Instagram is undoubtedly one of the most powerful social media platforms to increase brand reach and drive new business — but it can be time-consuming and expensive to consistently create the type of high-quality content you need to see long-term results.   

Which is why reposting on Instagram is a powerful option for brands. 

But, unlike other social platforms, Instagram doesn’t offer a native tool to repost. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. Here, we’ll show you four different free ways to repost on Instagram in a few simple steps. Let’s dive in. (Interested in why brands should repost on Instagram? Skip ahead to that section.) 

(Note: While these reposting apps are all free, some require you to download the app from the iOS App Store or Google Play.)

To repost someone else’s Instagram post, it’s best to obtain permission first to ensure you are not infringing on someone else’s copyright or license.

Additionally, giving the creator credit for their work is recommended. Once permissions are squared away, repost using one of the methods below.

The screenshot method doesn’t require other websites to repost on Instagram. It’s worth nothing that this method only works for reposting photos, not videos.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Find a photo on Instagram you’d like to repost, and take a screenshot with your phone.

• For iOS: Press down on the home and lock buttons simultaneously until your screen flashes.
• For Android: Press down on the sleep/wake and volume down buttons simultaneously until your screen flashes.

2. Tap the new post button.

Once you’ve got your screenshot, return to your Instagram account. Tap the “new post button” in the top right of your Instagram screen (the plus sign inside a square). 

Then select “Post” (other options include “Story” “Reels” or “Live”). 

3. Resize the photo in the app.

Keep in mind that your phone will take a screenshot of everything on your screen, not just the photo you want to repost. So, be prepared to crop the sides of the screenshot to capture just the image you want to share with your followers.

After you’ve cropped or resized the photo to your liking (by pinching the image and then widening your fingers apart), click “Next” in the top-right of your screen. 

4. Edit and add filters of your choice.

Edit and filter the post like you would any other Instagram post.

5. Add a citation.

The repost won’t include a citation, so we suggest adding one by typing “@ + [username]” to credit the original poster with the photo you’re reposting.

6. Add a caption.

At the top you’ll see a preview of your post along with space for a caption. You can choose to tag people or organizations, and add a location.

7. Click share.

Once you’ve finished customizing the post with the options above, click share at the top right corner. The post will be live.

Here’s how the finished product looks: 

Instagram Reposting Apps

In addition to using the screenshot method, you can also use a third-party app. The options below are our favorite apps for reposting on Instagram.

Repost: For Instagram

1. Download Repost: For Instagram. 

Download Repost: For Instagram for iOS or Android. The app integrates directly with Instagram so you can share content from other Instagram users from your mobile device.

2. Identify a photo or video to repost.

Open your Instagram app and find a photo or video you’d like to repost from your own Instagram account. Tap your chosen photo from the original poster’s photo gallery to see its full view, as shown below.

(Psst — do you follow HubSpot on Instagram?)

3. Copy the post’s share URL to your clipboard.

Once you’re on the photo’s or video’s landing page, tap the “…” icon in the upper-righthand corner of the post. Then, tap “Copy Link.”

4. Open Repost: For Instagram.

Once the photo is copied to your phone’s clipboard, open Repost: For Instagram. The post you copied will automatically be on the app’s inbox, as shown below.

Tap the arrow on the right hand side of the post. There, you can edit how you want the repost icon to appear on Instagram. The app also allows you to add an Attribution mark directly on the image. 

You can choose to copy the original caption to your post or add a new one later.

Next, tap “Share.” 

5. Select whether you want to post to your feed, your Story, or in a message.

For our purposes, we’ll click “Post”. 

6. Edit the post’s caption and share your repost.

Write a caption and click “OK” when finished.

When you’re ready to share the post, tap “Share” as you would a regular Instagram post.

Reposta

1. Download Reposta.

Download Reposta for Android or Apple devices to get started.

2. In Instagram, copy a URL of an image you’d like to repost.

Open your Instagram and copy-and-paste the URL like you did for the instructions for Repost: For Instagram (Step #3, above). 

3. Open Reposta to find your image.

Reposta automatically opens a URL once you’ve copied it. Now, in Reposta, you can edit the attribution (including the color and positioning), as well as the caption itself. 

