How to Post Reels on Instagram Story Without Posting?

Learn how to share your Instagram Reels in your Story without making them public. Follow these easy steps for seamless sharing!

Instagram Reels has become one of the platform's most popular features, allowing users to create and share short, engaging videos. However, you may want to share a Reel on your Instagram Story without posting it on your main profile. This can be useful if you want to share content temporarily, test engagement with close friends, or showcase it to a select audience without permanently adding it to your grid.

This article will walk you through the methods of sharing Reels on your Instagram Story without posting them on your profile. We'll cover native Instagram features and workarounds to ensure you can share content seamlessly.

Why Share Reels on Instagram Stories Without Posting?

There are several reasons why someone might want to share their Reels on Instagram Stories without posting them permanently on their profile:

1. Temporary Content: Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, making them ideal for content that doesn't want to be permanently visible.
2. Close Friends or Selective Audience: Sometimes, you only want to share specific Reels with a small group of people, which is easier to do via Stories or Close Friends rather than on the main feed.
3. Testing Engagement: Before posting a Reel publicly, see how it performs with a smaller audience, allowing you to tweak or modify the content if needed.
4. Avoid Overloading Your Profile: If you create many Reels, you may not want to clutter your profile. Using Stories is a great alternative to showcase your creativity without overwhelming your followers.

Method 1: Sharing a Drafted Reel on Your Story

Instagram allows users to create Reels, save them as drafts, and use them later. You can use this feature to share your Reel on your Instagram Story without publishing it on your profile.
Here's how:

Step 1: Create a Reel and Save It as a Draft

1. Open Instagram: Open the Instagram app and navigate to the Reels section by swiping left or tapping the Reels icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Record or Upload a Reel: You can create a Reel by recording a new video or uploading one from your phone's gallery.
3. Edit the Reel: You can add music, effects, filters, or text to the Reel as you normally would.
4. Save as Draft: Instead of posting, click Next and select the option to Save as Draft. This will store your Reel in the draft section of your Reels tab.

Step 2: Access the Drafted Reel

1. Go to your Instagram profile.
2. Tap the Reels icon (usually next to your posts icon).
3. You'll see your drafted Reel here. Tap on it.

Step 3: Share the Drafted Reel on Your Story

1. Open the drafted Reel.
2. Tap the Share icon, which is typically found in the bottom-right corner.
3. From the options, select Add Reel to Your Story.
4. Customize the Story as you normally would by adding text, stickers, or music.
5. Click Send to and choose Your Story or a specific group of friends. Your Reel will now appear in your Story without being posted on your main profile.

Method 2: Downloading the Reel and Share Your Story

If you've already created a Reel but don't want to post it on your feed, you can download the Reel and upload it directly to your Story.

Step 1: Create the Reel

1. Open Instagram and go to the Reels section.
2. Record or Upload a Video: Create a Reel as you usually would.
3. Edit Your Reel: Add your preferred edits, such as music, filters, or effects.

Step 2: Save the Reel Without Posting

1. After you've finished editing, tap Next.
2. Instead of posting the Reel, look for the Download icon at the top of the screen (an arrow pointing downwards). Tap it to save the Reel to your phone's gallery.

Step 3: Upload the Reel to Your Story

1. Open the Instagram Stories camera by swiping right on your home feed or tapping your profile picture at the top-left corner.
2. Swipe up to access your phone's gallery.
3. Select the downloaded Reel.
4. Customize your Story by adding stickers, text, or any additional features.
5. Tap Send to and select Your Story or share it with specific people. This method allows you to share your Reel on your Instagram Story without posting it on your main profile.

Method 3: Sharing Someone Else's Reel to Your Story

Sometimes, you may want to share someone else's Reel on your Story. Instagram makes this easy with its native sharing feature. However, this method only works if the account from which the Reel originates is public and enables sharing.

Step 1: Find the Reel

1. Browse through Instagram and find the Reel you want to share with your Story.
2. Ensure the Reel is from a public account or someone who has allowed sharing.

Step 2: Share the Reel on Your Story

1. Tap the Share icon (paper plane) below the Reel.
2. From the menu, select Add Reel to Your Story.
3. The Reel will open in the Story editing screen, where you can customize it by adding stickers, text, or filters.
4. Tap Send to and choose Your Story. This method is proper when you want to share other creators' Reels directly to your Story without posting it on your feed.

Method 4: Using the Close Friends Feature

The Close Friends feature is an excellent option for sharing Reels privately with a select group of friends. Here's how you can use this to share a Reel on your Story:

Step 1: Create or Choose a Reel

1. Record or choose the Reel you want to share from your drafts or someone else's Reel.

Step 2: Share to Close Friends

1. Follow the earlier steps when you're ready to share the Reel on your Story.
2. Tap Send to, but select Close Friends instead of choosing Your Story. By using Close Friends, you can share content with a limited audience, allowing only your select list to view it.

Best Practices for Sharing Reels Without Posting

To ensure that your content remains engaging and appealing even when you don't post it permanently, follow these best practices:

1. Ensure Quality: Even though you're sharing the Reel only to your Story, maintain the same level of quality as you would when posting to your main feed.
2. Add Relevant Stickers and Hashtags: Use interactive stickers, location tags, and hashtags to increase engagement even when sharing via Stories.
3. Experiment with Close Friends: Share Reels with your close friends to test the waters before posting them publicly. You can gather feedback from your inner circle and make adjustments.
4. Utilize Instagram's Story Features: Use Instagram's extensive Story features like polls, questions, and music to make your shared Reels more interactive.

Conclusion

Sharing Instagram Reels on your Story without posting them on your main feed is an easy and effective way to temporarily share content with your followers. Whether you're using drafts, downloading the Reel to upload it later, or taking advantage of Instagram's native sharing options, these methods allow you to control how and when your Reels are displayed. Following this guide will enable you to manage your Reels flexibly while keeping your Instagram profile organized and clutter-free.