How to Post Saved Reels on Instagram

Trying to find and post a Reel you saved on Instagram can be a little confusing, but it’s definitely doable once you know where to look. Whether you're trying to publish a draft you started earlier or share another creator's amazing video, this guide will walk you through every step. We’ll cover how to find your saved drafts and the best ways to responsibly share Reels you've bookmarked from other accounts.

Understanding the Difference: Drafts vs. Saved Collections

First, it's important to know there are two different ways to "save" a Reel on Instagram, and they function very differently. Getting this straight will save you a lot of frustration.

• Your Drafts: These are unfinished Reels you've started creating yourself. When you edit a Reel and then exit the creation process, Instagram asks if you want to save it as a draft. This saves all your edits - clips, music, text, filters - so you can come back and finish it later. These are private and only you can see them.
• Your Saved Collection: This is Instagram’s bookmarking feature. When you see a Reel from another person that you like, you can tap the bookmark icon to save it to a collection. This is for organizing content you want to reference later, much like a Pinterest board. You cannot directly edit or repost these Reels as your own.

Knowing which type of "saved" Reel you're working with is the first step. Are you trying to finish your own creation, or are you trying to share something great you found?

How to Find and Post Your Saved Drafts (Your Own Unfinished Reels)

You spent time piecing together the perfect video, trimming clips, and finding the right audio. Now it's time to publish it. Finding your drafts is fairly simple once you know the right path.

Step-by-Step Guide to Publishing a Draft Reel

1. Start the Creation Process: Open the Instagram app and tap the plus sign (+) icon at the bottom of your screen to create a new post. From the menu that appears, select "Reel."
2. Locate Your Drafts Folder: On the Reels creation screen (where you'd normally record a video), look for your camera roll icon in the bottom-left corner. Next to it, you should see a folder or icon labeled "Drafts." If you don't see it, it means you don't have any drafts saved. Tap on "Drafts" to view all your saved projects.
3. Select and Edit Your Draft: Tap on the draft video you want to continue working on. This will open the Reel in the editor, with all your previous work intact - your clips, audio, and effects should be just as you left them. From here, you can make any final changes.
   • Add or remove video clips.
   • Adjust the timing of your text overlays.
   • Change the audio track or adjust the volume.
   • Apply a new filter or effect.
4. Prepare to Publish: Once you're happy with your Reel, tap "Next." This will take you to the final share screen, where you can add all the finishing touches that help your Reel get discovered.
5. Optimize Your Caption and Settings: This is your last chance to make your Reel shine before it goes live.
   • Write a compelling caption: Hook your audience and include a call-to-action (e.g., "Comment below with your favorite tip!"). Use keywords your target audience might search for.
   • Add relevant hashtags: Use a mix of broad, niche, and community-specific hashtags (5-8 is a good range) to expand your reach.
   • Edit the cover photo: Tap "Edit cover" on the video thumbnail. You can choose a frame from your video or upload a custom image from your camera roll. A great cover grabs attention in the feed and on your profile grid.
   • Tag people: If you collaborated with anyone, tag their accounts.
   • Add location: If your Reel is location-specific, tag the location to potentially reach people in that area.
   • Advanced Settings: Here, you can add a branded content label if it’s a paid partnership or schedule the Reel for a later time (for Professional accounts).
6. Share Your Reel: After you've filled everything out, hit the "Share" button at the bottom. Your saved draft is now a live Reel for the world to see!

Pro-Tip: Using drafts is a core strategy for efficient content creation. You can batch-create several Reels in one sitting - filming and doing basic edits - and then save them as drafts. Later on, you can revisit them, add trending audio or text, and publish them throughout the week. This helps you stay consistent without having to create from scratch every single day.

How to Share Someone Else's Reel From Your Saved Collection

You found a Reel that's hilarious, informative, or perfectly captures a mood. You saved it, and now you want to share it with your followers. Unlike drafts, you can't just edit and post these. But you have a few good options for sharing.

