by @ineslongevial
Painter and illustrator Inès Longevial is primarily known for her geometric paintings of the female form.
More recently, the French artist has been making waves with her Instagram AR face filters — which typically feature bright doodles or scribbles with a crayon-like texture.
Her most recent AR effect has a powerful message too. The “Save The Planet Mask” allows users to wear their hearts on their sleeves — and faces — as they pledge their allegiance to save the planet.
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #9: “Dragon Muse 4000” by @allanberger
Allan Berger was only accepted into Facebook’s closed beta of Spark AR Studio in mid-January, but the artist has already made a big impact on Instagram — and grown a *huge* following thanks to his unique AR effects.
In an interview with Lenlist, Berger described how quickly his community grew once he started sharing his effects on Instagram.
“In January, I had around 2,700 people following my account,” he said. Today, he has over 325,000 followers.
And it’s not surprising. Berger’s work is technically advanced and universally appealing. From face slimming filters (“Wow”) to glitter glows (“SUPERBLING”) there’s an AR effect for everyone.
Our favorite? “Dragon Muse 4000”. It’s medieval and mystical — and we’re here for it.
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #10: “Space Face” by @filt.ar
Creator Tristan, from @filt.ar, is one-to-watch for 2019.
Alongside his conceptual work, Tristan creates beautiful face filters that sit perfectly across facial contours — which is no mean feat when it comes to creating an AR effect.
Which is why we’ve chosen to hero Tristan’s “Space Face” AR effect in this roundup.
With a gorgeous collection of stars and planets, we’re in love with this spacey face filter!
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #11: “Neon II” by @nahir.esper
With over 1.2M followers on Instagram, Argentinian photographer and creative Nahir Esper is a big hitter in the world of AR filters.
From hand-drawn outlines to bright floral borders, Esper knows what makes a popular filter.
Her neon-inspired designs are both unique and provocative — which is why “Neon II” secures a spot in our top 13 Instagram AR effects.
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #12: “Gasolina” by @johwska
Berlin-based Johanna Jaskowska is best known for her “Beauty3000” AR effect, which many credit with igniting the AR craze on Instagram.
Since then, Jaskowska has been busy pioneering many of the futuristic trends you see across Instagram.
All of Jaskowska’s designs are note-worthy, but if we had to pick just one it would be “Gasolina”.
It’s the perfect combination of AR-cool!
Fun AR Effect for Instagram Stories #13: “Groovy, baby” by @itscovl
D’ana Nunez of COVL (Craft, Onward, Versatility, and Lifestyle) is a South Florida designer who creates bold and colorful effects for Instagram Stories, including her “Groovy, baby” filter that pays homage to the psychedelic aesthetic of the ’70s.
Tthis filter was inspired by a recent trip to Palm Springs and infuse the “vibrant and fun style of COVL with Palm Springs’ history and aesthetic.”
It’s fun, it’s colorful… it’s “groovy, baby”.
How to Find and Add AR Effects to Your Instagram Stories
Now that Spark AR Studio is open to everyone, Instagram has made it even easier to find and add AR effects to your Instagram Stories:
#1: Discover AR Effects Through the Effects Gallery
You can now discover thousands of AR effects through Instagram’s new Effects Gallery!
The Effects Gallery is categorized to make searching for AR effects as easy as possible — with categories such as: “Moods”, “Causes”, “Selfies”, “Love”, “Funny”, and “Camera Styles”.
To access the Effects Gallery, tap the Instagram Stories face filter icon and then scroll right to the very end of your effects tray.
You should see an option to “Browse more effects”. Tap this icon to open the Effects Gallery and start discovering a whole bunch of new AR effects!
#2: Add AR Effects Directly from a Content Creator’s Profile
If you’re looking for all of the AR effects by a specific creator, you can find them by tapping the new face filter icon on their Instagram profile page.
This will open up a preview panel of every AR effect they’ve made with Spark AR Studio.
For each effect you can watch a demo video, try it out with your front-facing camera, or save it to your camera for easy access in Instagram Stories!
Facebook’s Spark AR Studio has already attracted a ton of talented artists and designers who are truly leaving their mark on Instagram Stories — and we only expect this number to grow now anyone can upload their AR effects on Instagram!
So now’s the time to level-up your Instagram Stories game and start using some of these super-cool and on-trend filters and effects to your posts!
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