How to Repost Full Reels on Instagram Story

Ever tried sharing a fantastic Reel to your Instagram Story, only to watch it get awkwardly cut off after just 15 seconds? It’s a common frustration that can interrupt the flow of your content and leave your audience hanging. This guide will walk you through several effective methods to repost full-length Reels to your Instagram Story, explaining the differences between sharing your own content and others’ videos, so you can share what you want without the dreaded time limit.

Why Does Instagram Cut Off Reels in Stories?

Before jumping into the "how," it helps to understand the "why." You're not dealing with a bug, this is an intentional feature. When you share someone else’s Reel to your Story and it cuts off at 15 seconds, Instagram is trying to accomplish two things:

• Driving Traffic to the Original Creator: The 15-second preview is designed to be a teaser. It encourages your followers to tap the "Watch Full Reel" button, which takes them directly to the original Reel on the creator's page. This ensures the original creator gets the view count, engagement, and credit they deserve.
• Keeping Stories and Reels Distinct: Instagram wants to maintain Reels as a primary destination for long-form video discovery and Stories as a medium for quick, ephemeral updates. The time limit helps preserve this distinction.

While the intention is logical from a platform perspective, it doesn't always align with your goal of seamlessly sharing great content. That’s why these workarounds are so useful.

Sharing Your Own Full-Length Reels: The Easy Way

First, the good news. Instagram has made it much easier to share your own Reels to your Story without them being shortened. If your Reel is under 60 seconds long, you can often share the entire clip in a single Story frame. This is an ideal way to cross-promote your new content and maximize its initial reach.

Here’s how you do it step-by-step:

1. Navigate to your profile and tap on the Reels tab.
2. Select the Reel you wish to share.
3. Tap the paper airplane icon (Share button) located on the right side of the screen.
4. From the menu that appears, tap “Add to Story.”
5. Instagram will generate a Story draft with your Reel. You can now resize it, move it around, and add other creative elements. Use your fingers to pinch to zoom in or out. Many people like to resize the Reel to fill the entire screen for a more immersive look.
6. Add context! Use the text tool to explain why you’re sharing it again, drop in a relevant Sticker like a poll or quiz, or use a GIF to add personality.
7. Once you're happy with your creation, tap “Your Story” in the bottom left corner to post it.

For your own content, this is the simplest and best method. It’s a native feature, maintains full quality, and provides a direct link back to the original Reel, making it easy for viewers to engage further.

How to Repost Someone Else's Full Reel on Your Instagram Story

This is where things get a bit more hands-on. Because of the 15-second cut-off, you'll need to use a workaround to share a full Reel from another creator. Below are a few of the most reliable methods, each with its own pros and cons.

Method 1: The Screen Record Workaround

The quickest way to capture a full Reel is by screen recording it on your phone. It’s scrappy but effective, works on any public account, and doesn't require any third-party apps. The key is to be diligent about giving proper credit.

For iPhone Users:

1. Prepare Your Control Center: First, check if Screen Recording is in your iPhone's Control Center. Go to Settings >, Control Center and make sure "Screen Recording" is included in the list. If it's not, tap the green '+' icon next to it.
2. Open the Reel: Launch Instagram and find the Reel you want to share. Let it load completely but don't play it just yet.
3. Start Recording: Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen (or swipe up from the bottom on older iPhones) to open the Control Center. Tap the Screen Recording button (a solid circle inside a hollow circle). A 3-second countdown will begin before the recording starts.
4. Capture the Reel: Quickly switch back to the Reel and let it play from start to finish. Tap the video to hide some of the Instagram interface elements for a cleaner recording.
5. Stop Recording: Once the Reel is over, tap the red recording indicator in the top-left corner of your screen and select "Stop." The video will be saved automatically to your Photos app.

For Android Users:

The process is very similar for modern Android phones, though the exact steps might vary slightly depending on your device manufacturer.

