Today it should come as no surprise that users of various social media platforms prefer it when they can neatly, efficiently, and effectively share their favourite content across several platforms at once, preferably at the click of a button.
Unfortunately, the ability to share a YouTube video like this is reserved for only those Instagram accounts with over 10,000 followers, OR those accounts which are verified (signified by the recognizable ‘blue tick’). This does mean that for anyone with fewer than 10,000 followers who are not verified, you simply will not be able to share a YouTube video to your story with a link.
Thankfully, there is another way (it’s just a little bit more labor-intensive). To find out how to share a YouTube video on Instagram Stories, just follow the instructions below:
Table of Contents
- Open up the YouTube app or website and locate the video you wish to share
- Locate and tap the ‘Share’ button or icon just below the video
- From the submenu, select ‘Copy Link’
- Now, open up the Instagram app or website, and log-in if prompted
- Tap the (+) symbol to begin creating a new post/story/reel, etc., and select ‘Story’
- Find or take the picture or clip you wish to attach the YouTube video link to, and once you’ve done so, tap the ‘Link’ icon (which looks like (-) this)
- Now select ‘Swipe-Up Link’ and paste your YouTube video’s link
- Once you are satisfied with your story, tap the ‘Your story’ icon in the bottom-left, or hit ‘Send to’ and choose ‘Your story’
- Your story will now appear to your followers with a ‘Swipe-up link’ feature, allowing those who view your story to swipe up and be redirected to the YouTube app or website to watch the linked story
This method is for sure a lengthier process, however, it does allow you to share our YouTube video on Instagram Stories in an arguably more accessible format (though note, it will not allow you to redirect your followers onto the YouTube app or website)
- Open up the YouTube app or website and locate the video you wish to share
- Locate and tap the ‘Share’ button or icon just below the video
- From the submenu, select ‘Copy Link’
- Now navigate to a YouTube Video Downloader website (there are many good, free, reliable websites out there, so just have a quick search on your preferred browser)
- Once on the Downloader website, paste your YouTube video link, and initiate the download onto your phone or PC
- Open up the Instagram app or website, and log-in if prompted
- Tap the (+) symbol to begin creating a new post/story/reel, etc., and select ‘Story’
- Now hit the box in the bottom-left of the screen, which directs you to your gallery, to find the video you’ve just downloaded. Select the video.
- Instagram Stories will now automatically cut your video into appropriately-sized chunks and arrange them in chronological order so that once uploaded to your Stories, they will play as one long video, so long as your followers continue watching
- Once satisfied with your uploaded YouTube video story, tap the ‘Your story’ icon in the bottom-left, or hit ‘Send to’ and choose ‘Your story’
- Your YouTube video story will now appear to your followers
Important note: When using this method of sharing a YouTube video on Instagram Stories, make absolutely sure that you have the right to redistribute each particular video. If the video is one from your own channel, or indeed a friend’s, you are probably fine. If, however, you share a video created by or belonging to someone else and reshare it without their permission, you may face repercussions from the original creator. It is simply good practice to make sure and contact somebody to ask if you can share their content, before going ahead and doing so. Most of the time, you’ll find they’ll say yes, so long as you credit them with a tag.
And there you have it! Though Instagram makes it hard for you to share a YouTube video on Instagram Stories without first having 10k+ followers or a verified account, following the simple steps listed above proves that it is not impossible to do for all of us normal, personal-use Instagram account holders. Happy sharing!
Frequently asked questions
Instagram stories, now supremely popular (perhaps even more so than Feed posts), are a great means of reaching out to your followers. Oftentimes you will see accounts you follow sharing their Feed posts, IGTV posts, or Reels to their story, as a way of drumming up more interest in the original content.
The same goes for YouTube videos – which you’ll probably have seen if you follow any popular YouTuber on Instagram. You’ll have noticed that they are able to directly link to their YouTube videos via their Instagram stories.
