Instagram Begins Testing Repost Feature for Home Feed

Prime Highlights:

Instagram is experimenting with a repost feature where users can repost other people’s content right onto their feed.
Content reposted from others will appear in a separate “Reposts” tab on users’ accounts.

Key Facts:

The feature has been under development since 2022 and is now being tested on a limited group of users.
Reposts will give credit to the original creators and will not duplicate content engagement—likes and comments stay with the original post.
Instagram aims to make sharing of content and further reach easier for creators.

Key Background

Instagram is unveiling a highly anticipated repost feature, which will be a big change to the manner in which individuals interact with and share content on the platform. In the past, Instagram has restricted post sharing to direct messages or Stories, which narrowed the amount that a post could be reshared. Individuals have been forced to take screenshots or use third-party apps to reshare for years—an often frustrating process that seldom served the original creators well enough.

With its new repost feature, Instagram is catching up with other top platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Threads, which have long had native resharing functionalities. The test feature allows individuals to repost other publicly shared posts directly into their own main feed. These reposts are not only viewed by followers but also get saved in a new, distinct “Reposts” tab on the user’s profile so that they keep appearing and won’t overcrowd their own feed of original posts.

Interestingly, the change does not fragment engagement. When someone reposts a post, everything from views to likes to comments continues to be linked with the original post. This change helps with maintaining original creator credit and gives them more visibility and reach. Instagram is banking that this change will create a more community-driven system in which great content gets spread further but still rewards its roots.

The feature is currently being tested on a small set of users. Instagram is monitoring usage and feedback among the users to decide if the feature should be rolled out to more individuals. The goal is to simplify resharing, reduce the use of third-party tools, and offer creators another path to organic growth.

But not all are excited. Some users fear that the feed can become flooded with reposted material, taking away from its focus on original, visually curated posts that Instagram originally became popular with. But as the site moves to keep pace against newer, algorithm-driven apps, this repost option could be a step toward breathing new life into user engagement and content discovery.

The next few months will tell if reposts are here to stay or just another fleeting experiment in Instagram’s constantly changing roster.