Instagram stories are a really interesting feature that allows users to share their life updates in short form. This feature was launched by Instagram in August, 2016 and since then has been ruling people’s hearts. The stories generally last only for 24 hours which means that whatever you post over there will vanish after this period. However, after 24 hours, the stories are moved to Stories Archive, and if you wish you can share them again too. Instagram users are totally in awe of this feature as it offers creativity as a bonus. It means that you can make your stories look more attractive by using different filters, stickers, music, emojis, etc. Although, you can share anything on a story but make sure that you follow the community guidelines issued by Instagram.

What Can You Post On Instagram Stories?

As an Instagram user, you can post pictures, videos, boomerang, or can even write something like an update or important notification and post it on your story. If you don’t know you can also share your posts to story if you want to garner more people to view that post. Doing so will increase your likes and comments on the particular post. It’s extremely simple to share a post to an Instagram story but sometimes users face issues while doing it hence we decided to brief you about this issue along with the solutions so you know how to resolve it.

Reason 1: Private Account

As an Instagram user, you can’t share a post to Instagram story from a private account. Excluding content creators, celebrities, and influencers every other person likes to keep their Instagram account private due to privacy reasons. Now if you try sharing a post to an Instagram story via a private account it won’t happen because there will be no ‘Add post to story’ button available.

• Solution 1: If you know the person closely then you can ask them politely or suggest them to make their Instagram account private so that you can share their post to the Instagram story. Although, there’s no guarantee that this solution will work, you can still give it a try.
• Solution 2: Take a screenshot of the post which you want to share or download the Instagram post using third-party applications. It’s advised that before installing these apps you cross-check the reviews and authenticity and then only install it as tech experts state that such apps tend to steal user’s data. So be careful when downloading it. If asked us, it’s better to take a screenshot, give credit to the person and share the post on your story.

Reason 2: Device Or Network Compatibility Issue

Sometimes, mobile applications don’t function properly or their features showcase a glitch just due to hardware or software issues. It can also be a network issue due to which you can’t share post to Instagram story. In such situations, you should either switch to a different device (PC or laptop) or change your internet connection.

• Alternative Solution 1: Use your friend’s or family member’s device if you don’t have any additional device and login into your account. Once you change the device see if the ‘Share’ option and ‘Add to story’ option are available or not. We’ve tried and tested this method works and is a guaranteed fix.
• Alternative Solution 2: Change your network settings like take a hotspot or switch to Wi-Fi. You may be connected to a poor network and that’s why you can’t share post to Instagram story.

Reason 3: Using Old Instagram App

Instagram is a popular social networking platform which launches new features and updates often. With every update, there’s addition of multiple features and those who don’t update the app regularly can’t access the latest features. If you tried switching your device and internet settings but it didn’t work out then it’s possible that this feature is a part of a recent update. To confirm the same go to Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS) and check if there’s any update available for Instagram. If you see an ‘Update’ button then tap on it and wait for a while. Open the app once it’s updated and check for the ‘Add to story’ option. Your problem is likely to get resolved if an outdated app was an issue.

Alternative Solution: If there’s no update available then you should uninst all the Instagram app and install it again. Most of the technical issues & bugs get resolved once the user implements this method.

Also Read: Tips & Tricks On How To Copy Instagram Comments

Reason 4: Bad Server

No one knows when a server error will occur as it can happen anytime without a prior notice. In the past, there have been times when WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook were down for a day. The technical team worked on it and fixed the issue the very next day. What we meant to say is that server outage can happen anytime and it could be the reason for unavailability of the Add to Story button.

Solution: To confirm if there’s a server error or not you have to visit DownDetector. It’s an official platform which shares the server insights about all the applications. If you see the message that ‘User reports indicate no current problems at Instagram’ then the app is working perfectly fine and the reason might be something else.

