How Do You Share Facebook Posts to Instagram?
Meta lets one post land on both apps, but only going forward, only from a personal profile, and only in formats Instagram can display.
How do you share Facebook posts to Instagram? Link both accounts in Meta's Accounts Center, open Sharing across profiles, pick your Facebook profile as the source and your Instagram account as the destination, and switch on automatic sharing for posts. New eligible posts then publish to both. Old posts aren't shared retroactively.
There's no button on an existing Facebook post that sends it to Instagram. Sharing is a setting you turn on before posting, and it only covers what you publish after that. Everything else in this guide follows from that one design choice.
Cross-posting is Meta's name for publishing one post to Facebook and Instagram at the same time. It runs through Accounts Center, the settings area shared by Facebook, Instagram and Meta's other apps, and as of October 2026 Facebook's help center says the feature works in the mobile apps, not on a computer.
It's narrower than people expect. Meta's help pages say automatic sharing from Facebook to Instagram works from a personal profile, not from a Facebook Page, and only for formats Instagram can show in its feed. A text-only status, a poll or a GIF won't make the trip.
That doesn't make the Facebook post less important. The likes, comments and shares a post collects on Facebook stay on Facebook, and the copy on Instagram starts from zero with its own counts. If it's the Facebook version that people judge, Facebook post likes add to that one post's public count from its public link, separately from whatever the Instagram copy does.
How do you link Facebook and Instagram in Accounts Center?
Both accounts have to be in the same Accounts Center before anything can be shared. From the Facebook app, as of October 2026:
1. Tap the menu, then the settings gear.
2. Tap Accounts Center at the top.
3. Tap Accounts, then Add accounts, and log in to the Instagram account you want to connect.
The same can be done from Instagram: open your profile, tap the menu, then Accounts Center. Adding an account here doesn't merge the two profiles. They keep separate names, followers and content; Accounts Center just lets them share settings and features you choose.
Can you cross-post from Facebook to Instagram automatically?
Yes, for new posts. With both accounts linked:
1. In Accounts Center, tap Connected experiences.
2. Tap Sharing across profiles.
3. Choose the profile to share from, your Facebook profile, and the one to share to, your Instagram account.
4. Under Automatically share, switch on posts, stories or both.
From then on, eligible posts you publish on Facebook also appear on Instagram.
The reverse direction, Instagram to Facebook, uses the same screen and is the more commonly used one, because Instagram content usually fits Facebook without changes.
Which Facebook posts can be shared to Instagram?
Only posts Instagram can display. Facebook's help center lists them as single photos, single videos and multi-photo albums, with albums of up to 10 photos. Everything else stays on Facebook only:
- Text-only posts, since Instagram needs an image or video.
- Polls and GIFs.
- Albums with more than 10 photos.
- Reshares of other people's Facebook posts.
- Media too tall for Instagram's feed proportions.
- Posts from a Facebook Page rather than your personal profile.
What about Facebook Pages?
Pages don't use the Accounts Center sharing switch. Businesses that run a Page and an Instagram account usually publish to both from Meta Business Suite, where the post composer lets you choose the Page and the connected Instagram account as places to publish, and adjust each version.
Can you share an old Facebook post to Instagram?
Not directly. Automatic sharing isn't retroactive, and there's no option on an existing post to send it to Instagram later. Turning the setting on today does nothing for last month's posts.
The practical route is to post it again. Save the photo or video from the original, then upload it to Instagram as a new post with a rewritten caption. If you no longer have the file, Facebook's Download your information tool, in Accounts Center under Your information and permissions, can export your photos and videos.
Two things don't carry over when you do this. The new Instagram post starts with no likes or comments, and anything that depended on Facebook, like tagged friends who aren't on Instagram or a link in the text, has to be redone. Instagram captions don't make links clickable, so move any link to your bio or a story link sticker.
Can you cross-post Reels between Facebook and Instagram?
Yes, in both directions, as of October 2026. Facebook's help center lists Reels among the things you can share from Facebook to Instagram, and Instagram offers the opposite route so a Reel can also be recommended on Facebook.
Each copy is judged on the app where it appears. A Reel that performs on Instagram doesn't carry those numbers to Facebook; it collects its own plays, likes and comments there. How to make a Reel on Facebook covers what helps a Reel travel on Facebook specifically, including when cross-posting from Instagram is the wrong choice.
Audio is the usual snag. Music licensed for one app isn't always available on the other, and a Reel can be muted or blocked from sharing because of it.
Do cross-posted posts get less reach?
Meta doesn't publish any rule that penalises cross-posting, and it built the feature itself, so there's no official reason to expect a penalty. What does change reach is fit. A post written for Facebook, with a long caption, a link and a friends-and-family tone, often reads oddly on Instagram, and people respond to it less.
The numbers also stay apart. A Facebook post and its Instagram copy have separate likes, comments, shares and reach, and neither helps the other's count. Does editing a Facebook post reduce its reach covers what tends to move reach on the Facebook side.
If you're cross-posting mainly for convenience, a quick look at the caption before each post goes out is usually enough. If one platform matters far more than the other, write for that one and adapt by hand.
How do you turn off automatic sharing to Instagram?
Go back to Accounts Center, tap Connected experiences, then Sharing across profiles, select the same pair of profiles and switch off the posts or stories toggle under Automatically share.
Turning it off only affects future posts. Anything already shared to Instagram stays there until you delete it on Instagram, and deleting the Instagram copy doesn't touch the Facebook original.
People usually turn it off for one of three reasons: Instagram followers complaining about duplicates, a personal Facebook post going somewhere it shouldn't, or a move to writing separately for each audience. In each case, the Facebook post keeps its own audience and its own count. Shares on that side show who passed it on, which how to see who shared your post on Facebook explains, and buy Facebook post likes adds to the like count on a single public post if that's the number you care about. Every Facebook guide and service is on the Facebook page.
Questions people ask about sharing Facebook posts to Instagram
How do you share Facebook posts to Instagram automatically?
Link both accounts in Accounts Center, open Connected experiences, then Sharing across profiles, choose Facebook as the source and Instagram as the destination, and switch on automatic sharing for posts.
Why can't I share my Facebook post to Instagram?
Usually because the post is text-only, a poll, a GIF, a reshare or an album over 10 photos, or because it was posted from a Facebook Page instead of a personal profile. The feature also isn't available on a computer.
Can I share an old Facebook post to Instagram?
No. Automatic sharing only covers posts made after you turn it on. To move an older post, save its photo or video and upload it to Instagram as a new post.
Can a Facebook Page share posts to Instagram?
Not through the Accounts Center sharing switch, which works from personal profiles. Page owners usually publish to both from Meta Business Suite with the Instagram account connected to the Page.
Do likes carry over when you cross-post to Instagram?
No. The Facebook post and its Instagram copy have separate likes, comments and reach. Each starts from zero on its own app.
How do I stop Facebook posts from going to Instagram?
In Accounts Center, open Connected experiences, then Sharing across profiles, select the profile pair and switch off automatic sharing for posts or stories. Posts already shared stay on Instagram until you delete them there.
Keep reading
- Facebook post likes — The Facebook original keeps its own count: Facebook post likes add to one public post from its link.
- How to make a Reel on Facebook — What helps a Reel travel on Facebook, and when cross-posting is the wrong call.
- Does editing a Facebook post reduce its reach? — What moves reach on the Facebook side.
- How to see who shared your post on Facebook — The share list and why it's shorter than the number.