Using Instagram’s basic editor is easy and adds some flair to your stories. But if you want to be extra and add even more creativity, these apps should help.
These are all free but there are monthly and yearly subscriptions that unlock each one’s full potential. It’s not mandatory but it sure helps. Here are the apps in no particular order.
Unfold
The templates may already be familiar to most of you since Unfold has been used by a lot of people. You can choose from several templates including classic, film, or ripped paper. Inside the app, you can create a “story” and add several pages so you can export them all at once. Aside from changing background color (or texture), you can also add stickers, texts (font selection is a tad limited), and even GIFs.
With Made, you’ll get templates not just limited to classic, film, and ripped paper as there are also travel boards, golden frames, and more. What’s great is the selection of photo filters and page backgrounds — glitters, marble, wood, paper, food, you name it. You can even add your photos as the background proving how versatile the app is. The text editor is a bit tricky as you can’t resize it as freely as Unfold, but its font selection is still a great addition.
Nichi is your best pick if you want your stories to look more like a journal. Aside from various paper textures and organic-looking graphics, you can also change your photo filters between film, polaroid, and other retro-styled choices. The font system isn’t limited to English letters as it supports Korean, Japanese, and Chinese characters. Best of all? The template board isn’t fixed as you can freely resize assets depending on your liking.
Just like Unfold, this app also has the versatility of adding texts and videos. But unlike the apps aforementioned, you get more free fonts, graphics, and templates, even without additional subscription. You can even add your own graphics (such as logos) and install your own fonts — making it more flexible. Each project you make is saved, so that you can re-use the layouts in your future stories.
Canva has been a popular editing website for presentations and print layouts. Now, Canva isn’t limited to computer systems anymore as you can access it across your devices with their app. What’s great with Canva: Stories is the inclusion of free 700 templates and enjoy their quality assets as much as you like. Canva: Stories may not be available yet for the Android system but you can use the regular Canva app as it still has a dedicated Instagram Stories maker with free templates.
The Mojo app is perfect for those who want animated templates — which makes it stand out from the previous apps that all include static layout. There are more than 100 templates to choose from and animated text styles aren’t limited as well. Other than that, you can also customize fonts, colors, sizes, positions, alignments, and many more.
Story Art has huge selections of story templates of more than 1000, including 300+ animated templates. There are also 70+ themes (like film, marble, retro, and minimalism), as well as 100+ highlight covers. Aside from that, it features vintage film filters, and even a VHS camcorder that adds a retro effect to your stories. Just like other layout apps, you can add and customize texts, plus adjust video speed when needed.
There are 500+ static and animated templates alongside 50+ themes (love, summer, travel, memory, among others) when you use StoryChic. Other than that, this app also features several high quality filters to match your story’s mood. There are more than 40 fonts you can select and rotate, plus hundreds of color options and several effects to add context to your stories. Not something most people will use but there’s a blur option for the photos and videos you’ll add.
Just like StoryChic, this app also includes more than 500 photo and video Instagram story templates in various styles such as film, paper, love, collage, and even neon. You can also add backdrop textures to fit your aesthetic. There are 16 fonts that are color customizable. Powerful and unique photo filters are also present, including a vintage selection. Its great reviews prove that you don’t need to break a sweat as its easy and fun to use.
StoryLab consists of over 200 customizable collage and layout templates. You can choose from different styles of frames and borders and supports both photos and videos. Other than that, there are dozens of high-quality background options, even for your highlight cover. Texts, stickers, and filters are the usual features of a layout app but what makes it unique is the inclusion of a unique brush set which you can use to draw over your stories.
Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and TNT have launched the LiveSmart App, a new platform that combines loading, bill payments, exclusive offers, and other everyday transactions in one app.
The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. It is open to Smart, TNT, and subscribers of other mobile networks.
The LiveSmart App gives users access to exclusive deals and savings. These include cashback offers, discounted Smart and TNT data packages, and limited-time access to AI.Smart.
“Filipinos are becoming more deliberate about where they spend and how they can get more value from every peso,” said Lloyd R. Manaloto, FVP and OIC for Smart. “The LiveSmart App is designed to help make those everyday decisions a little smarter, by giving users convenient ways to load, pay bills, and access exclusive savings and offers in one place.”
Exclusive deals and perks
Smart and TNT are rolling out several offers on the LiveSmart App starting September 18.
Smart and TNT subscribers can get 5% cashback when they purchase load or pay their Smart Postpaid bill through the app.
The app also offers data packages at exclusive prices. Smart Prepaid subscribers can get Power All 109 for PHP 105, while TNT subscribers can get Saya All 109 for PHP 105.
Users who download the LiveSmart App may also receive limited-time free access to AI.Smart.
AI.Smart combines multiple AI models, including AWS Nova, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, and Thinking Machines, in one workspace. Users can use it to generate images, create presentations, draft documents and spreadsheets, and get help with schoolwork, content creation, and other projects.
To claim the free AI.Smart credits, users need to tap the AI.Smart banner in the LiveSmart App. They then need to create an AI.Smart account using their Smart or TNT number.
Smart says users can also expect more exclusive deals and perks from lifestyle partners as it expands the LiveSmart App.
Powered by Smart 5G
The LiveSmart App runs on Smart’s network. Smart 5G supports activities such as video streaming, gaming, and real-time social media sharing.
