Instagram Reels are great for keeping your followers engaged, while Instagram stories are best for showing snippets of your life that make you a lot more relatable to your audience. These tools have their specific use cases and strengths, but what if you want to use both?
What if you want to showcase your Reels on your story as well?
Thankfully, there are a few effective ways to achieve this. In this article, we’ll talk about these steps, so you can choose the one that suits your needs.
The Discontinued Direct Share Method
This method was the most convenient way to share a preview of your existing Reel directly on your story. It was quick and easy, with the only con being that you aren’t sharing the reel, but simply a preview that redirects viewers of your story to the original Reel with a tap.
Unfortunately, the feature was scrapped after some updates and is unavailable now. However, there are a few walkarounds.
Method 1: Download and Reupload
This method allows you to share a specific, edited snippet from your Reel on your story, offering viewers a focused glimpse of your content.
- Download the Reel: Open the Reel that you want to post to your story. Tap on the paper airplane icon located in the bottom right corner. From the menu, select “Download.” This downloads the complete Reel video to your phone’s storage.
- Story Clip Creation: Head over to your story interface by swiping right on the Instagram home screen. Swipe up within the story interface to access your camera roll.
- Strategic Trimming: Locate the downloaded Reel video within your camera roll and select it. Use the trimming tool at the bottom of the screen to choose the specific portion you want to share in your story if the reel is longer than the story time limit.
- Edit, Edit, Edit: Just like with the direct share method, you can enhance your story clip with text overlays, interactive stickers, or engaging CTAs. This additional context can help entice viewers to explore the full Reel on your profile.
Method 2: Third-party Apps
This method involves using applications outside of Instagram to share your Reels on your story. It’s important to exercise caution when using third-party apps, as some might be unreliable or even pose security risks.
- Copying the Reel URL: Open the Reel you want to share on your story. Locate the paper airplane icon, then select “Copy Link.” This copies the unique URL of your Reel to your clipboard.
- Third-party App Selection: Do your research and choose a reputable third-party app specifically designed to share Instagram Reels on stories.
- App Instructions: Each app might have slightly different steps, but generally, you’ll paste the copied Reel URL into the designated field within the app. Follow the app’s prompts to complete the sharing process.
This method would let you post your Reel on your story, skipping the downloading and re-uploading. If you’re willing to take the risk, go for it.
Conclusion
The in-app method of sharing Reels to Story was fun while it lasted, and we hope that Instagram restores that functionality in the future. Until then, use these steps to share your Reels on your Story. Enjoy.
