In this post, we show you how to repost an Instagram story, including how to repost an Instagram story when not tagged.
After a series of 2026 updates, we’ve reviewed the best approach, along with hidden tools and alternatives for different scenarios.
Instagram engagement increases by 28% when your followers interact with a mix of user-generated content (UGC) and brand messages.
Publishing high-quality Instagram content can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. But you don’t always have to create new stories and posts. You can repost an Instagram story instead
However, reposting on the Instagram app has some limitations and rules. Getting it right is important so you don’t damage your brand reputation.
Until recently, Instagram was fine with reposts. However, Instagram’s now cracking down on “unoriginal content”, and sadly, that includes reposts. Here is what you need to know:
So, this means you can still use the information in this article. But don’t go over 10 reposts in a 30-day period.
Instagram limits reposting a story to stories that you are actually tagged in. If you have not been tagged in a story, your best bet would be to use a screen recording app or the feature available on all iPhones to record the story and then repost it.
If you have been tagged, you simply go to the story, select 'Add to your story' to repost it to your own. Instagram makes this pretty simple by sending you a mention when you are tagged in a story.
The video below guides you through this step-by-step:
Other features that come close to reposting a story would be reposting a reel instead. You can post any account's posts or reels to your story, unless their account is private or they have specifically toggled the option to prevent others from reposting their content (Source: Sendible's Guide on How to Schedule Instagram Stories).
If the account is public and reposting is allowed, it would look something like this. The screenshot below is when we tried sharing a reel on Sendible's account from another account:
Alongside this option, you will also see other options when you select the three dots next to the reel, including saving the post, remixing it, and adding it to a sequence.
Another option is to repost stories of your own that are now archived. You can go to the archive in your account and select the share button, as shown below, to get the option to 'Share as post..' or share it as a Facebook post if you have an active presence there as well.
This is a great way to push content that did well out again and give it a second life.
While you are reposting a story from another account or an archived reel from your own, you have the option to give it a fresh look by adding text, stickers, or music, as seen below:
As you probably know, you can also repost your own stories to your highlights to expand reach and keep good content findable after the story expires. You can only do this for your own stories at the moment, as seen in the screenshot below:
If reposts are part of your social media content calendar, you might encounter some issues.
These are the five most common problems we see users run into when trying to repost stories on Instagram, with some solutions worth trying:
Common reasons why this has happened are that the user did not tag you properly, the original poster of the story has disabled resharing, or has set their privacy settings to private for their entire account.
A workaround is. Check your own app settings, confirm the same with the original poster, or, as a last resort, use a screen recording with permission from the original account.
This is when the 'repost to story' button is not showing up on your end, even after being tagged.
The reasons for this happening are similar to the first issue:
Instagram offers different reposting options depending on what account you and the original creator have. This can be a bit confusing, so we created this quick comparison table:
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The original post has a personal account: |
The original post has a business or creator account |
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They will be able to tag other accounts, but might have resharing restrictions enabled. |
This account type allows resharing under the default settings. |
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Private personal accounts restrict resharing completely |
Being mentioned (read: tagged) will automatically unlock the 'Add to story' button. |
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Mentions from private accounts might only appear as previews in DMs. |
These accounts are also more reliable across regions, updates, and different devices. |
This issue normally comes down to restrictions, such as the original user using licensed music or the music being used having rights restrictions in your region. In this case, the best option is to use different music when reposting.
This happens when the story includes a link sticker that redirects users to another website. In some cases, Instagram limits the use of this sticker.
This might happen if the link is protected by age or region restrictions, the original story had promotional guidelines enabled, or the URL is being reviewed as third-party content, sometimes by Instagram.
A workaround is to use your own link sticker pointing to the same URL, provided the URL itself works, or to add a different type of CTA, such as a QR code.
When reposting someone else’s content on your account (user-generated content (UGC) or creator content), a major concern is obtaining permission and crediting the creator correctly.
Instagram’s Community Guidelines say you should only share content that you have taken or have the right to share, so it’s crucial to ask for permission if the content doesn’t fall into those two brackets.
To avoid falling foul of these rules and not being able to reach Instagram users, give proper credit with your caption and tag the original creator in the Instagram posts or Instagram Stories.
Whether you’re a small business, a creator, or a mid-size to large brand, don’t repost without either permission or tagging/crediting.
Fashion retailer ASOS, using the #AsSeenOnMe hashtag, changed the eCommerce UGC game. It launched this campaign in 2014 and is still going strong. When you run a campaign like this, you can publish simple T&Cs that grant permission for people to post pictures, videos, Stories, and Reels using branded hashtags. In this scenario, permission is granted by default.
However, if that’s not the case, it’s always best practice to ask permission before reposting anything. The best way to reach out to a creator or anyone you want to repost content from is to direct message (DM) them.
