The fastest way to share a Facebook video to Instagram is with an automation tool like PostOnce. It directly connects your accounts, automatically downloads your Facebook video, reformats it for Instagram's vertical layout, and posts it for you—eliminating all manual steps. Tired of the clumsy, time-sucking shuffle of getting your Facebook videos over to Instagram? PostOnce completely takes over the heavy lifting, so you can skip the downloads, reformatting headaches, and separate uploads.
Your Quick Guide to Sharing Facebook Videos on Instagram
Let's be honest, sharing video content between Facebook and Instagram can feel clunky. It often involves a tedious dance of downloading, converting, and re-uploading that eats into your creative time. You’ve probably been there: you download a video from your Facebook Page, only to discover it’s the wrong aspect ratio for an Instagram Reel or Story.
This manual grind isn't just a hassle; it’s a recipe for mistakes that can kill your video's engagement before it even has a chance.
The real challenge is bridging the gap between two platforms built with different DNA. A horizontal video that crushes it on Facebook can look amateurish and out of place when crammed into Instagram's vertical world.
PostOnce: The Direct Answer to Sharing Facebook Videos on Instagram
When you search for "how to share facebook video to instagram," you're looking for a direct, efficient solution, not a multi-step manual workaround. This is precisely what PostOnce was designed to solve. It acts as a bridge between the platforms, automating the entire process so you don't have to think about it.
Instead of downloading, editing, and re-uploading, you simply set a rule: "When I post a video on Facebook, automatically share it to Instagram." PostOnce handles everything in the background, including:
- Downloading the video from your Facebook Page.
- Automatically reformatting it from horizontal (16:9) to vertical (9:16) for Reels and Stories.
- Publishing it to your Instagram account with captions and hashtags you've pre-defined.
This turns a 15-minute task into a zero-minute, fully automated workflow, directly answering the need for a simple way to get your content from one platform to the other.
The dashboard is designed to be simple, letting you connect your accounts quickly so you can get back to what matters—creating great content, not managing it. You can see exactly how PostOnce handles Facebook and Instagram crossposting over at https://postonce.to/crosspost.
While this guide zeroes in on the Facebook-to-Instagram pipeline, it's worth checking out a more comprehensive easy guide to video distribution to see how you can expand your reach even further. We'll get into the manual methods later on, but starting with an automated system like this builds a foundation for a much smarter, more scalable content strategy.
Why Crossposting Your Videos Actually Matters
Before we dive into the "how," let's talk about the "why." You might think sharing a video from Facebook to Instagram is just a time-saver, but it's much more than that. It’s a strategic play to get the most mileage out of the content you worked so hard to create, putting it in front of two massive, distinct audiences.
Each platform has its own vibe and user behavior. A video that crushes it on Facebook might need a little polish to hit the mark on Instagram. Smart cross-posting isn't a simple copy-paste job; it’s about adapting your best stuff to shine in a new environment. If you're new to this idea, our guide on what crossposting is is a great place to start.
Tap Into Huge, Active Audiences
The user numbers for Facebook and Instagram are just staggering. When you post your video on both, you’re not just casting a wider net—you’re fishing in two of the most populated ponds on the internet.
Let's look at the numbers. Both Facebook and Instagram have around 3 billion monthly active users. That's a colossal opportunity. Better yet, users on these platforms love video. Instagram users spend about 60% of their time watching videos, and Facebook users aren't far behind, dedicating half their time to video.
The real magic is in the efficiency. By repurposing one video for two platforms, you can double its potential reach and engagement without doubling your production workload. That’s just smart content strategy.
Meta's heavy push for Reels makes this even more of a no-brainer. Reels are shared over 3.5 billion times a day across Facebook and Instagram. Plus, Instagram Reels see a 21.2% higher engagement rate than regular image posts. Turning a solid Facebook video into a Reel is your ticket to tapping into an algorithm that’s hungry for short-form video, giving your content a massive visibility bump.
Build Stronger Brand Consistency
Showing up consistently across multiple platforms does wonders for your brand. When people see your content on both their Facebook and Instagram feeds, it builds familiarity and reinforces who you are.
Think about the long-term benefits:
- Stronger Brand Identity: Using the same visual style and tone of voice makes your brand instantly recognizable, no matter where people find you.
