Instagram New Story Reshare: How to Reshare Public Stories (Even If You’re Not Tagged)

Instagram Stories Update: How to Reshare Public Stories (Even If You’re Not Tagged)

Instagram just made one of its biggest Stories changes in years: you can now reshare any public Story directly to your own, even if you weren’t tagged in the original post.

This update introduces a new “Add to Story” button on public Stories and brings Instagram a lot closer to repost-style behavior you’re used to from TikTok and X (Twitter). It also quietly unlocks a powerful new organic distribution channel for creators, brands, and small businesses.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• What the new Instagram Stories update actually does
• How to reshare public Stories step-by-step
• Why you might not see the “Add to Story” button
• Privacy and brand-safety settings
• Smart ways to use this for reach, UGC, and… yes, more DMs 👀
• How to turn Story reshares into automated DM funnels with Inrō

What is Instagram’s new Story reshare / “Add to Story” feature?

Previously, you could only reshare a Story if:

• The creator tagged you with an @mention, and
• Instagram sent you a DM with the “Add to Your Story” option.

If you weren’t tagged, your options were basically:

• Screenshot
• Screen recording
• Third-party repost apps

Now, Instagram is rolling out a dedicated “Add to Story” button on any Story from a public account, as long as the creator allows resharing in their settings.

When you tap Add to Story:

• The Story opens in your own Story composer
• The original creator’s username is credited and clickable, just like with Reels resharing
• You can add your own text, stickers, GIFs, polls, or links
• You publish it to your Story feed like any other Story

In short: it’s native Story reposting for public accounts — with built-in attribution.

How to reshare public Stories on Instagram (step-by-step)

Here’s exactly how to reshare a Story you’re not tagged in.

1. Reshare a public Story with “Add to Story”

1. Open the Instagram app (iOS or Android).
2. Tap through Stories until you find one from a public account you want to reshare.
3. Look at the bottom of the Story, near the message box.
4. You should see a share icon or “Add to Story” button.
5. Tap Add to Story.
6. Instagram opens the Story in your composer with the original handle credited.
7. Add your own elements (text, stickers, links, CTAs).
8. Post to your Story like normal.

That’s it. No more screen-record gymnastics.

2. Why you might not see the “Add to Story” button

If the button doesn’t appear, it’s usually one of these:

• The account is private
  • The reshare feature only works for public accounts. Private Stories still can’t be reshared.
• The creator turned resharing off
  • Public accounts now get a toggle called “Allow sharing to story” in their Story privacy settings. If it’s off, followers can view but not reshare.
• You’re on an old app version
  • The rollout is global but still new. Update the Instagram app from the App Store / Play Store and check again.
• You’re trying to reshare branded/age-restricted content
  • Some content categories or branded content might have extra limitations.

3. How creators can turn off Story resharing

If you don’t want your Stories to be reshared:

1. Open Instagram
2. Go to Settings & Activity → Privacy → Story
3. Find “Allow sharing to story”
4. Toggle it off

From that moment, viewers will no longer see “Add to Story” on your content.

Why this update matters for creators & brands

On the surface, this looks like a simple UX tweak. But strategically, it’s big:

• UGC and word-of-mouth become easier
  Fans can now reshare your Stories in one tap, not with clunky screenshots. That’s free distribution and social proof.
• Discovery via second-degree audiences
  When someone shares your Story, their followers see it — and can tap through to your profile. That’s a new loop of Story → reshare → profile visit → DM → conversion.
• Better credit for original creators
  Instagram’s goal is to reduce uncredited reposts and third-party apps by making native resharing easier and keeping the original handle visible and clickable.
• Stories evolve into a curated layer of the feed
  Your Story feed becomes a mix of your own content + curated reshares — closer to a “link layer” of recommendations, reviews, and reactions.

For small businesses and creators who sell via Instagram, this basically adds a new organic acquisition channel over the next few weeks as more users discover the button and start resharing.

5 smart ways to use Story reshares for growth (and DMs)

Here’s where you can get a real edge while the feature is still fresh.

