To share Instagram videos to your WhatsApp status, open the reel or story, tap the paper plane icon and choose WhatsApp → My status → Send. This is the most direct way to start sharing from Instagram.
You can also copy the link and paste it into a text status, or download the video and upload it from your gallery. It is important to distinguish between these two options: posting a link is not the same as uploading the video file. If you want to use the file saved on your phone, follow the download-and-upload method.
Share from Instagram to your WhatsApp status
- Open Instagram and find the reel or story you want to share.
- Tap the share icon, represented by a paper plane, and look for WhatsApp among the available apps. If you cannot see its icon, swipe horizontally through the row of options until you find it.
- Tapping WhatsApp will take you to that app. Select My status rather than one of the contacts in the list.
- Before confirming, check who will be able to see it. Tap the three dots next to My status to choose whether to share it with your contacts, exclude certain people or show it only to selected contacts.
- Tap the send button to publish it.
If it is your own story and you have linked WhatsApp to Instagram, you can also use the Share to… shortcut and choose WhatsApp. This is a shortcut to start sharing, not a way to post automatically.
To check the result, go to Updates in WhatsApp and open your status. You can also see how many people have viewed it there.
Post an Instagram link to your status
If you want to share a post’s URL without downloading the file, you can do so using a text status:
- Open the video in Instagram, tap the paper plane and select Copy link. You may need to scroll horizontally through the options at the bottom of the menu to find this feature.
- Open WhatsApp and go to Updates.
- Tap the pencil icon to create a text status. Press and hold in the empty field, then choose Paste.
- Wait a few moments for the post preview to load, then tap the send button.
Here, you are posting a link to the Instagram content, not a video file from your gallery. Like other WhatsApp statuses, it will remain visible for 24 hours.
Download the video and upload it from your gallery
If you prefer to post the video from your phone’s storage, you will need to save it first and then select it in WhatsApp:
- Open the content in Instagram, tap the paper plane and look for Download. Use this method when the feature is available. To save your own story, open it, tap its menu and choose Save….
- Once the video is saved, open WhatsApp, go to Updates and tap the option to add a status.
- Select the file from your gallery. Before posting it, you can add text or make minor edits within WhatsApp.
- When you are ready, tap the green send button.
Keep in mind that Instagram stories are not automatically shared to WhatsApp statuses: you need to start sharing manually each time. Automatic sharing is available in the opposite direction, from WhatsApp statuses to Instagram stories, and should not be confused with this process.