Reason 5: Unwanted Data & Cache

The accumulation of excessive data and cache slows the performance of an app. This also leads to absence of some features or it happens that users are unable to access it. You should regularly clear data and cache for the app’s smooth functionality. Sadly, this fix mostly works only for Android users and not for iPhone users. However, you can still give it a try, what if it works out. To clear data and cache of Instagram app follow the instructions below:

• Step 1: Click on the Instagram app and then on the ‘i’ symbol
• Step 2: Go to Storage Usage under App Info
• Step 3: Tap on Clear Data and Clear Cache
• Step 4: Go back to Instagram and check for the availability of Add to Story button

Reason 6: Logged Into Multiple Accounts

If you’re using more than one Instagram account then maybe that’s the reason the feature is not available. For a quick fix, logout from any one handle and check whether you’re able to add post to the story from another account. If the option is accessible in the latter account and not in the former one then there may be some issue with your account. Wait for sometime and then try again. You can also try logging into your account from a laptop, PC or tablet to see if the issue gets resolved or not.

Reason 7: Activate ‘Allow Sharing to Story’ Feature

Instagram follows a strong and strict privacy policy which is why it’s loved by billions of people. You can not only keep your identity secret but can also stop people from replying or sharing your stories. If you’re unable to share someone’s post to your story then they must have disabled the ‘Allow Sharing to Story’ option. Ask them to enable this option and if they’re unaware about it then share this article with them as below we’ve mentioned the steps to enable this option.

• Step 1: Open your Instagram profile and tap on your profile icon
• Step 2: Click on Hamburger menu
• Step 3: Select Settings > Privacy
• Step 4: Choose ‘Story’ from the Privacy menu
• Step 5: Toggle the ‘Allow sharing to story’ button from the right to left
• Step 6: Logout of your Instagram account
• Step 7: Now, login into your account and then toggle the ‘Allow sharing to story’ option from left to right. Apart from sharing a post to Instagram story you can download the story via third-party applications.

Why Can’t Others Share My Post To Their Instagram Story?

One can only share posts from public accounts and not from private accounts. If someone in your friend list told you that they’re unable to share your post to Instagram story then it’s because you have a private Instagram account. In order to let them share your posts you need to switch from private account to public account. If you don’t know, a public account has a professional dashboard which provides insights about your account’s performance and how many audiences it’s reached in the last 30 days. Below we have mentioned the steps to switch to a public Instagram account.

• Step 1: Tap on the Instagram app icon
• Step 2: Now, enter your username and password to login into your account
• Step 3: Tap on your ‘Profile’ icon and click on the three horizontal dots displayed at the upper right screen area
• Step 4: Select ‘Settings & Privacy’ > Account Privacy
• Step 5:Toggle the Private Account option from right to left. It’ll change from blue to grey colour
• Step 6: Tap on ‘Switch to public’ button to change your private account to public

How To Share A Post Or Reel To Your Instagram Story?

Instagram features are pretty straightforward and you just need to follow a few steps to use one. Like to share a post or reel gets done in 5 steps which is just so quick. To share a post to story firstly you’ve to login into your Instagram account and then follow the steps mentioned below:

• Step 1: Go to your Instagram feed
• Step 2: Select a post which you want to share on your story
• Step 3: Click on the ‘Share’ icon which is displayed to the left of the Comment icon
• Step 4: Tap on ‘Add to story’ and then ‘Your Story’ to share it with your friends

In case, you don’t want to share the story with everyone then you can opt for ‘Close Friends’ option which is available next to ‘Your Story’ option. You can also change the background colour, add Instagram music, stickers and text on your story and change the entire look.

Conclusion

Instagram is easy to use and so are the features implemented with this app. The makers have made sure to provide best features to the users and the launch of Instagram stories was definitely a big hit. But the hassle arose when they couldn’t share a post on their story. Well, we dived deep into the issue and found out the reason behind it. So if you can’t share post to Instagram story and are constantly wondering why it’s happening then the methods listed in this article will definitely be a huge help for you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) Can I add music to a post while sharing it on Instagram story?

Ans: You can add the music of your choice while sharing a post to the story. Tap on the smiley faced icon and you’ll see a Music sticker. Click on the sticker and now search for the music you would like to add. In addition, you’ll see trending music listed so you can select from that list too.

Q) How to give credit to a person whose post I’m sharing on my Instagram story?

Ans: If you take a screenshot and want to tag that person then you have to mention them with their username on your story. Once you do this and then upload the story they will receive a notification stating that you have mentioned them in your story. However, they won’t be notified that you have shared their post and will know about it once they see the post.