Instagram Expands Story Sharing Options with New Public Story Reshare Feature

Instagram has introduced a significant update allowing users to reshare any publicly posted Stories to their own Stories feed, even when they aren't tagged in the original content. The new feature, launched December 8, 2025, expands Instagram's content amplification capabilities while ensuring original creators receive proper credit for their work.

The update represents Instagram's latest effort to support content creators while combating the rise of aggregator accounts that often repost content without attribution. By providing direct resharing options, the platform aims to build a more beneficial ecosystem for original content creators who form the backbone of Instagram's user engagement.

How the new feature works

The new reshare functionality enables users to add any public Story to their own feed with automatic credit to the original creator. Previously, users could only reshare Stories in which they were tagged, but this limitation has now been removed.

This expansion builds upon Instagram's repost functionality introduced in August, which already allowed users to reshare Reels and feed posts. The unified approach to content resharing aims to streamline how users amplify content they enjoy while maintaining proper attribution pathways.

The process works similarly to resharing tagged content—users can now select public Stories and add them to their own Stories feed with a single tap, complete with a link back to the original creator's account. This simplifies content sharing while ensuring credit flows to content originators. For businesses looking to maximize their Instagram presence, this feature complements existing e-commerce strategies for Instagram business accounts by allowing for greater content distribution.

Step-by-step resharing process:

1. When viewing a public Story, tap the share icon
2. Select "Add to Your Story"
3. Customize with stickers, text, or GIFs if desired
4. Share to your Stories feed with automatic attribution

Supporting creator ecosystems

Instagram's move addresses a critical challenge facing social platforms: only a small percentage of users create original content. According to data cited from X (formerly Twitter), only about 20% of users ever post original content, with most users simply consuming their feeds daily.

This trend has intensified as users increasingly prefer private messaging over public posting. By implementing features that properly credit creators, Instagram hopes to incentivize continued content creation and maintain platform engagement.

The platform has already taken steps to reduce the visibility of aggregator accounts that repost content without proper attribution. These accounts often amass large followings by sharing popular content while removing links to original creators. Instagram's resharing tools aim to make such practices unnecessary by providing official, creator-friendly alternatives.

"The thinking behind this is that by providing simple options to re-share the original post, it will eliminate the need to copy and re-post yourself, which will help to ensure that credit goes to the original creator," notes Andrew Hutchinson, who reported on the update.

For content creators looking to maximize their reach, understanding the nuances of various platforms' sharing capabilities is essential. This feature adds to the arsenal of tools available on Instagram, similar to how users might need to understand reposting functions on TikTok for cross-platform content strategies.

Business implications and potential concerns

For brands and marketers, the expanded resharing capabilities present new opportunities to increase content reach. By creating engaging Stories, businesses may now benefit from organic amplification as users reshare their content to personal networks.

However, potential concerns exist about how the feature might be used. Some observers worry the system could be abused, leading to spam-like behavior or overwhelming users' feeds with reshared content. Instagram appears confident these concerns won't materialize into significant problems, likely relying on its algorithms to monitor and regulate excessive resharing.

The reshare functionality also has implications for influencer marketing, potentially allowing sponsored content to reach wider audiences through organic resharing. This could enhance the value proposition for influencer partnerships while requiring brands to create more genuinely engaging content to earn those reshares.

Strategic considerations for businesses:

• Content quality becomes more important than ever, as shareability now directly impacts potential reach
• Brand identification elements should be clearly visible within Stories to maintain recognition when reshared
• Call-to-action placement may need reconsideration to account for resharing scenarios

Marketers should incorporate this new feature into their broader social media marketing strategy, considering how to craft content specifically designed to encourage resharing while maintaining brand messaging integrity.

According to recent Instagram engagement statistics from Social Insider, Stories with interactive elements receive significantly higher engagement rates, making them prime candidates for the new resharing functionality.

If you're a content creator, ensure your Stories are optimized for resharing with clear branding and engaging content that others would want to amplify. For businesses, incorporate calls-to-action in your Stories that might encourage resharing, such as "Share if you agree!" or "Tag someone who needs to see this!"

This update aligns with broader social media trends emphasizing creator economies and proper attribution. As platforms continue competing for creator attention and loyalty, features that support original content production while facilitating engagement will likely continue to expand across the social media landscape.