How sharing works in each direction
Instagram to Threads: when you publish a photo or video post in the Instagram app, you can choose to also share it on Threads, and you can tell Instagram to always share future posts automatically. Meta's Help Center describes this for the Android and iPhone apps; it is not available when posting from a computer. Your Threads profile has to be connected to that Instagram account.
Threads to Instagram: from a Threads post you can use Share to add it to your Instagram story or feed.
There is also a route you do not control. Since July 2025, eligible Threads posts can be recommended to people on Instagram and Facebook, so some of your Threads posts may reach Instagram users without any sharing on your part.
Which posts to share
The question is not whether a post is good, but whether it works for the other app's reader without its original context. A simple test helps.
- Share Instagram to Threads when the caption makes a point on its own and the image adds to it, such as a before/after with an explanation.
- Do not share when the image is the whole post (a product shot, an aesthetic photo with a one-word caption). On Threads it lands as a picture without a reason to reply.
- Share Threads to your Instagram story when a post sparked a good discussion and you want your Instagram audience to see where you are talking.
- Do not share Threads replies or posts that only make sense inside a conversation.
Adapting a caption: a worked example
An invented ceramics studio posts a Reel of a vase being glazed with the caption: "New glaze drop 🌊✨ Ocean series available Friday, link in bio! #ceramics #handmade #pottery #glaze #oceanvibes".
Shared as-is to Threads, it is an announcement with five hashtags on an app that tags one topic per post. Nobody has anything to reply to.
Adapted for Threads: "This blue took 14 test tiles to get right. The first 13 either ran off the vase or turned grey in the kiln. The trick was a thinner first coat. Potters: do you test on tiles or straight on pieces?" with one topic, ceramics, and the shop link in a follow-up post. Same product, but now there is a story and a question.
The adaptation took five minutes. That is the real cost of cross-posting well, and it is why automatic sharing of everything rarely works.
Pro tip
If you use "always share", check your Threads profile once a week as a stranger would. If it reads like a list of Instagram announcements, switch automatic sharing off and share selectively.
Scheduling both
Threads has its own scheduler, and several third-party tools, including Buffer, Hootsuite, Later and Metricool, can schedule posts to both Instagram and Threads. Scheduling separate, adapted versions in such a tool is often easier than adapting posts on the fly in the Instagram app.
Sources
Platform facts in this guide link to Meta's own documentation, its newsroom or established tech press. Advice without a source is our editorial judgement, not a Meta rule.
- Instagram Help Center — Share your Instagram posts to Threads
- Instagram Help Center — Share posts that you see on Threads
- Meta Newsroom — Threads posts recommended on Instagram and Facebook (update of 22 July 2025); five bio links (May 2025)
- Instagram Help Center — Tag a topic in your post on Threads (one topic per post)
- TechCrunch — Threads rolls out a post scheduler, markup feature and more (23 Jan 2025)
- Buffer Help — Using Threads with Buffer
- Hootsuite — Threads
- Later Help — Schedule & publish Threads posts
- Metricool Help — Schedule and post on Threads
- Meta Transparency Center — Threads Feed AI system (updated Mar 2025)
Ready to apply this?
Format long content for cross-posting
Frequently Asked Questions
Does sharing from Instagram hurt how Threads ranks my post?+
Meta has not said that shared posts are ranked differently. The practical risk is different: a post written for Instagram often gets fewer replies on Threads, and Meta's feed predictions include how likely people are to reply or scroll past.
Can I share Reels to Threads automatically?+
Meta's Help Center describes sharing photo and video posts from Instagram to Threads. It does not mention Reels specifically, so check the share options in your app.
Are links clickable on Threads?+
Yes. Links in Threads posts are clickable, and since May 2025 you can add up to five links to your Threads bio. Put the link where it is useful, such as a follow-up post, rather than repeating it everywhere.