How to repost on Instagram in 2026 (including the new native repost feature)

TL;DR

• Good news: Instagram launched a native repost feature in August 2025, so you can now share public Reels and posts directly to your profile with a link back to the original creator

• When it comes to user-generated content, you should always get explicit permission before reposting, even if you're tagged or hashtagged

• Make sure to credit creators visibly in your caption and tag them in the image—burying attribution in your hashtags won't cut it

• Need help finding content? Later's Collect features help you find, organize, and schedule UGC from tags, mentions, and hashtags

• Heads up: repost-heavy accounts may see reduced reach under Instagram's 2026 algorithm, which prioritizes original content

Instagram's native repost feature changed the game when it rolled out in August 2025, but the rules around sharing other people's content haven't gotten any simpler. Social media managers now have more ways than ever to reshare posts—and more ways to get it wrong. Whether you're using the native repost button, sharing to Stories, or curating user-generated content for your brand's feed, the stakes are real: copyright still belongs to the original creator, and Meta's algorithm now actively deprioritizes accounts that rely too heavily on reposts. The brands that build loyal communities through UGC are the ones that treat permission and attribution as non-negotiable.

How to use Instagram's native repost feature

Instagram's native repost feature, launched in August 2025, lets you share public Reels and posts directly to your profile. Unlike sharing to Stories, native reposts appear on your main grid with a clear link back to the original creator's post.

Here's how to use it:

1. Find a public Reel or post you want to repost

2. Tap the paper airplane icon below the post

3. Select "Repost to Feed" from the sharing options

4. Add your own caption (the original creator is automatically credited)

5. Tap Share to publish the repost to your profile

The repost will appear on your grid with a small repost icon, and anyone who taps it can navigate directly to the original post and creator.

What you can and can't repost natively

The native repost feature only works with public content. You can repost:

• You can share public Reels from any account

• Public feed posts from any account are fair game too

You cannot natively repost:

• Content from private accounts is off-limits

• Instagram Stories won't work here—you'll still need to use the "Add to Story" method

• Posts where the creator has disabled resharing are also excluded

If you don't see the repost option, the creator may have turned off resharing in their settings, or the content may be from a private account.

Where native reposts appear on your profile

Native reposts show up on your main profile grid alongside your original content. Your followers will see them in their feeds with a small repost indicator that shows the content originated from another creator. Tapping the repost takes viewers to the original post, giving the creator full visibility and engagement credit.

When to use native repost vs. other methods

Not every repost situation calls for the same approach. Here's how to choose the right method:

Use native repost when you want to quickly amplify content from your community without needing to customize the presentation. It's ideal for celebrating customer posts or sharing industry content you endorse.

Use Stories sharing when you want to give a quick shoutout without committing the content to your permanent feed. This works well for time-sensitive content or when you want to engage with tagged posts without cluttering your grid.

Use download and reupload when you need full control over how the content appears—for example, when incorporating UGC into a curated brand aesthetic or adding substantial context in your caption. This method always requires explicit permission from the creator.

How Instagram's algorithm treats reposts in 2026

Meta's 2026 algorithm updates have made one thing clear: original content gets priority. Accounts that primarily aggregate or repost others' content may see reduced recommendation eligibility, meaning your reposts are less likely to appear in Explore, Reels, or suggested content feeds.

This doesn't mean you should stop reposting entirely. UGC remains valuable for building community and social proof. But the algorithm now rewards accounts that balance reposts with original content creation.

What this means for your strategy:

• Mix reposts with original content rather than building a feed entirely around UGC

• Add genuine value when you repost—your caption should contribute something beyond just resharing

• Focus on quality over quantity when curating UGC for your feed

• Use Stories for lighter-touch resharing since the algorithm treats feed posts differently than ephemeral content

The brands seeing the best results treat UGC as a complement to their content strategy, not a replacement for it.

Why following UGC reposting rules matters

UGC is more trustworthy than branded advertising, and it's a proven strategy for filling your Instagram feed with authentic content. Every Instagram post featuring your product, handle, or branded hashtag created by one of your customers is valuable, free marketing for your business—especially when you reshare it on your own profile.