Method 1: Share to Your Instagram Story (The Easiest & Most Common Way)

This is the most common and accepted way to share another user's Reel. It embeds their original post directly in your Story, giving them full credit and view count while letting you add your own creative spin.

How to Do It:

1. Go to Your Saved Content: From your Instagram profile, tap the hamburger menu (three lines) in the top-right corner, then select "Saved."
2. Find the Reel: Navigate to the collection where you saved the Reel and tap to open it.
3. Tap the Share Icon: Below the caption, tap the paper airplane icon (the share button).
4. Add to Your Story: In the pop-up menu, tap "Add to story." The Reel will now appear as a sticker in the Story editor. You can resize it, reposition it, and customize the background.

Making Your Story Share Engaging:

• Add Context: Type out why you're sharing it. What did you find so funny or useful about it? A simple "This is brilliant!" can work wonders.
• Tag the Original Creator (Again): Even though the Reel already links back to them, it’s good practice to tag their handle directly in your text. This sends them a notification and shows direct support.
• Use Interactive Stickers: Add a poll, quiz, or question sticker to get your audience to engage with the content. For example, if it's a "Top 5 List" Reel, ask "Did they miss any?" with a question box.

Method 2: Reshare an Edited Version to Your Feed (The Advanced Method)

Sometimes you don't just want to share a Reel to your Story. You want to add commentary, react to it, or use it as a launching point for your own content. That's where Remixes and other features come in. You're not just reposting, you're adding value.

Option A: Remix the Reel

A Remix lets you create your own Reel that plays alongside the original. It's Instagram's built-in feature for reaction videos and collaborations.

1. Find the saved Reel and tap the three-dot menu (...) on the side.
2. Select "Remix." (If you don't see this, the creator has disabled it).
3. Record your own video reacting, commenting, or adding on to the original Reel.
4. The two videos will appear side-by-side (or in another layout you choose). Edit and publish it as you would any other Reel.

Option B: Use the Screen Recording Method (Proceed with Caution)

This is a popular workaround, but it requires extreme care and strong ethics. It involves screen recording the Reel, cropping it, and uploading it as your own. Before you even consider this, you must understand the golden rule of sharing content that isn't yours.

🚨 Important: Always Get Permission and Give Prominent Credit. 🚨

Taking someone's content without permission and clear credit isn’t just bad etiquette, it's plagiarism and can violate copyright. The best practice is to DM the original creator first and ask for permission to repost. If they say yes, you still must provide very clear credit.

If you've gotten permission, here’s the process:

1. Find the saved Reel and screen record it on your phone.
2. Open the screen recording in your phone’s photo editor and crop the video to remove your phone's status bar and other on-screen elements.
3. Upload this new video clip to create a new Reel in Instagram.
4. Provide Credit in Multiple Places:
   • In the Caption: Start your caption with clear credit, like "🎥 Video by @[OriginalCreatorHandle]. Check out their page for more great content!"
   • In the On-Screen Text: Add a text overlay to the video itself with their handle (e.g., "Credit: @[OriginalCreatorHandle]").
   • Tag Them: Use the "Tag People" feature to formally tag their account in the post.

This method comes with drawbacks, such as potentially lower video and audio quality, but it gives you full control over the uploaded content. Just remember: permission and credit are not optional. Building a brand organically is about building trust, and that starts with respecting other creators.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're finishing up one of your own brilliant ideas from your drafts folder or amplifying another creator's work, posting saved Reels is all about navigating to the right place and following the right process. Master the difference between drafts and saved collections, and you'll have full control over your content strategy.

Keeping a full content calendar means blending your original Reels with curated shares and drafts you've prepared in advance. Personally, we know that juggling this across multiple platforms can quickly become overwhelming. That's why we designed Postbase. We built it from the ground up to handle today's short-form video focus, giving you a visual calendar to plan campaigns, schedule content seamlessly, and see where a shared Reel could fill a gap in your schedule.