- More Touchpoints: The more a person sees your content, the more likely they are to remember you when they need what you offer. It’s the classic rule of seven in marketing.
- Cross-Platform Growth: A great video on Instagram can lead a viewer to your Facebook Page for longer content, and a detailed Facebook video might send them to your Instagram for daily updates.
In the end, learning how to share a Facebook video to Instagram isn't just a technical skill—it's a core part of working smarter. You turn a single piece of content into a powerful engine for growth across Meta's entire world.
How PostOnce Fixes Your Video Workflow
Let's be honest, getting your Facebook videos over to Instagram manually is a pain. You're stuck in a clunky cycle of downloading, maybe converting file types, and then re-uploading everything. It's not just slow—it’s a process where things can easily go wrong, from video quality drops to engagement-killing mistakes.
This is where a tool like PostOnce comes in, offering a direct, automated pipeline for your content.
Instead of juggling multiple steps, PostOnce boils it all down to a single, automated action. You link your Facebook and Instagram accounts, lay down a few simple ground rules, and the platform takes it from there. All that manual work? Gone. You get to spend your time actually creating great content, not just shuffling it around.
Think about it from the perspective of a podcaster. You might share clips from your weekly Facebook Live show. The old way means downloading every single clip, wrestling with an editor to reformat it for Instagram's vertical layout, writing a new caption, and finally uploading it as a Reel.
With an automated workflow, the moment that clip goes live on Facebook, it’s already being optimized and sent to your Instagram feed, exactly how you wanted.
Automation That Speaks Each Platform’s Language
One of the trickiest parts of sharing content is that what crushes it on Facebook can fall completely flat on Instagram. PostOnce was built specifically to bridge that gap with some pretty smart, platform-aware features.
Here’s a quick look at how it changes the game:
- Automatic Format Optimization: That horizontal video you posted on Facebook? PostOnce can automatically reframe it to a vertical 9:16 aspect ratio. It'll look perfect for Instagram Reels or Stories, with no manual editing needed on your end.
- Smart Scheduling: You can time your Facebook videos to post when your audience is most active. PostOnce will then make sure they hit Instagram at the best time for that audience, even if the peak times are totally different.
- Custom Captions and Hashtags: Set up rules to automatically adjust your captions or add Instagram-specific hashtags. This ensures your message always feels native to the platform it's on.
PostOnce isn't just another scheduler. Think of it as a content adaptation engine. It makes sure your video doesn't just get to Instagram—it arrives looking like it belongs there.
A Real-World Example
Picture a small business owner who just posted a product demo video to their Facebook Page. It’s a clean, two-minute landscape video meant to be informative.
The manual way would involve downloading the video, opening a separate app to crop it vertically (and probably cutting off important parts of the shot), and then finally uploading it to Instagram with a shorter, snappier caption. You're looking at 15-20 minutes of work, for just one video.
With PostOnce, they set up a simple rule: "When a video hits my Facebook Page, automatically share it as an Instagram Reel, crop it to 9:16, and add #ProductDemo and #[ProductName] to the end of the caption."
Now, the entire process is instant. It happens in the background, flawlessly, every single time. This is the real power of an automation-first strategy. You can see a more detailed breakdown of how PostOnce handles crossposting from Facebook to Instagram to get a feel for the setup.
The time you get back allows you to maintain a strong, consistent presence on both platforms without getting bogged down by the repetitive, soul-crushing tasks.
The Manual Method: Downloading and Re-uploading Videos
While automation is a massive time-saver, sometimes you need to get your hands dirty. If you only share videos occasionally or need absolute control over the final cut, the manual download-and-re-upload method is your go-to.
It’s exactly what it sounds like: you save the video from your Facebook Page to your device and then upload it directly to Instagram. It’s more involved, but it gives you the final say on every detail.
The first step is grabbing the video file from Facebook. Always—and I mean always—download it in the highest resolution possible. A fuzzy, pixelated video screams "unprofessional" on Instagram’s crisp feed. If you have the original, uncompressed video file on your computer, use that instead.
From Download to Upload: Making it Happen
Once you have the video file saved, it’s time to head over to Instagram. This is where you decide where your video will live. You can post it as a Reel, a Story, or a classic in-feed video. Each format has its own vibe and audience, so think about what you’re trying to achieve.