But are there legal requirements you should know about before reposting?

Brands and businesses have been put under the spotlight for incorrectly reposting UGC to Instagram. And while the legality around reposting UGC isn't fully settled, intellectual property and copyright laws still apply—so proceed with caution.

The main concern around reposting UGC is ownership rights—the original poster of the image or video owns the copyright, which means they have the right to any revenue or benefits created by that piece of content. If a brand or business reuses their content without permission, they could find themselves in hot water, especially if the business starts earning revenue or making sales off content that isn't rightfully theirs to use.

With this in mind, correctly reposting UGC comes down to asking for permission and giving credit where credit is due. You need to make sure you're honoring the creator's work and not "stealing" content for your own marketing purposes.

The Instagram world is now full of content creators who make a livelihood on the platform. If a brand reposts their content without permission, they could feel cheated out of their usual payment fee. But creators are often pleased to hear a brand wants to share their content. It's worth going the extra mile and following the right steps to get permission, correctly credit, and repost content on Instagram.

How to ask permission to repost on Instagram

When it comes to sourcing UGC, brands usually go about it in two ways: browsing for interesting content in their feed or searching a branded hashtag. Regardless of how you find it, you need to ask permission from the original creator—even if they tagged it with your specific UGC-focused hashtag.

Send the creator a direct message

Some brands like Daniel Wellington and Lush choose to only repost content where their products have been featured or their customers are talking about their brand. This type of UGC is usually found by checking your tags and mentions.

But some brands like to use more universal UGC—content that matches their overall theme and aesthetic, but doesn't necessarily feature their product or service in the image.

At Later, we like to share content created by our community—designers, illustrators, photographers, and animators—who are working hard to create compelling content on Instagram. While we mix and match content types, the images and videos we share always tie in with our brand aesthetic.

Our social media team finds posts by scrolling through our home feed, searching relevant hashtags, and checking our tags and mentions. Once they find an image that works for the Later feed, they send the creator a DM to ask permission.

Go the extra mile and send a DM to the creator instead of just leaving a generic comment on their post. Remember that you're asking permission to use a creator's work—it's worth sending them a personalized note.

Your permission request should include:

• Start with a genuine compliment about their specific content

• Include a clear explanation of where you want to share it—whether that's your feed, Stories, or ads

• Let them know how you'll credit them

• End with a direct ask for their approval

Creators typically respond quickly—so you won't lose much time by sliding into their DMs.

Ask for confirmation on branded hashtag submissions

Do you have a branded hashtag for your brand? And do you encourage your audience to tag their posts with the hashtag if they want to be featured on your feed?

This is where the legal questions get tricky.

Brands like Kapten & Son use branded hashtags to find user-generated content for their feeds. People who use your branded hashtag might think they're giving permission for your brand to repurpose their content, but your bedrock principle should be that all UGC is, by default, copyrighted by the owner or creator of that content.

We reached out to the lawyers at Gowling WLG, an international law firm, to ask for more advice on this area of the law. They advise confirming that the original poster of the content exclusively owns that content, and then getting that poster's permission to repurpose it. They also recommended seeking the permission of any person depicted in a photograph.

Let's look at Airbnb's best practices for UGC on Instagram. Airbnb has a beautiful Instagram feed full of breathtaking places to stay all over the world, and their content is mostly user-generated content from Instagram. (Airbnb has since expanded beyond stays with their 2025 relaunch around Services and Experiences, but their UGC approach remains a strong model.)

Instagram users, who are also usually customers, tag @Airbnbor hashtag#airbnb in their Instagram posts when staying in one of Airbnb's many properties around the world. With millions of posts tagged with the #airbnb hashtag, there's no shortage of content for Airbnb to choose from.

But when it comes to getting permission to repost, Airbnb goes a step further—if Airbnb loves a photo, they request permission to repost these photos in their own feed through Instagram comments.

Airbnb leaves a comment asking users to go to a link where they can read and agree to Airbnb's terms of use for UGC. Users are asked to reply with#AirbnbPhoto to confirm and provide the link to the Airbnb home featured.

