How to Repost a Story on Instagram Even If You're Not Tagged

You’re scrolling through Instagram, watching stories. Maybe it’s a video, a party moment, or something funny you want to share. Your first thought is, “I want to repost this.” But how in the world do you repost anything? Sometimes Instagram provides a straightforward option for reposting. Other times… not so much. Even if you’re not tagged, this guide shows how to repost a story in different situations. Let’s start with the easiest scenario.

If you were tagged in the story

Instagram allows you to repost when someone tags you in their story. You’ll receive a notification in your DMs saying “@username mentioned you in their story.” Tap on that, and to the right underneath the preview of the story, there will be an option saying “Add to your story.” Tap on that and you’ll end up in your own story editor. You can resize the story, add stickers, type on it, add a song, whatever you want. When you’re done, tap “Your story” or “Close friends,” and you’ve reposted. It’s simple, neat, and you get automatic credit from the original poster.

If you are not tagged and it’s a public account

If you want to repost a story from a public profile but are not tagged, you won’t see the “Add to your story” option. However, there are a few things you can try.

• Method A: Share in a DM If the account is public, there should be an airplane icon you can tap. You will then DM the story. You can’t share to your own story this way, but it’s a fast way to share with friends.

• Method B: See if you try “Share to…” Stories will sometimes allow links and sharing. If this happens, you may see “Share to…” with the option of “Your Story”. This usually happens more with reels or posts, but it never hurts to try.

Screenshot or screen record

If the story is public or from someone you follow, but there is no option to share it, this is the old fashioned way. For a picture just take a screenshot. You can crop it and repost on your own story, easy. For a video, open your screen recording feature on your phone. On iPhone, swipe down, tap the red dot, and let it record the video. Then just trim it down and post the new video. It’s usually nice to ask first, especially for more personal content. Even if they don’t tag you, a quick message saying something like “hey, can I repost this?” is polite and keeps things comfortable.

Use a third‑party app or website (public accounts)

Many apps and sites help you download Instagram stories. Most work with public accounts. Some examples are:

• Storysaver.net
• Repost for Instagram
• FastSave
• Instake Just copy the username or story link and paste it into the app. Then, you can download or share it. Just one thing, do not enter your Instagram password on those apps. If an app requires you to log in, that is a warning. You should continue with only safe apps that do not require your log in.

You’re in the story but not tagged

Let’s say someone posted a story from last night and you’re clearly in it, but they forgot to tag you. No big deal. Just ask them to send it to you. Most friends are happy to do it, especially if it’s a cute or fun moment. Or if their account is public, take a screenshot or screen record it. When you repost it, you can tag them yourself to give credit. It’s a small thing, but it goes a long way.

Want to repost a past story?

Maybe you saved someone’s story a few weeks ago and now want to repost it. Or maybe it’s your own story and you want to share it again. For your old stories:

• Go to your archive (tap the three lines in your profile > archive)
• Find the story you want
• Tap “Share” to repost to your story now For other people’s old stories: Unless they’ve saved it to their highlights, it went away after 24 hours. But, if you saved or recorded it, you can manually upload it. Just remember to give credit.

Reposting stories from highlights

If a story is saved in their highlights, you can still try to repost it. If it is a video and their account is public, screen recording works the best. If it is an image, screenshot it, crop it. You can’t repost someone’s highlight unless they tag you. So you have to do it yourself. But it works.

When you repost a story that has music or if it also had music stickers

Instagram can be funny when it comes to music and third-party elements. If you screenshot or record a story that had music, you’re not going to capture the audio. So again, if that is the case, you can repost it with no sound or manually add the music, using Instagram’s story tools. Don’t worry, you can repost the story without the sound. You can also add the caption if you like it. Just tap the sticker icon in the story editor and select “Music”. You won’t find the original track, but it’s something.

Quick tips

• Tag the creator when you repost.
• If it’s personal, ask before sharing.
• Don’t crop or change it in a way that hides who posted it.

Final thoughts

Reposting a story on Instagram is not always easy. Once you learn how, it can be much easier. If you are tagged, take a screenshot, or use an app, I’ll make sure you know how to share it. I mean, someone shared something really nice with you? Reposting it can be one of the nicest ways to say, “thanks for sharing me”. Even the smallest repost can make someone feel valued.