4. Click “Post to Instagram”. 

You’ll see a few options below your image. For our purposes, choose “Post to Instagram”. (Alternatively, you can save the image to use on a different date.) 

5. Select whether you want to post to your feed or Instagram Story. 

You have two options here: Story or Feed. Click “Feed”. 

6. Next, crop your image like you normally would. 

Feel free to adjust the size or cropping of your image in this step. When you’re ready, click “Next”. 

7. Edit your image and apply filters from within the Instagram app. 

Here, you’ll choose a filter and edit the image like you would any other Instagram image. When you’re ready, click “Next”.

8. Change the caption and re-post. 

Feel free to give credit to the image owner in your caption — but remember you’ve also given them credit in the image itself. Add a location and tag people if you’d like, and then click “Share” when you’re ready. 

Here’s how the post appears on your Instagram profile:

Using DownloadGram

DownloadGram lets Instagram users download high-resolution copies of Instagram photos and videos to repost from their own accounts. Luckily, there isn’t an app you need to download to repost using this process. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Instagram and find a photo or video to repost.

Open your Instagram app and find the post you want to repost. Tap the “…” icon in the upper righthand corner of the post and click “Copy Share URL” (this button will be the same for both iOS and Android mobile devices).

2. Paste the post’s share URL into DownloadGram.

Open your mobile internet browser and navigate to DownloadGram — or simply, downloadgram.org. Paste the URL into the text box that appears on the website’s homepage. Then, tap “Download.”

Tap the “Download Image” button that appears further down DownloadGram’s homepage.

3. Download the post.

You’ll be directed to a new webpage with the content ready to download. Tap the download icon — the box with an upward-facing arrow, as shown below — then tap “save image.”

4. Open Instagram and find the photo or video in your camera roll.

Return to your Instagram app. The image will be saved to your phone’s native camera roll, so edit it as you would any other Instagram post.

5. Add a caption and share your repost.

The repost won’t include a citation, so we suggest adding one by typing “@ + [username]” to credit the original poster with the photo or video. Then, press “Share.” Here’s how the post appears on your Instagram profile:

1. Open the instagram app and find the photo or video you’d like to add to your story.

2. Click the paper plane icon at the bottom of the post.

3. Click “Add post to your story.”

4. Personalize the draft post with stickers or text.

You should see a draft of your story. Use the icons at the top to modify text, color, stickers and other animations.

5. Click “Your story” in the bottom left corner.

You also have the option to click “close friends” on the right, bottom corner (shown above) if you only want a select group to view your story. 

Once you click “Your story” you’ll see the option to click “Share” to repost your image to your Instagram Story. 

With stories, the same best practices should be followed as for sharing a post. If you don’t know the person and suspect the content you’d like to re-share might be licensed material, ask for permission first. Give credit to the original posters whenever possible.

Why should your brand repost on Instagram? 

First of all, it’s important to understand the benefits of reposting images and videos. 

Simply put, it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to consistently create high-quality social content. And since most marketers post between 3-4 times per week, it’s vital you have a backlog of content to keep up with demand. 

Additionally, user-generated content (UGC) performs exceptionally well. In fact, 90% of consumers say UGC holds more influence over their buying decisions than promotional emails and even search engine results.

Reposting to Instagram can help you highlight brand endorsements from your customers, brand loyalists, and employees. UGC is typically considered more trustworthy, since a consumer isn’t gaining anything by promoting your product or service (unless it’s an advertisement) — they’re just doing it to tell their audiences that they like your product. 

For instance, consider the power of Warby Parker reposting this funny image from one of its customers, @cjronson:

Not only does the image likely appeal to Warby Parker customers, but it ultimately makes Warby Parker marketers’ jobs easier — now they don’t need to create all their own content in-house. 

Share Your Favorite Instagram Posts

Now that you’ve learned how to repost on Instagram, you can diversify your profile with content sourced from friends, family, and brands. Use the methods above — being sure to cite the source of the original post — to quickly and easily reshare your favorite content.

This article was originally published November 18, 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.