If you look at their UGC terms of use, you'll notice that it says that by replying with #airbnbphoto, you are giving permission for Airbnb to use your photo with credit on their channels.

Whether you decide to invest in a UGC permission strategy like Airbnb or to simply ask for permission in DMs, it's important that you treat UGC like the copyrighted content it is. Your customers should have no doubts about how you intend to use their content, and playing fast and loose with permissions could jeopardize your brand's reputation.

How to find UGC to repost with Later

Later's social media management platform includes Collect features that help you find and organize UGC from your community. Think of this as command central for finding on-brand content you can incorporate into your social calendar.

Note: Access to Collect features depends on your plan tier. Some features require an Instagram Business or Creator profile.

Find posts you're tagged in

In Later's desktop app on desktop, navigate to your Media Library and look for the Tags collection option. Here you'll find any public Instagram posts you've been tagged in.

Important limitations to know:

• The Tags collection only works on desktop

• It won't pull in Instagram Stories

• You'll only see media after you've approved the Instagram tag on your end

You can select the posts you want to reshare and add them to your media library. Just don't forget to reach out and ask for permission before you post.

Find posts that mention your profile

Similarly, you can find posts that mention your profile through Later's Mentions collection. This captures posts where creators have mentioned your handle in their caption or comments.

Important limitations to know:

• The Mentions collection depends on your plan tier

• It won't capture Instagram Stories

• Keep in mind it only starts capturing mentions from when you activate the feature—no historical mentions here

For teams on higher-tier plans, Later also offers Social Listening Mentions with expanded monitoring capabilities.

Search by hashtag

You can also search for UGC by hashtag with Later. Add your branded hashtag and save it as a search to display recent posts across Instagram that use your hashtag.

Important details:

• Search by Hashtag is only available on paid plans

• You'll need an Instagram Business or Creator profile to use it

• Results only show posts from the last 24 hours

• The creator's handle won't automatically appear in your caption, so you'll need to add credit manually

Then all you have to do is add those posts to your library for sharing once you have approval.

Start searching for user-generated content by hashtags with Later's UGC tools. Find and repost UGC in minutes when you start your free trial

How to properly credit creators when reposting

You've got permission, and now it's time to post—but your responsibilities aren't over yet.

Correctly crediting the creator is the final, and arguably the most important, step to reposting user-generated content. Not only does this give a shoutout to the original creator, but you provide a physical link back to their page, helping your community discover even more creators on Instagram. Which is, after all, what Instagram is all about—building community and sharing inspiration.

Here's how to credit creators properly:

1. Tag the creator in the image. A simple tag means the creator will be notified of your post, and it will appear on their "tagged" posts on their profile—one more link back to your profile, building that connection.

2. Credit the creator in your caption. This step is essential. The mention of their profile should be easily visible in your caption, not buried amongst your hashtags.

3. Position the credit prominently. While it doesn't have to be in the first sentence, it should flow nicely from your caption. Remember, the best practice is to honor the original creator in your post.

If you're crafting your captions with Later, make sure to manually add the creator's handle since it won't be auto-populated.

Check out how Away celebrates their contributors in their captions—they make creator credit a natural part of their storytelling rather than an afterthought.

How to repost Instagram Stories

So you've nailed Instagram posts, but how do you correctly repost Instagram Stories?

With Instagram Stories being so time-sensitive, it's often hard to follow all the steps to legally repost user-generated content. And while there are no set rules on how to repost, there are some guidelines on how to repost on Instagram Stories to keep your wider community happy and still grow your audience with UGC.

Share posts to your Stories using the native share button

Taking screenshots and reuploading an image to your Instagram Stories can do the original creator a disservice, as it seriously reduces the quality of the image.

Instead, use the paper airplane icon below a post to share the image to your Instagram Stories. This will transform the post into a clickable sticker in your Instagram Stories post, which links back to the original creator.

Similarly, if you want to repost an Instagram Story that you've been tagged in, all you have to do is tap the "Add This to Your Story" button in your DM notification. This is a quick and easy way to share content from your community while giving them the credit they deserve.

