Alex Ruben
How To Share Instagram Posts to Snapchat Stories Effectively
If you’re like me, trying to mash those two platforms together can be kinda annoying. Sometimes Instagram doesn’t show the Snapchat option right away, or sharing just outright fails. But hey, if you want to show off your latest post on Snapchat — maybe for that extra reach or just to boss around your social media schedule — here’s a rundown that’s actually worked across different setups. It’s not always perfectly seamless, but at least these methods are worth trying instead of pulling your hair out. After messing around a bit, you’ll get the hang of it, or at least figure out what’s blocking the share.
Just a heads-up: make sure both apps are fully updated — old versions can cause weird sharing bugs. This process whacks through permissions and settings that sometimes get weird after updates, and often a quick restart fixes at least half the issues newbies run into.
How to Fix Sharing Instagram Posts to Snapchat in Windows or on Mobile Devices
Method 1: Enable Sharing & Permissions on Your Device
This is kinda fundamental. If Snapchat isn’t showing up as an option when you tap the share icon on Instagram, it’s probably because the app permissions are messed up or not granted properly. On Android or iPhone, head over to Settings > Apps & Notifications > find Instagram and Snapchat. Check under Permissions that both have access to things like storage, photos, and sometimes accessibility settings.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Photos and make sure both apps are allowed to access photos and media.
- On Android, make sure you’ve granted camera, storage, and special access permissions for both.
Sometimes, toggling these permissions off and then back on can push the apps to recognize that they’re allowed to share content with each other. On some setups, the share menu won’t refresh until you restart the device or at least reboot the apps.
Method 2: Use the Built-in Sharing Features Properly
The traditional way is to open your Instagram post, tap the Share icon (the airplane), then see if Snapchat pops up. If it doesn’t, go to the Share to menu and try to refresh it. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of waiting a few minutes for the system to sync — or force close and reopen both apps. On some phones, you can also try logging out and back in on both services to knock loose any weird connection issues.
If that still doesn’t show Snapchat, check for app updates. Also, some phones hide sharing options behind the overflow menu or in different sections of the share sheet — explore that menu, because it’s surprisingly easy to miss the option if you don’t scroll or tap the small gear icons.
Method 3: Use a Workaround by Exporting and Uploading Manually
This isn’t as slick, but it works — especially if your device’s sharing menu is bugged out. Save the Instagram post to your device first, then open Snapchat and upload it as a Story or a Snap manually. To do this:
- Tap the three-dot menu on the post to save or screenshot it.
- On Android, the image usually gets saved to
/Pictures/Instagramor your gallery’s camera roll. - Open Snapchat, tap the camera icon, then upload from your gallery.
- Add any doodles or stickers, then share as usual.
It’s a bit more steps, but on some phones — especially those with restricted sharing menus — it’s the only way to get content from Instagram over to Snapchat.
Extra Tricks & Troubleshooting
In case things stay weird, here’s what helps:
- Double-check that both apps are granted all necessary permissions — trust me, this fixes a lot of weird bugs.
- Clean cache on Android: Settings > Apps > [App name] > Storage & Cache > Clear Cache. For iPhone, reinstalling sometimes helps.
- Log out of both apps and log back in — many glitches are just session hiccups.
- If Snapchat isn’t showing as an option during sharing, try reinstalling both apps. It’s kinda annoying but often necessary.
- If the share menu is glitchy or not updating, rebooting the device can clear the cache in the background and restore normal functioning.
Wrap-up
This sharing thing can be kinda finicky depending on your device or app version. The main goal is to make sure permissions are spot-on, apps are updated, and that you’ve at least tried rebooting or reinstalling when things get stubborn. Not sure why it works sometimes and not others, but messing around with permissions and manually saving content is a decent backup plan. Because of course, Android and iOS aren’t super consistent about these kinds of cross-app interactions.
Summary
- Check app permissions for Instagram and Snapchat in device settings
- Make sure both apps are fully updated
- Try restarting apps or your device
- If sharing option doesn’t appear, do a manual save and upload
- Reinstall both apps if they’re acting weird
Conclusion
Getting your Instagram post onto Snapchat might take a bit of tinkering, but it’s doable. Usually, fixing permission settings or manually saving content does the trick. The sharing features aren’t perfect, but once set up right, it’s straightforward enough. Fingers crossed this helps someone avoid the same frustration that’s plagued many users before.