How to Copy Hashtags on Instagram

Copying a block of hashtags from an Instagram post seems like it should be one of the easiest things to do, yet it can be surprisingly tricky. Whether you want to reuse a successful set from one of your own posts or study the strategy of a competitor, the process isn't always intuitive. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to copy hashtags on Instagram, from quick mobile tricks to organizing them like a pro.

Why Copying Hashtags is a Smart Social Media Strategy

Before we get into the nuts and bolts, let's touch on why this is such a useful skill for anyone managing a social presence. Copying hashtags isn't just about saving a few seconds, it's a foundational part of an effective Instagram strategy.

• Saves Time and Boosts Consistency: If you've found a combination of hashtags that works well for a specific content pillar, save it. You can quickly reuse that proven set for future posts, maintaining consistency and saving yourself from having to research hashtags every single time you post.
• Accelerates Competitor Research: What hashtags are your competitors using to reach their audience? By copying their hashtag lists, you can analyze their strategy, identify trending topics in your niche, and find new opportunities to connect with potential followers.
• Helps You Learn from Influencers: Influencers who have built a large, engaged following often have a dialed-in hashtag strategy. Copying and studying their choices can give you valuable insights into what resonates with the audience you're trying to reach.
• Organizes Your Own Strategy: The first step to building a structured hashtag library is to gather your resources. By copying effective hashtag blocks (from your own posts and others), you can start organizing them into tiered lists for different types of content.

Simply put, knowing how to copy hashtags turns Instagram into a rich source of data, giving you the building blocks for a smarter, more efficient content plan.

The Easiest Method: Copying Hashtags on a Desktop

Let's start with the most straightforward method. If you're at a computer, this is by far the quickest and cleanest way to copy hashtags from any public Instagram post, whether it’s your own or someone else's.

The Instagram mobile app is designed for viewing, not for a lot of text manipulation. The desktop browser experience, however, is much more flexible.

Step-by-Step Guide for Desktop:

1. Open Instagram in a Web Browser: Navigate to Instagram.com on your computer and log in to your account.
2. Find the Post: Go to the profile and find the specific post that has the hashtags you want to copy. Click on it to open it in a full view.
3. Locate the Hashtags: The block of hashtags will typically be in the post's caption or, as is common practice, in the first comment right below the caption.
4. Highlight and Copy: Here’s the simple part. Unlike the mobile app, you can easily click and drag your cursor over the text to highlight the entire block of hashtags. Once highlighted, right-click and select "Copy," or use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+C on Windows, Cmd+C on Mac).
5. Paste and Save Them: Open a Notes app, a Google Doc, a spreadsheet, or any text editor and paste the copied hashtags.

That’s it! No weird workarounds, no screenshots needed. Using the desktop version is the simplest way to grab exactly the text you need friction-free.

How to Copy Hashtags on Your Phone (The Modern Methods)

Most of the time, you're probably scrolling Instagram on your phone. This is where it gets a little more interesting because Instagram's app doesn't allow you to directly highlight and copy text from another user's caption or comments.

Thankfully, modern smartphones have features that get around this limitation. Here are the two best methods for iOS and Android.

Method 1: Using "Live Text" on an iPhone

If you're on an iPhone, the built-in "Live Text" feature is your secret weapon. It allows your phone to recognize and interact with text found in images.

Step-by-Step Guide for iPhone:

1. Take a Screenshot: Find the post with the hashtags you want and take a screenshot. Make sure the entire hashtag block is clearly visible.
2. Open the Screenshot: Go to your Photos app and open the screenshot you just took.
3. Activate Live Text: In the bottom right corner of the image, you should see a small icon of a document with lines of text inside. Tap this icon to activate Live Text. Your phone will immediately highlight all the recognizable text in the picture.
4. Highlight and Copy: Now you can treat the text in the image just like normal text. Long-press on one of the hashtags and then drag the selection handles to highlight the entire block. A "Copy" button will appear. Tap it.
5. Paste and Edit: Open your Notes app or wherever you want to save the hashtags. Paste the text. You may need to do a little cleanup, such as removing usernames or extra words caught in the selection, but the bulk of the work is done in seconds.