Always ask permission before saving to Highlights

It's a step that's often forgotten, but it's important to ask for explicit permission if you plan to save a UGC Instagram Story to your Highlights.

By saving it to your Highlights, the content has an indefinite lifespan, so it can be rewatched multiple times instead of just 24 hours.

Reach out to the creator by DM and explain where the content will be saved, and ask for permission for it to be housed there.

Looking for more tips on how to repost UGC on Instagram Stories? Check out our blog post where we wrap up 7 of the best tips and tricks

Build your UGC strategy the right way

Leveraging UGC on Instagram is a great way to curate a beautiful Instagram feed and an excellent strategy for marketing your business. But it's incredibly important to follow the rules of reposting to Instagram. Always remember to get permission from the original creator and always credit them visibly when you share their work.

The brands that build the strongest communities through UGC are the ones that treat creators as partners, not just content sources. Permission and attribution aren't just legal requirements—they're how you build trust with the people who love your brand enough to create content about it.

Ready to get moving with your Instagram marketing strategy? Later's social media management platform makes it easy for you to plan, manage, and schedule your user-generated content Instagram posts. Start your free trial today

Frequently asked questions

How do you repost a post on Instagram?

You can repost a post on Instagram using the native repost feature (for public Reels and posts), sharing to your Stories, or downloading and reuploading with permission. The native repost feature, launched in August 2025, is the quickest method—just tap the paper airplane icon and select "Repost to Feed." For content you want more control over, download the media and reupload it to your feed after getting explicit permission from the creator.

What is the new repost feature on Instagram?

Instagram's native repost feature, launched in August 2025, lets you share public Reels and posts directly to your profile with a link back to the original creator. Unlike sharing to Stories, these reposts appear on your main grid and stay there permanently. The original creator is automatically credited, and viewers can tap through to see the original post.

Do you need permission to repost on Instagram?

Yes, you should always get explicit permission before reposting someone's content to your feed, even if they tagged you or used your branded hashtag. The original creator owns the copyright to their content, which means they have the right to control how it's used. Sending a quick DM to ask permission protects your brand and respects the creator's work.

Can you repost Instagram Reels to your feed?

Yes, you can repost public Reels to your feed using Instagram's native repost feature or by downloading and reuploading with the creator's permission. The native method is faster and maintains a direct link to the original, while downloading gives you more control over presentation but requires explicit approval from the creator.

How do you credit someone when reposting on Instagram?

Credit the original creator by tagging them in the image and mentioning their handle visibly in your caption, not buried in hashtags. The tag notifies them and appears on their tagged posts, while the caption mention makes the attribution clear to your audience. Position the credit prominently—it should feel like a natural part of your caption, not an afterthought.

What happens when someone reposts your Instagram post?

When someone reposts your post using the native feature, their followers see your content with a clear link back to your original post and profile. You'll receive a notification about the repost, and viewers can tap through to see your original content and follow your account. This gives you visibility and engagement credit for your work.

Can you repost Instagram Stories?

Yes, you can repost Stories you're tagged in by tapping "Add This to Your Story" in your DM notification, or share feed posts to your Stories using the paper airplane icon. Both methods create a clickable link back to the original content. Avoid screenshotting and reuploading, which reduces quality and doesn't link back to the creator.

Does reposting hurt your Instagram reach?

Repost-heavy accounts may see reduced recommendation eligibility under Instagram's 2026 algorithm, which prioritizes original content over aggregation. This doesn't mean you should stop reposting entirely—UGC remains valuable for community building. The key is balancing reposts with original content and adding genuine value when you do reshare.

How do you find user-generated content to repost?

You can find UGC by checking your tags and mentions, searching branded hashtags, or using Later's Collect features to organize content from your community. Later lets you save posts from tags, mentions, and hashtag searches directly to your media library for easy scheduling. Just remember to reach out for permission before posting.

Should you save reposted Stories to Highlights?

Only save reposted Stories to Highlights after getting explicit permission from the creator, since Highlights extend the content's lifespan indefinitely. A Story that disappears in 24 hours is different from content that lives on your profile permanently. Send a quick DM explaining where you want to save it and ask for their approval.