1. Find the Screen Recorder Tile: Swipe down from the top of your screen to open your Quick Settings panel. Look for the "Screen recorder" tile. If you can't see it, you may need to edit your panel to add it.
2. Open the Reel: Navigate to the Reel on Instagram you want to capture.
3. Start Recording: Open your Quick Settings panel again and tap the "Screen recorder" tile. A small menu will appear. Make sure you select "Media sounds" so you capture the audio from the Reel and not your microphone.
4. Capture the Video: After a short countdown, the recording will begin. Let the Reel play all the way through.
5. Stop Recording: Tap the stop button on the floating recorder toolbar when the Reel finishes. The video will be saved to your phone's gallery.

After Recording: Trim and Post

Your screen recording will include you starting and stopping the capture. You'll need to clean this up.

• Open your phone’s photo app (Photos on iPhone, Gallery on Android) and find the new video.
• Select the "Edit" function and use the timeline sliders to trim the beginning and end of the clip, so only the Reel content remains.
• Save the trimmed video as a new clip.
• Finally, open Instagram, swipe over to create a new Story, and select the newly edited video from your camera roll.

Extremely Important: Because this method removes the direct link to the original Reel, you must give credit to the original creator. Use the text tool to add a clear "via @[creator's handle]" tag on your Story. This is non-negotiable for proper social media etiquette.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party Downloading Tool

If you prefer higher quality and a cleaner final product, you can use a third-party application or website to download the Reel directly. This method bypasses screen compression and captures the video in its original resolution.

Disclaimer: Be extremely cautious when using third-party tools. Never enter your Instagram password into an untrusted app or website. Stick to tools that only require the public link to the Reel.

Here’s the general process:

1. Copy the Reel Link: Open the Reel you want to share on Instagram. Tap the three-dot menu (...) on the right side and select "Copy Link."
2. Use a Downloader: Open your web browser and search for an "Instagram Reel downloader." You'll find many online services that allow you to paste the link and download the video file. Alternatively, some trusted apps in the app stores perform the same function.
3. Paste and Download: On the downloader website or in the app, paste the link you copied into the provided field and hit the download button. The tool will process it and provide you with a file to save to your device.
4. Save to Your Camera Roll: Download the video file. It should save directly to your phone's photo library or downloads folder.
5. Post to Your Story: Head back to Instagram, start a new Story, and upload the video file you just saved. You now have a high-quality version of the full Reel ready to share.

Just like with screen recording, it is essential to manually tag and credit the original creator, as the downloaded file contains no attribution. This method is technically superior for quality, but it carries a greater responsibility to attribute correctly.

Best Practices for Reposting Reels

Sharing is a powerful tool for connection and content curation, but how you do it matters. Keep these tips in mind to be a good digital citizen and maximize your engagement.

• Add Your Own Voice: Don't just silently repost a Reel. Use the text tool to add your thoughts, comments, or a call-to-action. Explain why you're sharing this specific piece of content and what you want your audience to take away from it. Is it funny? Informative? Inspiring? Let them know.
• Use Interactive Elements: Turn a passive view into an active engagement. Add a poll sticker asking "Agree or Disagree?" or a question sticker asking "What's your take on this?". These small additions can dramatically boost your Story's performance.
• Always, Always Credit: We can't say it enough. If you’re sharing someone else's work - especially if you're saving it to your device and re-uploading - you must credit them clearly and prominently. A proper tag lets your audience discover a great new creator and shows respect for the person who put in the work.
• Don’t Make it Just an Ad for Your Feed: If you're reposting your own Reels, avoid simply telling people to "check out my new Reel." Instead, offer a behind-the-scenes tidbit about a specific clip, ask a question related to the Reel’s topic, or present it as Part 1 of a story that continues on your feed. Give them new value.

Final Thoughts

Sharing full-length Reels on your Instagram Story is entirely possible once you know the right techniques for the job. While sharing your own content has become straightforward, repurposing others' videos requires mindful workarounds like screen recording or using downloading tools, with a strong emphasis on crediting the original source.

Organizing your content across your feed, Reels, and Stories can feel like a lot to juggle. After spending time finding and scheduling great content, the last thing you want is a clunky tool getting in the way of publishing it. That’s why we built Postbase from the ground up to feel intuitive for how social media works today, with a special focus on short-form video. The visual calendar lets you plan all your content in one convenient place, making sure your feed and Stories work together seamlessly - without the usual scheduling headaches.