Instagram was built for social connection. While commenting and liking another account’s post is a great way to show some love, the best way to increase your engagement with other followers is by reposting their photos, videos, and Stories.
So how to repost on Instagram? In this guide, we’ll teach everything you need to know about how to reshare Instagram content.
Since the social media platform announced the addition of Stories in 2016, Stories have become one of the most popular ways to share content on Instagram. So there’s no better way to promote a friend, colleague, or brand you like than reposting their Instagram Story.
Probably the most common reason people want to share someone else’s Instagram Story is that they were tagged in it, which is also referred to as mention sharing.
When an account tags your username in their Story, it becomes visible to everyone who follows them. So their followers — or anyone, if their profile is set to public — can tap on your username and visit your profile. If you’re set to private, then only approved followers will be able to visit your profile.
Stories will only last 24 hours unless the user decides to add the Story to their Highlights. In that case, it will stay on their profile until they remove it.
When someone tags you in a Story, you will receive a notification in your Direct Messages. If someone who you don’t follow mentions your username, a notification is sent to your message requests. At this time, there is no way to remove your username from a person’s Story or prevent them from mentioning you. If you want the Story taken down, you have to report it to Instagram.
If you decide you want to share the Story you’ve been tagged in, follow these instructions:
At this time, mention sharing is only available when the account which posts the Story is public and if they have the Instagram Sharing Story feature enabled.
If someone with a private account tags you in a Story, you’ll still get a notification in your Direct Messages, but you won’t be able to share it. You could, however, screenshot the Story and repost it your Stories. (Instagram doesn’t notify users when you screenshot their Stories.)
Instagram only allows mention sharing on its platform, so it’s only possible to repost a Story you’re tagged in within the app itself.
However, many third-party apps have been created that make it possible to repost virtually any Instagram Story. For this guide, we used Repost for Instagram – Ming, which is free to download on the App Store and has in-app purchases.
Here’s how to repost a Story on Instagram you’re not tagged in using Ming:
Note that this third-party app trick only works if the profile whose Story you’re reposting is public. If the user is private, you won’t be able to paste their profile URL into the Ming app.
Outside of posting to Stories, reposting Instagram posts is another great way to promote an account whose content you’ve been enjoying. Luckily, Instagram has made it easy to repost photos and videos from your feed to your Stories without having to download another app.
At this time, you can only repost an Instagram post to your Story. Here’s how to repost an Instagram post to your Story:
Like many of Instagram’s reposting features, you can only repost someone’s photos or videos if their account is public. If the user has a private account, you can still share the post by sending it as a Direct Message to someone, but you won’t have the option to add it to your Story.
You can also use this feature to repost your own post to your Instagram Story.
If the account is public, not only can you repost the post onto your Story, but you can even include their caption. Here’s how:
When it comes to increasing your followers and getting more traction on your posts, it’s all about increasing engagement. There are tons of different ways to use reposting to get a better engagement rating on the app, so we thought we’d share a few of our favorites.
If your goal is to create a community on Instagram, making a call-to-action for user-generated content is a great way to start. All you have to do is post to your Stories or your feed that you’ll repost content that meets a certain requirement.
A pet bakery seeking to increase its engagement, for example, could ask its followers to tag their account in the cutest photos of their dogs. If you decide to pursue this option, be sure to mention that anyone who tags you will get reposted on your Instagram Story.
If another account has mentioned you in their Story or in a post, a great way to acknowledge that you appreciate it is by reposting it to your Stories. This will not only build camaraderie between you and the person who tagged you, but you’ll also be promoting their profile to the people you follow and vice versa.
Instagram is a sharing network, so don’t be afraid to share.
If a profile is public, you don’t have to follow the account to share their post on your Stories. If you’re looking to follow new people — and grow your Instagram following as well — a great way to start your new virtual friendship is to repost some of their content. Not only will it help them get some visibility with your followers, but they might be inclined to do the same for you.
Reposting (also known as regramming) on Instagram is still a relatively new feature, so we wanted to answer a couple of frequently asked questions.
As long as you give credit to the person who originally made the post you are sharing, reposting is legal. That’s why, when you repost a post to your Story, Instagram automatically has the account’s username displayed under the post. Most third-party apps, like Ming, will also display the username, but you should double-check before posting just to be safe and to avoid breaking any copyright infringement laws.
Instagram’s Terms of Use state the following: “You can’t post private or confidential information or do anything that violates someone else’s rights, including intellectual property.”
In other words, it’s best to always ask for someone’s permission before reposting a Story. Make sure to document their response, if they allow it, just to be safe.
The visibility of your reposted Instagram Story depends on where you posted it and your account settings.
If you posted it to your Close Friends story, then only the people you approved to see that Story can view if. If it’s on your regular Story, then all of your followers can see it. And if your profile is public, anyone who views your profile can also see it. If your profile is private, only your list of followers will see it.
Whether you’re teasing a new post to your feed or promoting someone else’s content, reposting is a great way to increase your engagement and grow your followers on Instagram.