No, it's not your imagination. The Instagram app has had a slight refresh this week, with the subtle introduction of a brand-new feature: a repost button.

Unlike resharing a Story or DMing a post to a friend, this new function lets you share someone else’s public post or Reel directly to your own profile feed. It’s a move that brings Instagram more in line with TikTok’s repost tool and the retweet (sorry, repost) function on X. Here's what you need to know.

So, what is Instagram's new repost function?

In essence, when you see a post or Reel you love, you can now tap a repost icon (it looks a little like a recycling symbol) beneath the content. This gives you the option to reshare it to your main feed, with an optional caption of your own. The original creator is credited, and the post appears in a new “Reposts” tab on your profile — which is right next to your tagged photos.

Until now, resharing on Instagram was limited to Stories, or downloading the image in question and reposting it yourself. This feature brings sharing front and centre, and encourages users to amplify the content they connect with.

You'll need to be on public to access the feature

The repost feature only works for public accounts. Private posts are still protected — so if your profile is locked down, no one can repost your content. If you change your mind, you can remove a repost at any time by tapping the same icon again.

There are plenty of positive implications for creators and brands

For everyday users, it’s just another way to engage. But for creators and brands, this adds a new layer of visibility. A single repost can now land your content in a whole new feed, potentially reaching audiences you wouldn’t have otherwise.

It also marks a shift in how Instagram wants us to use the app, away from polished, original-only content, and towards conversation and sharing.