How to Add a Story on Instagram from Another Story

Ever see a great Instagram Story that tags your brand and wonder how to get it onto your own profile? Sharing someone else's Story is one of the most effective ways to showcase user-generated content, build powerful social proof, and strengthen your community on the platform. This guide walks you through exactly how to add another person's story to yours, explains what to do when you're not tagged, and offers pro tips to make every reshare a valuable piece of content for your brand.

Sharing a Story You’re Tagged In: The Basics

When someone mentions (@) your account in their Instagram Story, the platform makes it incredibly easy for you to share it with your own audience. This feature is your best friend for amplifying authentic, positive feedback from your community. Think of it as free, high-trust marketing content delivered straight to your inbox.

From a marketing perspective, resharing a tagged story is a non-negotiable best practice. It shows you're listening to and appreciating your audience, encourages more people to tag you in the future, and instantly fills your content calendar with testimonials that are far more powerful than anything you could create yourself.

Step-by-Step: Adding a Mentioned Story to Your Own

The process is simple and takes less than a minute. Here’s a breakdown of exactly what to do when that notification pops up.

1. Check Your Direct Messages (DMs)

When someone tags you in their story, Instagram sends you a notification directly to your DMs. It won't show up in your regular notifications tab where likes and comments appear. Open your DMs and look for the message from the person who tagged you. You’ll see a preview of their story with a special button.

2. Find the "Add this to your story" Button

Right below the Story preview in your DM, you'll see a prominent button that says "Add this to your story." This is your golden ticket. Tap that button, and Instagram will automatically open the Story creation screen with their story ready for you to edit.

3. Customize Your Reshare

This is where you can make the reshared story your own. Simply reposting it is fine, but adding a personal touch makes it much more engaging for your audience. The original story will appear as a movable, resizable sticker on your screen. You can:

• Resize and Reposition: Pinch to make it smaller or larger. Drag it around to find the perfect spot. Many brands make it smaller to leave room for their own background or text.
• Change the Background: Tap the color wheel at the top right to change the background color. If you tap and hold on a color, you can get a color slider for a fully custom shade. You can also upload a photo from your camera roll to use as a background.
• Add Your Own Context: Use the text tool to add your reaction. Something simple like "We love to see it!" or "So glad you enjoyed it!" adds a layer of genuine appreciation.
• Include GIFs, Polls, or More Stickers: Tap the sticker icon to add other engaging elements. A relevant GIF can bring some humor, or a poll could ask your audience, "Have you tried this, too?"
• Give Extra Thanks: Even though they tagged you, it doesn't hurt to add a smaller text box tagging them again with a quick "Thanks, [username]!" This gives them another moment in the spotlight.

4. Publish to Your Story

Once you’re happy with your additions, just hit the "Your Story" button at the bottom left to post it. That’s it! Their content is now live on your profile for your followers to see.

What If You're Not Tagged? Sharing Someone Else's Story

This is where things get a bit trickier. You might see a fantastic story from a partner or customer that you want to share, but they forgot to tag you. For privacy reasons, Instagram does not have a built-in "reshare" button for stories in which you weren't mentioned. However, you still have a few options, each with its own set of rules and etiquette.

Method 1: Screen Record or Screenshot (Use With Caution and Permission)

The quickest technical way to capture a story is by taking a screenshot (for an image) or a screen recording (for a video). While this is easy to do, it comes with a major caveat.

The Golden Rule: Always ask for permission and give clear credit.

Repurposing someone's content without their consent is a serious no-no. It can damage relationships and even lead to bigger issues down the line. Before you post that screenshot, send a quick DM to the original creator. Say something like, "This is an amazing story! Would you mind if we shared it on our profile? We’ll be sure to give you full credit."

Most of the time, they’ll be thrilled and say yes. When you post it, tag their account prominently so your followers know exactly where it came from.

• Pros: Quick and easy.
• Cons: Can result in lower video/image quality. You absolutely must ask for permission.

Method 2: Ask Them to Tag You or Send the Media

This is often the best and most respectful route. Simply DM the person who posted the story and ask if they’d be willing to share the original photo or video file with you. Or, if the story is still live, you could ask them to add a mention sticker on it so you can reshare it natively.

For example: "Hi! We absolutely love the video you posted in your Story. Would you be open to sending us the original file so we can share it with our audience (with full credit, of course)?"

This approach gives you the highest quality version of the content and builds a positive relationship with a fan of your brand.

• Pros: Gives you the original, high-quality media. Builds goodwill.
• Cons: Requires you to wait for a response.

Method 3: Share Their Feed Post in Your Story

Sometimes, people confuse sharing a Story with sharing a feed post. If the content you want to share is a permanent post in their main Instagram grid (not a 24-hour Story), sharing it is much easier.

Assuming their account is public, just tap the paper airplane icon below their post and select "Add post to your story." This creates a clickable link directly to their post, which is great for driving traffic to their page. Keep in mind you can’t do this if their account is set to private.

Best Practices: Turn a Simple Reshare into Great Content

Resharing content isn't just about filling space, it's a strategic move to build your brand identity and community. Here’s how to do it right.

• Don’t Just Repost - React. A raw reshare is a missed opportunity. Always add your own layer of commentary, whether it’s with text, a GIF, or a creative poll. Show your audience that a real person saw the content and cared enough to add a personal touch.
• Stay On-Brand. Even when sharing user-generated content, you can maintain your brand's aesthetic. Use your brand's specific fonts and colors for any text you add. Select GIFs and stickers that align with your brand's personality.
• Turn UGC into a Highlight. Don't let great user-generated content disappear after 24 hours. Create a Story Highlight on your profile titled "Reviews," "Community," "Love," or something similar. Regularly add your best reshared stories here. This creates a permanent gallery of social proof that's visible to anyone who visits your profile.
• Engage Beyond the Reshare. After resharing someone's story, go one step further by replying to their DM. A simple "Thanks so much for sharing this! We really appreciate it" can turn a happy customer into a loyal advocate.
• Reshare Promptly. If someone tags you, try to reshare it within a few hours. A swift response shows you are active and attentive. It also feels more timely and authentic to a story that, by nature, is ephemeral.

Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Add a Story to My Story?

Ever found that the "Add this to your story" button is missing? It’s a common issue, and there are a few usual suspects.

• The Account is Private: If the user who tagged you has a private account, Instagram won’t allow you to share their story with your broader audience, even if you follow them.
• Sharing Has Been Disabled: Instagram users can disable the ability for others to reshare their stories. They might have turned this setting off in their privacy options.
• The Story Has Expired: Stories only last for 24 hours. If you try to share it after it has expired, the option will be gone.
• It Was a "Close Friends" Story: Content shared exclusively with someone's "Close Friends" list cannot be reshared publicly.
• A Glitch in the App: Sometimes, apps just act up. The old reliable advice often works: close and reopen the Instagram app. If that doesn't work, make sure your app is updated to the latest version.

Final Thoughts

Sharing another person's Story on Instagram is a fantastic tool for connection, filling your content calendar with authentic content, and celebrating your community. Whether you're seamlessly sharing a story you were tagged in or respectfully navigating a situation where you weren't, the guiding principles are to add value, show appreciation, and always give credit where it's due.

Juggling all your planned content with spontaneous user shares from Stories can get disorganized quickly. At Postbase, we designed our visual content calendar so you can see your entire social strategy at a glance, helping you plan out your own creative Story and Reel content with clarity. This helps turn the daily chaos of running active social channels into a streamlined, reliable process, giving you more time to focus on what matters most: interacting with your audience.