Sharing content you like with followers is a fun way to stay active on social media. But for years, users were frustrated by the inability to repost on Instagram. Then, in August 2025, Instagram launched a feature giving them the ability to repost Reels and image posts to their feeds.
This new tool makes it easier than ever to share content from influencers, news outlets, partners, and customers, giving brands a new way to share social proof and build community on Instagram—no screenshots necessary.
Ahead, learn how to repost Stories and grid posts, and read about the benefits of reposting Instagram content, plus discover alternatives to reposting.
How to repost on Instagram
You can repost any public post to both your grid and Story, unless the original creator has turned off the ability to share their content. Be advised, you’ll need to be tagged in a Story in order to repost it officially (but we’ll walk you through a workaround). As with any type of Instagram post, be mindful of the best time to post on Instagram for your brand in order to maximize engagement.
How to repost to your Instagram feed
When Instagram launched reposts in August 2025, it allowed you to repost public Reels and posts to your grid and in your followers’ feeds. Here’s how to repost an image post or Reel:
Alt: Collage of steps a user sees when reposting an Olipop Instagram post using the repost button.
Caption: Source: Instagram
- Before reposting content, send the creator a direct message to ensure they feel comfortable with you sharing their post. If they give you permission, navigate to the post you want to share, and find the reshare button. It looks like a two-arrow symbol between the message and share buttons.
- Select the reshare button. You’ll then see a bubble appear at the button left of the post. This button lets you add your own text, which will be visible to users who view your repost.
- Select the bubble, then add your message. This could be an Instagram hashtag, a mention, an emoji, or regular text. When you’re done, select Save.
- You’ve now successfully reshared the post. To see it on your grid, navigate to your profile, then toggle to the reposts section of your page underneath your Instagram bio.
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When you click on your repost, it will look like this:
Alt: Screenshot of finalized repost with message.
Caption: Source: Instagram
How to repost to your Instagram Story
Because they are live for only 24 hours, Instagram Stories are a great place to repost content that might look out of place on your curated grid. Here’s how to repost on Stories:
Grid or Reels post
As long as the original poster has a public Instagram account and has toggled on the ability to share their content, it only takes a few steps to reshare a Reel or post to your Story:
- First, find the original post you want to reshare. Click on the paper airplane icon below the Instagram photo. If you’re reposting a Reel, the icon is on the lower right side of the video.
- Select the plus sign that says “Add to Story” on the bottom left corner.
Alt: A collage of steps a user sees sharing a Graza Instagram post using the Add to story feature.
Caption: Source: Instagram
- The post will appear in a draft, enabling you to add text, music, stickers, or other details. Select “Your Story” on the bottom left to publish. Or you can select “Close Friends” on the bottom right to share the Story with a select group of followers.
Alt: Collage of steps sharing an Instagram page with Story editing features.
Caption: Source: Instagram
Tagged Story
When other users tag your account in their Instagram Stories, the Instagram app makes it easy to reshare:
- When someone tags you in an Instagram Story, you receive an automated direct message from the account that tagged you, notifying you and prompting you to repost to your Story. Select the “Add to Your Story” button.
- The Story will appear as a draft, where you can add stickers, music, or text. You can even draw on the Story.
- Select “Your Story” on the bottom left side to repost.
Untagged Story
The Instagram app doesn’t make it as easy to reshare a Story if a user hasn’t tagged you, but there’s a workaround:
- It’s best practice to ask the original creator for permission to repost. Find the Story you want to reshare and DM the user via the text box at the bottom of their content.
Alt: Collage of steps sharing a Tecovas Instagram Story.
Caption: Source: Instagram
- If they give you permission, take a screenshot (if it’s a photo) or screen recording (if it’s a video). For a cleaner look, crop the content to remove the text and icons at the top and bottom. You can also do this when you edit your Story later.
- Select the plus sign at the bottom center of your screen and then choose “Story” from the menu at the bottom of the page. Click the square at the bottom left to open your camera roll.
- Browse your camera roll and select the screenshot or video you want to share.
- If you haven’t cropped your content, you can adjust it now by pinching or pulling on the photo or video to zoom in or out.
- Add any extra details, like music, stickers, or text. You can credit the original poster by typing the @ sign and their username. If you do this, Instagram will show you a list of pages you might want to tag. Select the appropriate one.
- Select “Your Story” on the bottom left side to post.
Benefits of reposting on Instagram
Reposting users’ content can positively impact your Instagram marketing strategy in a number of ways.
Builds community
When you repost Instagram posts from your fans, you build and strengthen your community. Sharing users’ content as a Story or as a feed post on your Instagram grid helps users feel valued, boosting their connection to your brand and cultivating brand loyalty.
