How to Post a Reel to Your Story on Instagram

Download Article

Plus, learn why some reels can't be shared

Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: August 6, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

Sharing a Reel to Your Story

|

Sharing Longer Reels

|

Troubleshooting

|

Why share reels?

|

FAQ

|

Video

As long as an Instagram reel is public and the creator hasn't turned off post and reel sharing, you can easily share the reel to your story. Whether you want to repost a reel you created on your story or just want to share one you found, just tap the paper airplane icon on the reel to see your sharing options. This guide will walk you through sharing a reel to your story on Instagram using your Android, iPhone, or iPad. We'll also teach you a trick to share longer reels, and help you troubleshoot any problems that arise.

Quickly Share a Reel to Your Story

Tap the paper airplane icon on the reel, then tap Add to story. This option is only available if the creator has a public account and has not turned off post and reel sharing. Choose a section of the reel to share, add story features like text, audio, and stickers, and then tap Your Story to share it.

Section 1 of 5:

Sharing a Reel to Your Instagram Story

Download Article

1
Tap the paper airplane icon to share a reel. You'll find the paper airplane icon at the bottom-right corner of any reel, whether it's one you posted on your own Instagram, or one posted by somebody else.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Not all reels can be shared to your story. If the reel was posted by someone who didn't make the reel public or has disabled sharing, you won't be able to share it.
This creates a new story and displays a preview of the reel.

Advertisement
If you don't want to share the entire reel on your story, use the slider bars at the bottom to select the part you want to share.
4
Tap Your story to share the reel on your story. If you want, you can personalize the story first by adding text, stickers, audio, and effects.
- Want to let the person who created the reel know you've shared it on your story? Tag them by tapping the sticker icon, selecting @mention, and adding their Instagram username.
- By default, when you share a reel to your story, only the first 15 seconds of the reel will play–if the viewer wants to see the rest of the reel, they'll need to tap it. To find out how to share a reel that doesn't cut off after 15 seconds, jump down to Sharing a Full (Longer) Reel.

Section 2 of 5:

Sharing a Full (Longer) Reel

Download Article

Instagram has been testing the ability to play longer reels (up to 60 seconds) in stories for certain accounts. Not everyone can post reels longer than 15 seconds, but if the developers roll this test out to your account, you'll need to make sure you're using the latest version of the app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad.
2
If that doesn't work, download the reel. Unfortunately, the only way around the 15-second length is to save the reel to your phone or tablet, then upload it to your story. When you repost a reel you downloaded, up to 60 seconds will play in your story.^{[2]
X
Research source} There are a few options for downloading the reel:
- If you are the one who posted the reel, or if the person who posted the reel has allowed downloads, tap the paper airplane icon on the reel, then select Download.
- If there is no download option, you can either screen record the reel, or use an Instagram reels downloader.
3
Upload the reel to your story. If you had to download or screen record the reel, sharing it on your story is easy:
- Open Instagram and tap + at the bottom.
- Select Story.
- Tap the thumbnail image at the bottom left to open your gallery or camera roll.
- Select the reel you want to share.
- Adjust the length if needed, then tap Done.
- Edit and post the reel.

Section 3 of 5:

Why can't I share a reel?

Download Article

If someone with a private account posted the reel, you won't be able to share it with others on your Instagram story.
Instagram allows you to prevent people from sharing your posts and reels on stories, even if you have a public account. If the creator turned off this feature, you can't share their reels.

Section 4 of 5:

Why should I share reels to my story?

Download Article

If you're worried your followers might miss the great reel you posted, be sure to share it to your story to get views you may miss otherwise. Some Instagram users mostly stick to the story carousel, so they may not find your reel if you don't share it to your story.^{[3]
X
Research source}
2
Get attention from the person who created the reel. You can share someone else's reel on your story and tag them if you want to connect. As long as your account is public, if you tag the reel's creator, they'll be notified. This is a great way to reach content creators and brands you might want to collaborate with.
- Some creators may be able to see that you shared their reels in their story insights.
If you come across a funny or interesting reel while browsing your feed, share it on your story so your friends can check it out!

Section 5 of 5:

FAQ

Download Article

1
How do I share an Instagram reel on Facebook? To share the reel on Facebook, tap the paper airplane icon on the reel, tap Facebook, then select your Facebook account. The reel will post immediately.
2
Can you see who reposted your reel? Instagram won't tell you which accounts have reposted your reels on their stories, but you can see how many people shared, liked, or commented on it. To find analytics for your reels:^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Tap the Reels tab (the director's clapperboard) at the bottom of Instagram.
- Tap the reel you want to see analytics for.
- Find the number of likes, comments, and shares.
3
How do I allow people to share my reels on their story? You'll need to make your account public, and then make sure post and reel sharing is turned on. Here's how:^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Tap the menu ☰ at the top of your profile.
- Under "Who can see your content," tap Account privacy.
- If "Private Account" is enabled, tap the switch to disable it.
- Tap the back button to return to the previous menu.
- Under "How others can interact with you," tap Sharing and reuse.^{[6]
  X
  Research source}
- If "Posts and reels to stories" is set to the off (gray) position, tap the switch to turn it on.
4
How can I record a reel and not post it right away? You can create a reel in the Instagram app and save it to your drafts instead of making it live. Here's how:^{[7]
X
Research source}
- When you're finished editing, instead of posting the reel, tap Save draft at the bottom.
- To come back to the reel later, tap the Reels tab at the bottom of Instagram, select Drafts, and tap the reel you want to edit.