How to repost on Instagram: the short version
Learning how to repost on Instagram takes about ten seconds. Since August 6, 2025, the app has its own Repost button for public Reels and feed posts. You no longer need a screen recorder, a downloader app or a screenshot.
Here is the core action in three moves:
- Open the Instagram app on your phone.
- Go to a public Reel or post you like.
- Tap Repost under it.
Done. The post now sits in the Reposts section of your profile, and the creator's name stays on it. The sections below cover the extras: adding a note, checking it worked, undoing it, and fixing a button that will not show.
If you are new to the feature, our guide to Instagram reposts explains what the button is for and how it differs from sharing.
How to repost on Instagram Reels
A good Reel can suit almost any audience, which makes Reels a natural thing to pass on. Here is how to repost on Instagram Reels, step by step.
- Open the Reels tab, or open the Reel from a profile, a chat or your feed.
- Check the account is public. If it is private, there will be no Repost option.
- Find Repost among the action buttons on the Reel and tap it.
- To add words, tap the bubble next to your profile picture at the bottom left.
- Type your note and tap Save.
You do not upload a copy. Your followers see the creator's own Reel, credited to the creator. Comments people leave on your repost come to you as direct messages.
A tip for Reels: watch to the end before you repost. You are putting your name next to the whole video, not just the first few seconds. A Reel that ends with a sales pitch you do not agree with is not worth the repost.
How to repost on Instagram posts with photos and carousels
Photo posts and carousels use the same button. If you want to know how to repost on Instagram post formats, the steps barely change.
- Open the photo or carousel post in your feed or on the creator's profile.
- Tap Repost among the buttons on the post.
- Add a note with the bubble next to your profile picture, or skip it.
- Tap Save if you wrote a note.
Carousels travel as the creator posted them. A repost points to the creator's post, so your followers see that post, slides and all, with the creator credited.
| Format | Public account needed | What your followers get |
|---|---|---|
| Reel | Yes | The creator's Reel, credited to the creator |
| Single photo | Yes | The creator's photo post, credited to the creator |
| Carousel | Yes | The creator's carousel post, credited to the creator |
How to add a note that people read
The note is your chance to tell followers why the post matters. Most reposts skip it, which is a missed chance. A one-line note turns a bare repost into a recommendation.
Good notes do one of three jobs:
- Name the benefit. "This cut my morning routine to 20 minutes."
- Point to the best part. "Slide 4 is the one to screenshot."
- Tag the audience. "For anyone starting a bakery this year."
Keep it short and keep it about the viewer. "Love this!!" says nothing new. A reason gives people a cause to stop and watch.
Remember where the replies land. Comments people leave on your repost come to you as direct messages. So a note that asks a question can start one-to-one chats with your followers.
How to check your repost worked
After you tap Repost, take ten seconds to confirm it landed.
- Tap your profile picture at the bottom right of the app.
- Open the reposts tab on your profile.
- Find the post in that tab and check your note is there.
If the post is missing, go back to it and look at the Repost button. Tapping it twice by accident undoes the repost, so a quick double tap can leave you with nothing. Tap once and check again.
You can also see every repost in a list under Your activity. To learn both routes and what each one is for, read how to see reposts on Instagram.
How to undo a repost
Removing a repost is as fast as making one. Open the Reel or post you reposted and tap Repost again. It leaves your Reposts tab.
To remove several at once, go to your profile, open the menu, tap Your activity, then Reposts. Select the ones you want gone and tap Delete. This only removes them from your side. The creator's original post stays exactly as it was.
| Goal | Route | Taps |
|---|---|---|
| Remove one repost | Open the post, tap Repost again | 1 |
| Remove many reposts | Profile, menu, Your activity, Reposts, select, Delete | About 6, plus your picks |
| Change a note | Undo the repost, then repost with a new note | 3 or more |
Why is the Repost button missing?
A missing Repost button frustrates a lot of people. Most of the time the cause is one of five things.
- You are on a computer. Reposting is a phone app action. Switch to the Instagram app.
- The account is private. Only public Reels and posts can be reposted.
- The creator switched reposts off. Creators control this under Sharing and reuse. You can only repost when the creator allows it.
- You are looking at a repost. Instagram says you cannot repost a repost. Tap through to the creator's original post.
- The feature has not reached you yet. Instagram's help page warns that the feature is not available to everyone. Update the app and check again later.
The fourth cause trips people up most. When you see a Reel because a friend reposted it, you are looking at their repost. Open the creator's profile and find the original, and the button will be there if reposts are allowed.
Repost or share to your Story: which one to use?
Instagram offers a second way to pass a post on: adding it to your Story. The two suit different goals.
To add a post to your Story, tap Share, then Add to story, then Next, then Share. This only works when the account is public and allows resharing. Story viewers can see who first posted it.
| Repost | Add to Story | |
|---|---|---|
| Stays on your profile | Yes, in the Reposts tab | No, it sits in your Story |
| Shown in followers' feeds | Recommended there, says Meta | Seen by people who open your Story |
| Room for your own words | One short note | Text, stickers and more on the Story |
| Creator's switch | Reposts on posts and reels | Posts and reels to stories |
Use a repost when you want a lasting recommendation on your profile. Use a Story when you want a quick, decorated mention. Many people do both for a post they love.
Reposting etiquette and good habits
The Repost button handles credit for you, but a few habits make you a better neighbour on the app.
- Repost the original. It keeps the credit clean and gives the views to the person who made it.
- Respect a switched-off button. If a creator blocked reposts, do not work around it with a screen recording.
- Curate your tab. Visitors judge your taste from your Reposts tab. Clear out reposts that no longer fit.
- Do not flood feeds. A few strong reposts a week beat twenty in an afternoon.
To understand who sees your repost and how it reaches them, read how do Instagram reposts work. To learn every place a repost lands, from your profile to your messages, see where do Instagram reposts go.
How to get reposts on your own Instagram posts
Once you know how reposting works, you can make it easy for others to repost you. First, check that your account is public and that Reposts on posts and reels is switched on. Then make posts that someone would want to hand to their own followers: clear tips, checklists and short how-tos.
Some creators also give one important post a push. Rizula sells reposts for a single post or Reel, from 100 reposts for $0.99 up to 20,000 for $59.99. You paste the post link into the order form, switch on reposts and see the total before you pay. Rizula never asks for your password. See the reposts section on the homepage for the full price list, and read Meta's spam rules and the US FTC rule on fake social media indicators before you order.