1. Turn customer Stories into always-on social proof

• Encourage customers to tag you in Stories (unboxings, “day in the life”, before/after, etc.).
• Even when they forget to tag you, other users can still reshare those Stories if they’re public.
• When fans reshare you, reshare them back to your Story with a short thank-you and a soft CTA like:

“Reply ‘LINK’ and I’ll DM you the product I used here.”

With Inrō, you can then automate those DMs so every reply gets the right link or offer instantly.

2. Curate Story “roundups” in your niche

Once you can reshare public Stories, you can become a curator:

• Share 3–5 valuable Stories per day from creators, partners, or customers in your niche.
• Add your own commentary or context on top.
• Use a consistent format (“Today’s 3 Stories to watch about [topic]”).

This builds authority and keeps you top-of-mind—even on days you don’t produce original content.

3. Boost collabs & influencer campaigns

For collabs:

• Ask partners to post Stories about your product or service.
• You, they, and their followers can now reshare those Stories wherever it makes sense.
• Layer a DM-based CTA on your own reshares, like:

“Reply ‘PLAN’ if you want the exact routine from this Story.”

Again, this is where Inrō shines: you capture and segment everyone who replies and send them the right follow-up automatically (guides, discount codes, booking links, etc.).

4. Run Story challenges with built-in virality

Since anyone can reshare public Stories:

• Launch a simple challenge:
  • “Share a Story doing X and reshare your favorite entries.”
• Use reshares instead of feed reposts as the main mechanic.
• Feature top community Stories in your own Story feed with a CTA to reply for templates, checklists, or exclusive content.

The more people reshare each others’ entries, the more your brand sits in the center of the graph.

5. Turn Story reshares into measurable funnels

A typical flow might look like:

1. Original Story: a quick demo, testimonial, or “before/after” + “Reply ‘GUIDE’ for details”.
2. Followers reshare it using Add to Story.
3. Their audiences see the reshare, tap through, and reply with the keyword.
4. Inrō catches every DM, sends the guide or link automatically, and tags those contacts.
5. You later run DM campaigns to that tagged segment (launches, promos, event invites, etc.).

Stories become top-of-funnel, reshares become distribution, and DMs become the sales layer.

How to connect this update with DM automation in Inrō

This Stories update doesn’t replace DMs, it feeds them.

Here’s how Inrō helps you make the most of it:

Reply automation from Story DMs‍

Set up flows where specific keywords or emoji replies to your Stories trigger instant responses: product links, quiz flows, waitlists, lead magnets, etc.

AI Agent for Story-based FAQs‍

When Story viewers reply with questions (“Which size?” “Is this available in EU?”), Inrō’s AI Agent can answer in your tone of voice 24/7.

Tagging & segmentation from Story engagement‍

Anyone who replies to a Story or reshare can be automatically tagged in Inrō (e.g. STORY-UGC, COLLAB-INTEREST, FITNESS-PROGRAM-A). Later, you can run targeted DM campaigns to those segments.

Comment + Story combos‍

Pair your Stories with Reels or posts that say “Comment ‘STORY’ and I’ll send you the breakdown” — then use Inrō’s comment-to-DM plus the new Story reshares to create a full loop: feed → Story → DM.

In other words: this feature boosts the top of your funnel; Inrō helps you automate everything that happens after someone taps “Message”.

Quick FAQ about the Instagram Story reshare update

Can you reshare Instagram Stories without being tagged now?‍

Yes — as long as the Story is from a public account with “Allow sharing to story” turned on, you’ll see an Add to Story button and can reshare it to your own Story.

Can you reshare Stories from private accounts?‍

No. Stories from private accounts cannot be reshared with this feature.

Does the original creator get credit?‍

Yes. Reshared Stories automatically show the original username and link back to their profile, similar to shared Reels.

How do I stop people resharing my Stories?‍

Go to Settings & Activity → Privacy → Story → Allow sharing to story and toggle it off.

If you’re using Instagram to sell, coach, or book clients, this update is an opportunity: more Story distribution, more replies, more warm DMs.

The missing piece is what happens after the tap — and that’s where Inrō turns this new Stories update into a fully automated DM sales funnel.

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