Instagram provides the option to share reels with other third-party apps that includes Whatsapp. Anyhow, with this method, it just shares the link to the reel instead of the video itself. Previously, we used to have ways to download videos from Instagram directly. But no matter what version of Instagram you are using right now, the option is not available anymore. Here’s how to share Instagram videos on WhatsApp Chats, Groups, and Status with and without the link.
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If you want to share any reel quickly to anymore, you can directly do it from the Instagram app itself. Just make sure you have Instagram and WhatsApp installed on your phone. Also, the process is the same on both Android and iOS. I am using screenshots from Android here, but you can replicate the same process on iOS.
1. On the Instagram app, open the reel that you want to share with anyone or any group on Whatsapp.
2. Now tap on the kebab menu (three-dot menu) at the bottom right corner of the reel.
3. In the menu, tap on the Share icon. This should open your system share sheet.
4. Here, tap on the WhatsApp icon in the share sheet.
5. It opens Whatsapp where you can select any chat or group available. The top two will be frequently contacted chats and you should find recent chats below that. You also have a search option above to search for the specific chat or group that you want to send.
6. You can select multiple chats and groups if you wanted. Once done, tap on the green send icon at the bottom right. On iOS, you can tap on the Next option.
7. On the next page, it opens the chat. Here you can customize the text. Anyhow, do not remove or change anything in the link. Once the editing part is completed, just tap on the Send icon to send the reel to all the chats and groups you have selected.
While the above process is fast and works great, it only sends a link to the original reel. So when the receiver opens the link, it opens the Instagram app. If you want to send the reel to anyone who is not on Instagram, here is how you do so.
1. First, download the reel from Instagram. You can do that on all platforms from Android, iOS, or even on the desktop browser.
2. Once downloaded, open Whatsapp and tap on the attachment icon in the chat box. Then in the menu, select the Gallery option.
On iOS, tap on the plus icon beside the chatbox and select the Photo & Video Library option
3. Then select the video that you have downloaded. You can select up to 30 videos and send them at the same time. Once selected, you can adjust the time frame at the top. Finally, tap on the send icon at the bottom to send it.
WhatsApp has a size limit of 16MB to send videos. But most reels you download will be lower than that in most cases. In case you have to send a larger reel, just send the reel in two different videos by cutting it using the time frame option.
1. On the Instagram app, open the reel that you want to share with anyone or any group on Whatsapp.
2. Now tap on the kebab menu (three-dot menu) at the bottom right corner of the reel.
3. In the menu, tap on the Share icon. This should open your system share sheet.
4. Here, tap on the WhatsApp icon in the share sheet.
5. It opens the WhatsApp application. Here tap on the My status option.
6. Just like on the chats and groups option, it will not share the video directly instead it shares the link. You can edit any details or add a description. Once done, tap on the send icon at the bottom. On iOS, tap on the Next option at the bottom.
The above process will share the reel status, anyhow it is just a link and not the video itself. So people who opened the link can only access your video. In case you want to post the video itself as a status.
1. Download the Instagram reel using any third-party app on Android or iOS
2. Once downloaded, now open WhatsApp and open the Status tab. On iOS, you should see the Status option in the bottom bar.
3. Now tap on the My status option at the top of the page.
4. Here you should find the video you have downloaded in the bottom image bar. If you don’t, then tap on the image icon at the bottom left corner to open the gallery. You can find the video in the gallery.
5. After selecting you can add the caption, set the time frame, crop, etc. Once done, just tap on the Send icon at the bottom right corner to set the reel as your status.
Anyhow max time limit for Instagram reels is 90 seconds. In contrast, WhatsApp Story only supports 30 seconds, so you may need to upload the reel in multiple statuses if it is longer than 30 seconds.
In case you are wondering, just select the first 30 seconds part of the video for the first time. Then re-upload the reel as status, now set the time frame from 30 seconds and 60 seconds. If the reel is even bigger, upload it for the third time and set the time frame to 60 to 90 seconds. That way, you can upload a reel on WhatsApp Status.
View Instagram Reels on WhatsApp
With the native option, you can only share Instagram reels as a link though both are owned by Meta. Anyhow, you can use third-party apps to download the reel and send it via WhatsApp. But it is not officially supported by Instagram. Apart from Whatsapp, you can also share Instagram reels on your Facebook profile, Facebook page, or even on Messenger.