Encourage your followers to post shareable content by asking them to include a branded hashtag (which can help you quickly find their content) or by tagging your brand.
Here’s an example from pickle company Good Girl Snacks. The brand reposted a Reel from a user who tagged their company in their caption.
Alt: Hot Girl Pickles reposted Reel from @cornichej.
Caption: Source: Instagram
Provides social proof
Social proof, the psychological phenomenon that describes how others’ opinions affect our views, can influence potential buyers’ purchasing decisions. A customer’s endorsement of your brand or product can appear more authentic and genuine than polished marketing materials.
Here’s an example from cracker brand Firehook. In this repost, the brand showcases a user’s image of a potential use case for their product (a snack plate).
Alt: Firehook repost of photo showing a snack plate.
Caption: Source: Instagram
Adds credibility
If you receive a positive press mention, share it with your followers by reposting it. This often lends credibility to your brand and boosts your brand reputation. Here’s an example from tinned fish company Fishwife, which reposted a Reel from Garden & Gun magazine featuring the brand’s anchovies.
Alt: Garden & Gun Instagram post.
Caption: Source: Instagram
If you launch a brand collaboration with a like-minded company, you can also reshare your partner’s content to lend credibility to your brand. If an Instagram user knows and trusts your partner brand, they might then be more willing to trust you.
Even if a user isn’t familiar with the brand, seeing a company with a massive following on Instagram talk about your products might boost your credibility in the user’s eyes. Know that you can also get verified on Instagram to signal trustworthiness.
Tagging products and directing Instagram users back to your ecommerce site is the best way to make money on Instagram. You can easily set up this feature by installing the Facebook & Instagram app to your Shopify site. Once you install the Facebook & Instagram app, you can also run Instagram ads with tagged products.
Alternatives to reposting
While there are a number of benefits to reposting on Instagram, it’s not necessarily the best way to increase your reach. In the summer of 2024, Instagram announced changes to its algorithm to favor original content over reposts.
While reposting remains a great way to connect with your existing audience, accounts that repost a large amount of content won’t be shown in recommendations, and reposted content in recommendations will be replaced with the original posts. So feel free to make it part of your strategy, but not your entire strategy. Here are a few alternatives to reposting:
Collaborative posts
When you partner with a brand or Instagram influencer, you can create collaborative posts that show up on both of your grids. This can help broaden your reach, because it will be in front of both of your audiences. You’ll also have the benefit of being able to tag products, which can help you sell on Instagram.
Here’s an example of a collaborative post between candle brand Nette NYC, artistic puzzle brand Piecework Puzzles, and nail care brand Tenoverten. This post shares details about a collaborative giveaway, a great way to partner with other brands without needing to co-develop a product.
Alt: Collaborative Instagram post between three brands, with suggestion popup to follow each of them.
Caption: Source: Instagram
Remixes
You can remix content from creators or news outlets to create your own original posts. Just make sure to add enough original content to make it truly your own—and always tag the creator or publisher to give them credit.
Here’s an example from Charlotte Palermino, cofounder of skin care brand Dieux. In this Reel, Charlotte responds to a creator asking “When did beauty become so unattainable?”
Recycled content
If you find success with a particular Instagram post, don’t be afraid to replicate it (or even repost the exact same image or video).
Social media consultant Rachel Karten, who runs the popular newsletter Link in Bio, advocates for this practice: “I am once again reminding you to repost your overperforming content,” Rachel writes in a LinkedIn post, sharing an example from Stanford University. The original 2020 post got 100,000 views. In 2025, Stanford re-shared the exact same content with a new caption: “Still one of the greatest moments in Nobel history.” The repost got three million views.
In addition to helping you court brand engagement, recycling your own content helps you fill in your social media calendar and save time.
Take a look at this example from shellfish brand Island Creek Oysters. Each year, the company uses a crane to move a shed into and out of its oysters farm for harvesting season. Reels showcasing this garner a high number of likes, and the company posts the process twice a year.
“The best brands just actually sort of tell the same stories over and over again in different ways,” Rachel says.
How to repost on Instagram FAQ
How do you repost an Instagram Story you’re not tagged in?
To repost an Instagram Story you’re not tagged in, first send a message to the account owner to obtain permission to repost. Once you have permission, screenshot the Story you want to repost and add it manually to your own Story.
How do you share a post on Instagram?
To share a post on Instagram, select the two-arrow symbol below the post you want to share. You can then add your own message by selecting the bubble that appears at the bottom left of the original post.
How do I enable Story reposting?
To enable Story reposting, navigate to Settings and activity > Sharing, then toggle Story sharing on or off.
