To repurpose Instagram content, use the features Instagram documents: share a post, reel or story to Facebook, turn a story into a feed post (iPhone app only), keep a story in Highlights, test a new cut of an idea with non-followers as a trial reel, share to your Close Friends list, invite a collaborator, finish the video in the Edits app, or download your reel. The eight ways below each come with the steps and limits that Instagram's Help Center states.
Way 1: Share it to Facebook
Instagram has three separate Help Center pages for this, one each for posts, reels and stories. All three need your Instagram and Facebook profiles in the same Accounts Center (Instagram calls it a Meta Account in the story page).
Posts: Instagram's page says to upload or take a photo or video, scroll down before sharing, tap Also share on..., turn on the toggle next to your Facebook Page's name, tap Back, then tap Share. Posts you share this way appear as a post in your Facebook Feed and profile. The page also describes automatic sharing: in Accounts Center, under Connected experiences and Sharing across profiles, turn on Your Instagram posts.
Reels: Instagram's page says this feature isn't available to everyone. Its steps: record a reel (on Android, tap Next when you're ready to share), then before sharing tap the toggle next to the Facebook account you want to share to (on Android, scroll down to find it), choose whether to share all future reels or only the current one, and tap Share. It says you can only share a reel when you create it, and that it appears as a reel on Facebook. If you haven't selected a default audience for reels on Facebook, that audience follows your Instagram privacy setting: public if the Instagram account is public, friends on Facebook if it is private. If you are under 18, it defaults to friends on Facebook. The page also notes that your followers on Instagram may not be the same as your friends on Facebook.
Stories: Instagram's page says to start creating a story, tap Next, tap Sharing options below Your Story, choose Share to Facebook every time or Share once, then tap Share. A shared story appears as a story at the top of your Facebook Feed.
Instagram's page says the ability to share posts from a personal Instagram profile to a Facebook Page is no longer available. To share to a Page you need a professional Instagram profile, full control of the Page and the two connected.
One limit to know before you plan paid promotion: Instagram's page on boosting reels says reels that have already been shared to Facebook can't be boosted.
Way 2: Turn a story into a feed post
A story disappears from your profile after 24 hours, according to Instagram's page on sharing to your story, unless you add it to your profile as a highlight. If a story did well, Instagram's page says you can share it as a post. This works only in the Instagram app for iPhone: the Help Center says "This feature isn't available on the Android app." On iPhone:
- Go to your story by tapping Your story at the top of Feed.
- Tap More in the bottom right of the photo or video.
- Tap Share as Post...
- Crop your photo, choose to add effects or filters, then tap Next.
- Add captions and your location, then tap Share.
Instagram says photos and videos you share from your story to Feed appear on your profile grid and have the same visibility as your other posts.
Going the other way, the Help Center page on sharing a post from Feed to your story applies to someone's post, and says you can only share it if their account is public and they allow resharing. We found no Instagram page that gives steps for sending your own reel to your own story, so this guide does not list one.
Way 3: Keep a story in Highlights
Instagram's page on Highlights says you can add stories to appear on your profile as highlights, even after they disappear. To add a story to an existing highlight:
- Tap your profile picture to open your profile, then tap it again in the top left to see your story.
- Tap More in the bottom right of the story (on Android, skip this step: Highlight sits in the bottom right).
- Tap Highlight and choose the highlight.
To start a new one, tap New on your profile (or Story highlight), select the stories, tap Next, tap Edit cover to choose a cover and enter a name, then tap Add on iPhone or Done on Android. The page says stories stay visible as highlights until you remove them, and that people you have allowed to see your story can also see your highlights. For a longer walkthrough see UpGrow's guide to Instagram Stories highlights.
Way 4: Show it to a different audience with Close Friends
Close Friends lets the same kind of content reach a smaller group. Instagram's page says that once you create a Close Friends list, you can share your story with only the people on it: tap Create or swipe right in Feed, choose Story, record or pick a photo or video, then tap Close Friends. Stories shared this way disappear after 24 hours, and people on the list will know they are on it.
For reels, Instagram's story page says you may also be able to share a reel with the list. Where you can, its reels page says to tap Create, choose Reel, record or choose clips, tap Next, then tap Audience and select Close Friends before you share. The page says that if someone on your list likes, comments on or shares your reel, others on the list can see their username and how they interacted.
Way 5: Test a new cut of an idea as a trial reel
Trial reels are for testing a new version of an idea, not for re-posting a reel you already shared. Instagram's page says they let you share reels with accounts that do not follow you, and that you can share a trial reel with your followers at any time. The eligibility rules it states are a public account and a minimum number of followers: at least 200 for a professional account, or at least 1,000 for a personal account. It adds that if your public account is ineligible to appear in recommendations, you also lose access to trial reels until it is eligible again; Account Status in your settings shows any limits on your reach.