Method 2: Using "Google Lens" on an Android

Android users have a similar powerful tool called Google Lens, which is often integrated directly into the photo gallery or Google Photos app.

Step-by-Step Guide for Android:

1. Take a Screenshot: Just like on iPhone, find the hashtags you need and capture them with a screenshot.
2. Open with Google Lens: Go to your photo gallery (often Google Photos) and open the screenshot. At the bottom of the screen, you should see several options, including a "Lens" button. Tap it.
3. Select the Text: Google Lens will analyze the image. Tap on the "Text" option at the bottom. It will automatically highlight all the text it finds.
4. Highlight and Copy: You can then long-press on the hashtag text and adjust the selection to grab exactly what you need. Tap the "Copy text" button that appears at the bottom.
5. Paste and Organize: Head over to your notes or document app and paste the hashtags. A quick review and cleanup might be necessary, but this method neatly lifts the text from the image for you.

Beyond Just Copying: How to Manage and Organize Your Hashtags

Getting your hands on a list of hashtags is only the first step. To use them effectively, you need a system. Blindly pasting a list of 30 hashtags from a mega-influencer onto your small business account's post is often a recipe for poor results. An influencer's huge audience can make a very broad hashtag work, but your smaller, more niche audience may need something more targeted.

Curate, Don't Just Collect

Once you’ve copied a list of hashtags, analyze them:

• Check Relevance: Are these hashtags actually relevant to your specific image, video, and caption? Instagram's algorithm favors relevance. If the hashtags don't match the content, you won't get good reach.
• Look at Hashtag Size: Tap on each hashtag to see how many posts are associated with it. A good strategy often involves a mix:
  • Broad Hashtags (1M+ posts): Use one or two to tap into major trends (e.g., #socialmediamarketing).
  • Niche Hashtags (50k - 500k posts): Use a larger group of these to reach a more targeted, engaged audience (e.g., #organicsocialgrowth).
  • Community/Branded Hashtags (<,10k posts): Include your own branded hashtag or a hyper-niche community tag (e.g., #[YourBrand]Tips, #austinsmallbusiness).
• Remove Irrelevant Tags: If you copied from a competitor, they might be using location-specific or event-specific hashtags that don't apply to you. Ditch them.

Creating and Storing Your Hashtag Lists

Repeatedly copying and pasting from old posts or screenshots is inefficient. Instead, create curated hashtag "sets" that you can grab in a second.

Where to Store Your Hashtag Groups:

1. The Notes App: The simplest solution. Create a new note titled "Instagram Hashtags" and build out your curated sets. You can categorize them by topic, such as "Social Media Tips Hashtags," "Content Creation Hashtags," or "Short-Form Video Hashtags."
2. Google Docs or Sheets: For a more organized approach, use a spreadsheet. You can have columns for the hashtag, its post count, its category, and notes on its effectiveness. This lets you build a powerful, searchable database over time.
3. Text Shortcuts on Your Phone: This is a pro-level time-saver. Both iPhone and Android allow you to create text replacement shortcuts.
   • On an iPhone: Go to Settings >, General >, Keyboard >, Text Replacement. Tap the "+" icon. In the "Phrase" field, paste a full block of your curated hashtags. In the "Shortcut" field, type a short, memorable code like "ighash1". Now, whenever you type "ighash1" and hit space, the entire block of hashtags will automatically appear.
   • On an Android (varies by keyboard): The steps are similar. On Gboard, go to Settings >, Dictionary >, Personal dictionary. Choose your language, tap the "+" icon, and add your hashtag block as the "Word" and a short code as the "Shortcut."

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to copy and manage hashtags is a foundational skill that takes your Instagram strategy from reactive to proactive. By efficiently researching what works for you and others in your space, you can save time, improve your reach, and build a more consistent and impactful brand presence. The key is to move from just copying to curating, organizing, and deploying your hashtags with purpose.

As our team built Postbase, we wanted to solve these small but time-consuming daily tasks. Instead of juggling notes apps or typing out text shortcuts, we included a feature for saved hashtag groups. You can create different sets for all your content pillars, and when you're scheduling a post, you can add a perfectly curated block of 30 hashtags with a single click. It's one of those quality-of-life features we created to help you focus more on strategy and less on repetitive copying and pasting.