Did you find a hilarious Reel, a mind-blowing Story, or maybe your friend’s Highlight from that wild concert, and want to send it to your group chat? The good news is that you can share all of these if they are posted in a public account. If it’s private, nobody outside the follower list can see these fun moments.
Whether you have an iPhone, Android, or a desktop, the process is mostly the same.
Search the account that posted what you want to share.
Heads up: Stories vanish after 24 hours unless they’re in a Highlight.
You’re looking for the little paper airplane icon.
In the pop-up, hit “Copy Link.” You’ve got the URL stashed in your clipboard. It’ll look like:
https://www.instagram.com/stories/username/story_id/
https://www.instagram.com/reel/clip_id/Paste it in a text, DM, or email. Whoever clicks it can see the post (unless they are blocked or the account has become private).
If it’s not in Highlights and it’s been over 24 hours, it is gone forever. You can check their Highlights or just ask the person to send it to you directly if it is so important to you.
Instagram’s got rules: public accounts only. You should not try to share someone’s private Story. This protects user privacy and ensures that content isn’t spread without permission from users who intended it for a limited audience. Keep in mind:
| Feature | iOS (iPhone) | Android | Desktop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share Icon | Yes | Yes | Yes for Reels, No for Stories |
| Copy Link | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Story Access | App only | App only | No |
| Reel Sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Note: You can’t view or share Stories from desktop unless you use browser extensions or developer tools.
1. “Link Not Available”
Story expired, or the Reel’s gone. Solution: Check for a Highlight or beg the poster to send it.
2. “This content is unavailable.”
It’s private, or you’re blocked. Solution: Stick to public content.
3. No Copy Link Option
You’re looking at a private account. Solution: Instagram doesn’t want you to share it, so there is no solution other than to ask the account holder directly.
4. Wrong link opens homepage
You copied an outdated or malformed link. Solution: Go to the actual post and copy the link again.
5. Link opens but nothing loads
It could be an Instagram bug or your app is outdated. Solution: Update the app or try another device.
We encourage everyone to only share content that’s publicly available and avoid re-uploading or stealing people’s content in any other way. Instagram’s rules don’t let you redistribute stuff without permission. If you really want to share someone’s content in your own posts, ask first and maybe add a tag.
Q: Can I share a Story from a private account?
A: No. Links only work for content from public accounts.
Q: Do Story links expire?
A: Yes. If the Story is not saved to a Highlight, the link stops working after 24 hours.
Q: Can I send a Reel in WhatsApp?
A: Yes. Copy the link, paste it in WhatsApp or anywhere you desire.
Q: Can I get a link for a Highlight?
A: Yes. Open the Highlight, tap the share icon, and copy the link.
Q: Can I just download the Story?
A: Only your own. If it’s someone else’s, Instagram won’t let you. It is possible to do this only with an outside Instagram Story Downloader, such as Instagram Story viewer.