💡 Pro Tip: Start by following them; otherwise, your message may go to Requests or Hidden Requests (spam, basically) and not be seen. Here’s an outreach template you can use:
When sharing content from influencers and their customers to Stories, Sephora clearly tags creators.
Reposting content at the right time can boost engagement and extend your reach on Instagram. Whether you’re sharing a feed post to your Story or reposting a Story from another account, here are key ways to do this:
A strong reposting strategy ensures your audience sees valuable content in multiple formats, increasing engagement and interaction.
Reposting an Instagram Story when you’ve been tagged is simple.
If someone tags you (or a brand, company you’re managing as a social media manager) in their Story, Instagram automatically sends you a direct message that includes the Story. From there, you can easily share it with your own followers. Here’s how:
This method works only for Stories where you've been mentioned. If you want to share a Story you weren’t tagged in, you’ll need to use alternative methods like taking a screenshot or using a third-party app. We cover all of those methods in this article.
Benefit from Sendible’s Instagram features: Schedule and share a range of Instagram content formats at optimal times, use the right hashtags, and manage your community.
Under Instagram’s rules, getting written or verbal permission to share the post first is important. Use the sample message above to ensure you get all the right information from users. Once you’ve got permission, there are two ways you can repost a story:
Getting permission when sharing a feed photo or video in your Instagram Story isn't as important, since the platform automatically tags the original creator.
When you’ve found a photo or Instagram video you think your audience would enjoy, take the following steps:
Bonus points if you make it extra engaging for the audience and ask them if the feed post was truly the best out of the bunch.
Instagram Reels are a powerful way to reach new audiences, especially through the Explore page. If you find a Reel that aligns with your brand or resonates with your audience, you can easily share it on your Instagram Story.
Here’s how:
Ready to include Instagram Story reposts in your social media strategy? Here are some top tips to help you get the most out of resharing content.
Reposting content can often result in less-than-stellar image quality, especially if you’re taking screenshots or screen recordings of the posts you want to reshare. If you find that the quality is suffering, try requesting the original files from the creator.
This works particularly well if it’s someone you’ve worked with or collaborated with in the past.
There are so many masterful content creators out there who are probably posting about your brand.
Most of the time, their photos look professional, as they take them from incredible angles and retouch them with filters like Instagram Photoshop actions. This is why having a wealth of user-generated content to tap can help plug the gaps when your own production levels are low. Curate customer-created posts by:
Instagram is built on people supporting one another.
That’s why hashtags like #FollowForFollow and others are so popular. You could say the same is even more true of Threads.
So, when it comes to reposting, make sure to either get permission or tag the original creator (and, if they’re a professional, pay them if possible, or say thank you in another way, like sending a gift voucher or a free product).
Ensure your followers and customers feel valued by acknowledging profiles that have mentioned you in their stories, and by sending a quick thank-you message or commenting as your brand on the original post.
Instagram Stories has a bottomless library of fun GIFs, emojis, music, and additional features like polls, check-ins, and tags that can level up your reshares.
Try adding your own stamp to posts, videos, and Instagram stories you repost, using text and visuals in your brand colours and voice.
Here’s a tutorial for inspo:
The Instagram Highlights feature groups your stories and keeps them on your profile longer than the standard 24 hours.
If the stories, photos, and videos you’re reposting to your Instagram Story are particularly useful or follow a similar theme, why not group them into topics under their own Highlight?
This makes it easy for your followers to find relevant, curated content for a more engaging experience.
Why just share a Reel or Feed Post to your Story when you can spice it up with a relatable comment written by you or another follower?
Instagram's new feature lets you share any comment from a public account's Reel or Post directly to your Story. This can help boost engagement by encouraging more comments, sharing social proof more interactively, or re-promoting a post.
Follow these steps to share a comment and personalise your story:
This feature is similar to TikTok and YouTube Shorts, which allow users to respond to comments with videos, encouraging more interaction and increasing reach.
Now, when you find a comment you love, you can easily share it and add a personal touch to prolong the life of your Instagram content.
Reposting to Instagram Story is a great way to increase your following, share customer-created content, and boost your Instagram engagement.
But it’s important to get it right. Give credit where it’s due, and ask for permission if you need it before reposting an Instagram story.
Curate user-generated content, add your own stamp to your reposts with a sticker, text, and GIF, and create Story Highlights to immortalise shared content on your profile.
Use our Instagram Audit Checklist to uncover optimisation opportunities on your profile and identify the best ways to incorporate reposts into your social media strategy.
You can then use Sendible's analytics feature to see which posts are generating the most engagement, allowing you to put more effort into the strategies that are working best.
Benefit from Sendible’s Instagram features: Schedule and share a range of Instagram content formats at optimal times, use the right hashtags, and manage your community.