The company said Ookla recently recognized its network for the Best Mobile Video Experience in the Philippines for the first half of 2026. Smart recorded a Video Score of 72.82, which it said was the highest among mobile operators in the country.
The LiveSmart App is now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Users can learn more about the app through Smart’s website.
As an Android user, I’ve been jealous of iPhone users for a while now, but it’s not for the reason you might think. See, I’m ridiculously prone to motion sickness when I’m not driving. So, when I discovered that Apple has a software-based cure called Vehicle Motion Cues, I wanted it immediately. Now, Android does have third-party apps that do the same thing, but they’re not as good as a fully native version. Well, those dark, nauseating days are about to come to an end. Android 17 is finally getting a similar tool called Motion assist.
Before that, let’s rewind for a bit. What do these features do? How can they cure motion sickness?
Whenever you open Vehicle Motion Cues or Motion assist, the interface spawns a series of dots on the screen. These dots respond to movement. For example, if the vehicle turns to the left, the dots also go to the left, mimicking the movement. Without cues like this, the stationary nature of the screen clashes with our brain’s perception of movement. The disparity creates that feeling of nausea. Basically, our eyes are desperately trying to focus on the static screen, but our brains are telling us that we should be seeing motion. Having moving dots reorients our brain and places the phone inside our perception of movement.
Now, you can enable the same feature on your Android 17 device through Settings > All services > Motion assist under Personal & device safety. You can also set it so that the feature turns on automatically when the phone detects that you’re in a moving vehicle. Finally, you can also tweak the shape, color, and opacity of these dots.
Android 17’s Motion assist is rolling out now to compatible devices.
Disney is rolling out its new Disney+ app to markets that have been using a separate, Hotstar-derived version of the service.
The change is already happening across several regions, with Southeast Asia among the markets affected. Disney+ subscribers in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and other countries will transition to the newer app experience as Disney works toward a more unified global platform.
For Philippine subscribers, Disney+ has confirmed that the migration will happen on October 7, 2026.
The company notified subscribers this week that the existing app will eventually be replaced by a new Disney+ app. No action is required yet, and subscribers can continue using the current app until Disney provides further instructions.
The migration is part of a broader effort to bring Disney+ users onto the same core platform.
From Hotstar to a global Disney+ app
The distinction between the old and new experiences goes back to Disney’s international expansion.
Disney used a Hotstar-derived version of its streaming platform in several markets, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, and markets across the Middle East and North Africa.
That version provided a localized Disney+ experience, but it operated separately from the main Disney+ platform used across many other international markets.
Disney began simplifying its streaming brands in 2025. In Southeast Asia, Disney+ Hotstar was rebranded simply as Disney+, while the Star general-entertainment brand was replaced by Hulu. At the time, Disney said the rebrand would bring a more consistent Disney+ experience, although the available content would remain tailored to each market.
The next step is now happening at the app level.
Egypt began moving to the new Disney+ app on September 2, followed by Indonesia on September 3. South Africa is scheduled for September 9, while Thailand is set to follow on September 16. Malaysia and the Philippines are scheduled for October 7.
This makes the Philippine migration part of a much larger transition rather than an isolated local update.
A more familiar Disney+ experience
The new app brings affected markets closer to the current Disney+ experience elsewhere.
Disney redesigned the global app earlier this year with a new For You homepage, improved personalization, redesigned navigation, more prominent profiles, and additional content hubs. Depending on the market and subscription, the interface can also surface Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN sections.
Disney has also been expanding the platform’s international language support. In July, the company added 17 languages, bringing Disney+ to 58 audio languages, with the user interface available in more than 30 languages and subtitles or closed captions available in as many as 42. The expansion included Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
The company has described these updates as part of its effort to make Disney+ a more accessible and localized service for audiences around the world.
The migration also brings practical changes for subscribers.
In the Philippines, Disney says existing subscribers can continue using their current account and subscription. However, profiles, watchlists, and viewing history will not transfer to the new platform. Philippine subscribers will therefore need to set up their profiles and watchlists again after moving to the new app.
The subscription itself does not require an additional charge because of the migration. Existing billing cycles will also remain in place.
The catalog will still depend on where you are
Moving to the global Disney+ app does not mean every country will suddenly receive the same library.
Disney continues to operate its streaming service according to regional content rights. Its own Help Center notes that content availability can differ by country or region, and that some titles may not be available in a subscriber’s current location.
That means a subscriber in the Philippines, for example, will still see a catalog determined by the rights Disney has for the Philippine market. The same applies to subscribers in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, or any other market making the transition.
What is becoming more global is the platform itself.
That brings Disney+ closer to the model used by other major streaming services, where subscribers can use a common app experience across markets while the actual catalog changes depending on where they are.
The distinction is particularly relevant for people who travel. Disney’s global Help Center says subscribers abroad can stream content available in the country or region they are visiting, meaning the service’s location-based availability rules still apply even on the unified platform.
Disney has been signaling this direction for some time. In 2025, the company said its redesigns were leading toward a “fully integrated unified app experience” in 2026. The latest migrations appear to be the next major step toward that goal.
For subscribers in the remaining Hotstar-derived markets, then, the biggest change isn’t necessarily what’s available to watch.
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