How Do You Repost Someone Else's Reel to Your Instagram

The quick answer: use Instagram's built-in Repost or Remix feature, or share the reel to your Story with credit, rather than downloading it and reuploading it as your own. Instagram folded its separate Repost app functionality directly into the main app, and it is now the only method I recommend to clients.

Why this matters more than people think

I run social accounts for brands and I still see agencies screen record a competitor's reel, strip the watermark with an app, and repost it as native content. That's not a grey area, it's a copyright and platform policy breach, and Instagram's enforcement on stripped-watermark reposts got noticeably stricter through 2026. Accounts that do this repeatedly get reach throttled even before a formal strike, because Instagram's system flags re-uploaded video that matches an existing file in its library.

The good news is Instagram gives you three legitimate ways to reshare someone's reel, and two of them take less effort than downloading and re-editing ever did.

I've gone deeper on this in Why Is My Instagram Story Not Uploading.

Method one: the Repost button

Open the reel you want to share, tap the paper plane share icon, and look for "Repost" in the sheet that opens (it sits near Share to Story and Send). Tapping it adds the reel to a Reposts tab on your profile, credited back to the original creator with their username shown on the video itself. Your followers see it in their feed exactly like a regular reel, but it always carries the creator's tag and links straight back to their profile. This is the cleanest option because you can't accidentally strip attribution; Instagram builds it into the post.

Not every reel has Repost enabled. Creators can switch it off in their own settings under Settings, then Content Sharing, then Sharing and Reposts. If you don't see the option, that creator has opted out and reposting isn't available for that piece of content, full stop.

Method two: Remix

Remix is for when you want to react to, duet with, or build on someone's reel rather than just reshare it unchanged. Tap the three dots on the reel, choose Remix, and you'll get a split-screen or reaction layout where the original plays alongside your own camera. This is what most creators really want when they say "repost this," because it adds your own reaction or commentary rather than just copying the clip. Remix keeps the original creator's audio and video intact and automatically tags them.

Method three: Share to your Story, with credit

If a reel doesn't have Repost enabled, the fallback is sharing it to your Story via the paper plane icon, then adding your own tag if Instagram's auto-credit sticker doesn't already appear. Stories only stay up for 24 hours unless you add them to Highlights, so this suits a quick shoutout more than a permanent addition to your grid.

A step-by-step for doing this right

1. Message the creator first if you plan to build a business around their content, even though the platform tools don't legally require it for a single repost. A quick "loved this, sharing it to my page" costs nothing and builds goodwill.
2. Tap the share icon on the reel and check whether Repost appears.
3. If it does, tap Repost and add your own caption underneath; you can still say why you're sharing it, you just can't remove their name from the video itself.
4. If it doesn't, use Remix to add your own voice, or share to Story with a manual credit tag.
5. Never download a reel through a third party app and reupload it as a fresh post. That strips the metadata Instagram uses to detect the original, which is exactly what gets accounts flagged.
6. Check your Reposts tab periodically. Instagram lets the original creator remove your repost at any point, and you'll want to know if that's happened rather than have a dead post sitting on your grid.

What counts as fair use and what doesn't

A lot of the confusion here comes from people mixing up "fair use" with "platform policy," and they're not the same thing. Fair use is a legal defence that might apply if you're commenting on, critiquing, or reviewing a clip in a truly transformative way, and even then it's decided case by case in court, not by an Instagram algorithm. Platform policy is Instagram's own rulebook, and it's stricter and simpler: if you upload someone else's video as your own content without using its repost tools or getting explicit permission, that's a violation regardless of whether a fair use argument might theoretically hold up. For a small business or a solo creator, the practical answer is the same either way: use Repost, use Remix, or ask first. Don't rely on a fair use argument to defend a reupload, because Instagram's enforcement doesn't weigh legal nuance, it just looks for matching video files.

There's one more wrinkle worth knowing if you manage a brand account: even with permission from the original creator, you still need to follow Instagram's own attribution requirements if you're using Repost or Remix, since those tools automatically tag the source. If a creator sends you their video file directly and asks you to post it, that's a different situation entirely, closer to licensed content than a repost, and you should still credit them in your caption even though the platform's auto-tag won't apply.

When it makes sense to ask for permission directly

Repost and Remix cover casual sharing well, but if you're a brand wanting to use a creator's reel in paid ads, on your website, or across multiple posts, you need their explicit written permission regardless of what Instagram's native tools allow. I've negotiated usage rights for clients wanting to run a creator's organic reel as a paid ad, and the going rate for a single reel's usage rights for a 30 day paid campaign in the UK market has typically sat between 150 and 400 pounds depending on the creator's following, separate from any fee for making the content in the first place. Instagram's Repost feature does not grant you advertising rights. It only covers organic resharing on your own profile.

What happened when a client tried the shortcut anyway

A small ecommerce client I worked with in early 2026 had a social manager downloading competitor and influencer reels through a third party saver site, cropping out the watermark, and posting them as original content twice a week. It worked for about six weeks: decent reach, no complaints. Then two creators reported the account within the same fortnight, Instagram removed both reels for copyright, and the account's reach on unrelated original posts dropped by roughly a third for nearly a month afterward. That's the part people don't expect: the penalty doesn't stay contained to the offending post, it drags down the whole account's distribution while Instagram's system treats you as a higher risk uploader.

The part that's uncomfortable but true

Reposting someone else's reel, even with perfect credit, rarely builds your own account the way people hope it will. The algorithm favours original uploads, and a repost sits in a separate Reposts tab that most profile visitors never scroll to. If you're building a content strategy around resharing other people's reels, you're spending effort on content that mostly benefits the original creator's reach, not yours. It's fine as an occasional curation tool or a way to credit someone whose work you want your audience to see, but it is not a content strategy on its own, and I'd tell any client leaning on it that they need original reels doing most of the heavy lifting.

I have written more around this on the site: How Do You Repost Someone Else’s Reel to Your Instagram (Without Getting Flagged), How Do You Download Instagram Story Highlights To Your Device, How To Delete An Instagram Story You Have Posted.

Frequently asked questions

Can I repost a reel without the creator knowing?

Technically yes if Repost is enabled, since it doesn't send them a notification the way a tag does, but their username stays visible on the video and they'll see it in their own notifications if it gets meaningful reach. Messaging them first is good practice even when it isn't required.

Does reposting a reel hurt my account's reach?

A single credited repost through Instagram's own tool won't hurt you. Repeated stripped-watermark reuploads through third party apps are what triggers reduced distribution and potential removal.

What's the difference between Repost and Remix?

Repost shares the reel unchanged with credit attached. Remix lets you add your own video alongside the original, which is better when you want to react, duet, or add commentary rather than just reshare.

Why can't I find the Repost option on some reels?

The creator has turned off reposting for their account under Settings, Content Sharing, Sharing and Reposts. When that's off, your only options are Remix (if enabled) or sharing to your own Story with a manual credit.