- What "allowed" means here
- The three ways people repost Reels (and which ones are fine)
- My own repost mess (and what it taught me)
- How to repost, step by step
- The bit nobody wants to say out loud
- When reposting can get you in trouble
- Reposting your own content
- A quick checklist before you hit repost
- Frequently asked questions
- Where to check the details
The short version: yes, reposting Reels on Instagram is allowed, both yours and other people's, as long as you use Instagram's own repost feature or get proper permission and credit the original creator. What gets you in trouble isn't reposting itself, it's stripping the watermark, claiming someone else's content as yours, or reposting without asking when the creator has clearly said not to.
What "allowed" means here
Instagram added a native repost feature in 2024 that keeps growing into 2026, and it changed the whole conversation. Before that, reposting meant screen recording someone's Reel, cropping out their username, and hoping nobody noticed. Now Instagram has a proper "Reposts" tab, and when you use it, the original creator gets a notification, their handle stays attached, and the video sits in a dedicated tab on your profile separate from your own content.
So the platform itself has built and endorsed a legal way to share other people's Reels. That's the bit most articles gloss over. They still write as if reposting is some grey area you need to tiptoe around. It isn't, not anymore. Meta wants you resharing content because it keeps people scrolling longer, which is the whole business model.
The three ways people repost Reels (and which ones are fine)
- Native repost through Instagram's tool: tap the paper-plane icon, choose "Repost," it goes to your Reposts tab with full credit intact. This is the safest and cleanest method, full stop.
- Sharing to your Story with credit: you tap the share icon, add it to your Story, and Instagram automatically tags the creator. Fine, expected, and most creators are flattered by it.
- Downloading and re-uploading as your own content: this is where it gets messy. If you're using a third-party app to strip the watermark and post it to your own Reels feed as if you made it, that's a copyright problem, not a grey area.
I want to be blunt about that third one because I see it constantly in the small business and coach space. Someone finds a viral Reel about pricing strategy or morning routines, downloads it, crops the username off the corner, and posts it as their own. That's not repurposing content, that's theft with extra steps.
My own repost mess (and what it taught me)
Back in 2022 I reposted a client testimonial Reel that one of my own team had recorded for us, gave credit in the caption but not in the actual on-screen tag, and within a day the client messaged asking why her face was on my page with no link back to her business. I hadn't stolen anything, the content was ours to use under our agreement, but I'd been sloppy about attribution and it looked bad. She was right to flag it.
Since then I do two things every single time I repost anything, mine or someone else's: I use Instagram's native repost tool when it's available, and if it isn't (say I'm reposting from a screenshot a client sent me), I tag the original account in the caption AND in the video itself using the sticker tool. Two mentions, not one. That single habit change stopped every awkward message I used to get.
How to repost, step by step
- Find the Reel you want to repost and tap the paper-plane share icon under it.
- Look for "Repost" in the menu. If it's there, tap it. Instagram will show you a preview with the original creator's handle attached and a note that they'll be notified.
- Add your own comment or caption above the reposted video if you want to add context, this appears separate from the original caption.
- Post it. It lands in your main feed but also files into your Reposts tab automatically.
- If the native repost option isn't showing (this happens with some business or creator accounts that have opted out), message the creator directly and ask permission before downloading anything.
- Once you have permission, download using an app like Snaptik or SaveInsta, but keep the watermark visible, and tag the original creator clearly on screen and in your caption.
- Never crop the corners to remove the Instagram username watermark. That single edit is what turns a legal repost into a copyright infringement claim waiting to happen.
The bit nobody wants to say out loud
Here's what I've noticed running social accounts for a decade and now watching my own following rebuild from scratch: reposting other people's content rarely grows your account the way people hope it will. I've tested this, not as a theory but as an actual six-week experiment on one of my client's pages in late 2025, alternating original Reels with reposts of relevant industry content, all fully credited and native-reposted. The original Reels averaged 4x the reach and nearly 6x the saves. Instagram's algorithm quietly deprioritises reposted content in front of new audiences because it's optimising for originality signals, not just engagement. You can repost all day long within the rules and still watch your growth stall, because the platform is nudging you, gently but firmly, to make your own stuff.
That doesn't mean don't repost. It means use it for what it's good for: curating useful content for your audience, showing appreciation to peers, sparking conversation, building relationships with other creators who then reshare you back. Don't use it as a shortcut to a content calendar. It isn't one.
When reposting can get you in trouble
- Removing or covering the watermark and username, this is a straightforward copyright violation and Instagram will action a DMCA takedown request almost every time.
- Reposting a creator's content after they've explicitly asked people not to, some accounts state this in their bio, ignore it at your own risk.
- Using someone's face or likeness in a way that implies an endorsement they never gave, particularly risky if you run any kind of business account.
- Reposting copyrighted music or film clips that the original creator themselves didn't have rights to. Yes, this happens more than you'd think, and you can get hit with a strike even if you weren't the one who used it first.
The consequence ladder goes: a polite request to take it down, then a formal copyright strike, then repeated strikes leading to reduced reach or account restrictions, then in the worst cases account suspension. Most people never get past step one because they take the content down the moment someone asks. The people who get punished are the ones who ignore the message and keep the video up.
Reposting your own content
This is the part people forget to ask about. You can and should repost your own Reels, and it's one of the most underused tactics I recommend to clients who feel like they've run out of content ideas. If a Reel did well six months ago, repost it. Instagram doesn't penalise you for reposting your own work, and a large chunk of your current audience never saw it the first time round. I have a Reel about LinkedIn engagement tactics that I've reposted three times over eighteen months, each time with a fresh caption and a slightly different hook in the first three seconds, and each repost has pulled in views close to the original run. New followers don't know it's a repeat. Old followers mostly don't remember either.
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A quick checklist before you hit repost
- Is this my content or someone else's? If someone else's, have I used the native repost tool or gotten explicit permission?
- Is the original creator's username visible and tagged, both in the video and the caption?
- Does the caption say anything false, like implying I made this or that it's my idea?
- Would the original creator be annoyed if they saw this? If you're not sure, ask them.
- Am I reposting because it serves my audience, or because I've run out of ideas and this feels quicker?
For the rest of the series, see the Instagram Help: 81 Guides to Followers, Hashtags, Money, Accounts and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to repost a Reel using Instagram's native repost feature?
No, if a creator's account allows native reposts you can use the built-in tool without asking, since Instagram automatically credits and notifies them. If the option doesn't appear on a Reel, that creator has opted out and you should message them directly before downloading and reposting elsewhere.
Can I get banned for reposting Reels on Instagram?
You won't get banned for a single credited repost, but repeated copyright strikes from removing watermarks or ignoring takedown requests can lead to reduced reach and eventually account suspension.
Does reposting Reels hurt my account's reach?
In my own testing, reposted content averaged noticeably lower reach and saves compared with original Reels on the same account, because Instagram's algorithm favours originality signals. Repost for relationship building and curation, not as your main growth strategy.
Is it fine to repost my own old Reels?
Yes, entirely fine and often underused. Most of your current followers never saw a Reel you posted six or twelve months ago, so reposting your own top performers with a fresh caption or hook can bring in views close to the original run without any risk.