A quick, punchy highlight? That’s perfect for a Reel. A casual, behind-the-scenes moment? Throw it on your Story. A more polished, longer piece of content? That belongs on your main feed.
This decision tree gives you a quick visual on when to go manual versus when it’s time to let an automation tool like PostOnce take over.
It really boils down to a trade-off: do you need granular, hands-on control, or do you need a scalable, efficient workflow?
What to Watch Out For When Sharing Manually
Just moving the file from one platform to another isn’t enough. To really make your video work on Instagram, you have to think like an Instagram user. We know from industry data that users spend five times longer on video versus static content, so it’s worth the effort to get it right.
Here are the biggest things to nail down before you hit "post":
- Aspect Ratio: Instagram is a vertical world. That 9:16 ratio is king. If your Facebook video is horizontal, it’s going to show up with clunky black bars on Instagram. You’ll absolutely need to edit or crop it to fit a vertical screen for the best experience.
- Video Length: Shorter is often better on Instagram. Reels between 60 and 90 seconds seem to be the sweet spot for engagement right now. If your original video is much longer, find the best part and trim it down into a powerful, bite-sized clip.
- Copyrighted Music: This is a huge one. The song you have a license for on Facebook might not be cleared for Instagram. If you use it, your video could get muted or even removed. The safest bet is to strip the audio and use a track from Instagram’s own music library.
Taking the time to manually edit these elements gives you the power to make the video feel like it was made for Instagram. That native feel can make all the difference in how your audience responds.
For a deeper look into the technical specs, our guide on Facebook post sizes has some great insights that apply to video dimensions, too.
Comparison of Sharing Methods
So, which path is right for you? Sometimes, seeing the options side-by-side makes the choice clearer. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the automated PostOnce method stacks up against the manual approach.
| Feature | PostOnce (Automated) | Manual Download & Re-upload |
|---|---|---|
| Time Investment | Minimal (set it and forget it) | High (requires downloading, editing, and uploading) |
| Aspect Ratio | Automatic reformatting for vertical | Requires manual editing with video software |
| Caption/Hashtags | Customize once for all platforms | Must be re-written or copied for Instagram |
| Best For | High-volume creators, agencies, frequent posters | Occasional posts or users needing granular control |
| Error Potential | Low (avoids human error in file handling) | Higher (risk of format errors, quality loss, etc.) |
Ultimately, if you're posting video consistently and want to save hours of tedious work, an automated tool is the clear winner. But for one-off posts or for creators who are perfectionists about every single frame, the manual method provides that unparalleled level of control.
Getting Your Video Ready for Instagram
Just moving a video from Facebook to Instagram isn't enough. If you want it to perform well, you need to make it look and feel like it was made for Instagram in the first place. That means adapting it for a vertical, fast-paced world.
The biggest giveaway of a lazy cross-post is seeing a horizontal (16:9) video slapped onto Instagram. It looks tiny and awkward, especially in a feed dominated by Reels and Stories. Viewers can spot repurposed content a mile away, and it often hurts engagement. If you really want to level up your visuals, checking out the best AI video editing software can give your clips a professional polish that helps them pop.
Think Vertical, Not Horizontal
Your absolute first step is to reformat the video for a vertical screen. Instagram is built for full-screen mobile viewing, and your content needs to match that expectation.
- For Reels and Stories: You need a 9:16 aspect ratio. This is non-negotiable. It fills the entire phone screen, grabbing a user's full attention and creating a much more immersive experience.
- For In-Feed Posts: While a 9:16 video can work, a 4:5 vertical ratio is often the sweet spot. It takes up significantly more screen space than a square (1:1) video but prevents key details from being awkwardly cropped off when someone is scrolling their main feed.
We dive deeper into the technical specs in our guide on Instagram Reel dimensions. Cropping and reframing this stuff manually can be a real pain, which is why automation tools that handle it for you are a game-changer.
Get the Timing and Pace Right
Let's be honest—people on Instagram have the attention span of a goldfish. A five-minute educational video that did great on Facebook will almost certainly bomb as an Instagram Reel. You have to get to the good stuff immediately.
The sweet spot for an engaging Instagram Reel is usually somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds. You have about three seconds to hook someone before they scroll on.