To share one, record a reel, tap Trial before you share, tap Next, then tap Share. Instagram warns: "Make sure to create a new reel. Your trial reel may get limited reach if Instagram detects that you've previously shared the same content." Our suggestion: re-edit or re-shoot the idea rather than uploading the old file. Your followers won't see it in Feed or Reels, and it does not appear on your profile unless you share it to everyone, though Instagram notes some followers may still see it, for example in a direct message, on a page for the same audio or in search engine results. Instagram says you'll see insights within 24 hours. To share it to everyone, open the reel from your profile, tap View insights, then tap Share to everyone. You can also turn on Share to everyone automatically under Trial settings, which shares it if it performs well soon after you publish, based on signals like views and engagement.
Way 6: Co-publish with another account through Collabs
Collabs puts one post or reel in front of two audiences. Instagram's page says the creator can invite another account as a collaborator, and if the account accepts, its username is added and the post is shared with its followers and shows on its profile. Accepting accounts can see all likes and comments.
Before you publish, tap Tag people, tap Invite collaborator (for reels, Invite collaborators), search for the account, tap it, then tap Done. For posts Instagram says public accounts can invite public or private accounts, while a private account can only invite accounts that follow it. If a public account accepts a private account's invite, the post is shared publicly through that collaborator.
A related setting is remixing. Instagram's page says that for public accounts, anyone can remix your reels, feed videos and photos by default (for users under 18 the default is people you follow), and you can switch it off under Sharing and reuse in your profile menu. UpGrow's guide to using Instagram's Remix feature covers the Remix feature.
Way 7: Finish the video in the Edits app
Edits is Instagram's own video app. Instagram's page says you can start a video project there, download it to your device's camera roll, or share it to Instagram as a reel.
On Android or iPhone, open a project, tap Next, tap Download to save it to your camera roll, and tap Share to Instagram to open the Instagram app and share it as a reel. You can instead save a draft: on the Choose where to share screen tap Instagram, then tap Save draft in Instagram. Instagram says a reel made this way carries an icon showing it was created with Edits. Once you download a video, it is separate from the Edits project, so later changes in Edits won't change the file you already downloaded.
Way 8: Download your own reel
To keep a copy of a reel you are making, Instagram's page on reel drafts gives these steps:
- Tap Next on the reel you're recording.
- Swipe up to edit.
- Swipe left to right, then tap Save at the bottom.
Instagram's page on downloads says that for public accounts, anyone can download your reels unless you change the setting (for users under 18 with public accounts, downloading is off by default), and for private accounts no one can. You control it when you share a reel (Next, More options, then Allow people to download your reels), in your profile menu under Sharing and reuse, or on an individual reel by tapping Options and then Manage.
The same page lists what a downloaded reel carries: an Instagram watermark, your username and audio attribution. It also says downloaded reels aren't allowed to be used for commercial purposes. The page on reel drafts adds that downloading your reel won't save any music you added from the Instagram music library. Check that before you reuse the file elsewhere.
Check the account behind the content
UpGrow's free Instagram audit takes a public username. If you want help growing the audience that sees what you reuse, UpGrow's Instagram growth service targets people you choose and does not need your Instagram password. For the reel basics, see UpGrow's Instagram Reels tutorial.
FAQ
What are the best ways to repurpose Instagram content?
This guide covers eight features that Instagram documents: sharing to Facebook, turning a story into a post, Highlights, Close Friends, trial reels, Collabs, the Edits app and downloading a reel. In our view, which fits depends on whether you want a new audience, a longer life for a story, or a file for another place.
Can I turn an Instagram Story into a post?
Yes, in the Instagram app for iPhone; the Help Center says the feature isn't available on the Android app. Instagram's page says to open your story, tap More, tap Share as Post..., add effects and a caption, and tap Share. It then appears on your profile grid.
Can I share an Instagram reel to Facebook later?
Instagram's page says you can only share a reel to Facebook when you create it. You can switch on automatic sharing of future reels in Accounts Center.
Does a downloaded reel keep its music?
Instagram says downloading your reel won't save music you added from the Instagram music library. Downloaded reels include a watermark, your username and audio attribution.
Who can see a trial reel?
Instagram says a trial reel is shown to accounts that don't follow you, and your followers won't see it in Feed or Reels unless you share it to everyone, though some may still see it through a direct message, an audio page or search engine results. Instagram also says to create a new reel, because a trial reel may get limited reach if it repeats content you've already shared.