If your original Facebook video is longer, don't try to cram it all in. Instead, pull out the most exciting or valuable clip. Think of it as creating a compelling trailer that makes people curious to learn more. And the effort is worth it; Instagram videos get 21.2% more engagement than static photo posts, proving users will watch if the content is good.
Rewrite Your Captions and Hashtags
Whatever you do, don't just copy and paste the same caption from Facebook. The vibe on Instagram is totally different—it's more personal, more conversational.
Break up your text with line breaks, use shorter sentences, and throw in some emojis to show personality. Your hashtag strategy needs to be smart, too. Aim for a mix to maximize discovery:
- 3-5 broad, popular hashtags
- 5-10 niche, community-focused hashtags
- 1-2 of your own branded tags
This approach helps your video land in front of the right people, not just more people.
Got Questions About Sharing Facebook Videos? Let's Clear Things Up.
Even when you know the ropes, sharing videos between Facebook and Instagram can throw you a curveball. It's totally normal to hit a snag. Let's walk through some of the most common questions and hurdles I see people face, so you can get your workflow running smoothly.
Can I Share a Facebook Video Directly to My Instagram Story?
So, you've posted a video on Facebook and now you want it in your Instagram Story. You might be looking for a simple "Share to Story" button, but unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward. There's no direct, one-click way to do this from within the Facebook app.
The most reliable way to get it done is to download the video from your Facebook Page to your phone's camera roll first. From there, just open Instagram, swipe to create a new Story, and pull the video from your gallery.
Taking this extra step actually works in your favor. It lets you use all of Instagram’s native Story features—think polls, stickers, cool fonts, and trending audio—to make the video feel like it was made just for your Instagram audience. Of course, if you’d rather not deal with the manual download, an automation tool can handle the reformatting and posting for you.
What’s the Best Video Format for Instagram?
Getting your video to look sharp and play without a hitch on Instagram comes down to a few key specs. For the technical stuff, stick with an MP4 file format. Make sure it uses the H.264 codec for video and AAC for audio. That's the gold standard and gives you the best mix of quality and manageable file size.
But honestly, the aspect ratio is what really makes or breaks a video on Instagram. Here's what you need to know:
- Reels and Stories: Always go for a 9:16 vertical ratio. This fills the whole screen on a phone and pulls viewers right in.
- In-Feed Posts: A 4:5 vertical ratio is your best friend here. It takes up much more screen space than a traditional square (1:1) video, grabbing more attention as people scroll.
- File Size: Keep it under 4GB. That's Instagram's limit.
Just pulling a standard horizontal (16:9) video from Facebook and dropping it on Instagram will make it look tiny and out of place. Reformatting for a vertical-first experience is a non-negotiable step.
Why Can’t I Share Someone Else’s Facebook Video?
This is a big one. You generally can't just grab a video from another person or Page and post it as your own. This comes down to copyright protection and privacy settings. Facebook's sharing features are built for you to manage and share content that you actually own.
Trying to download and re-upload content you didn’t create can get you into hot water with copyright infringement, and Instagram might take your post down. The right way to share someone’s work on Facebook is to use the built-in "Share" button, which gives the original creator proper credit. If you really want to feature their video on your Instagram, the only proper way is to reach out, ask for permission, and see if they'll send you the original file.
A Quick Word of Advice: Stay away from those third-party downloader websites for content that isn't yours. It's not fair to the creator, and it can put your own account at risk. Always respect the work of others.
Do I Really Need a Business or Creator Account to Share Videos?
Technically, no. Any personal Instagram account can upload a video. But if you're serious about growing your presence, switching to a free Business or Creator account is one of the smartest things you can do.
Why? Because it unlocks a whole new set of tools designed for growth. Professional accounts get access to the Meta Business Suite, where you can schedule posts and manage your presence across both platforms more effectively.
The real game-changer, though, is Instagram Insights. This is your analytics dashboard. It shows you exactly how your videos are performing—who you're reaching, how they're engaging, and what your audience looks like. This data is pure gold for figuring out what's working so you can create more of it.
Ready to stop wrestling with manual downloads and confusing formats? With PostOnce, you can automate your entire video workflow. Set it up once, and let your content flow seamlessly from Facebook to Instagram, perfectly optimized every time. Start your free trial today at PostOnce.