How to cross-post TikTok videos to Instagram Reels

You posted a video on TikTok. It did fine. Now you want it on Instagram Reels too.

The obvious move is to save it from TikTok and upload it to Instagram. That works, technically. But the saved file carries TikTok's watermark, the sound might not be yours to reuse, and your TikTok caption probably has more hashtags than Instagram allows.

Here's how to do it properly, with the platforms' own tools, and then how to skip the problem next time.

The short version

1. Use a clean copy of the video, not the one you download from TikTok.
2. Check the audio. TikTok sounds don't come with you, and some aren't licensed for use outside TikTok.
3. Rewrite the caption for Instagram: 5 hashtags or fewer, and check your @mentions.
4. Upload it to Instagram as a Reel, with a new cover if you want one.

Why the TikTok watermark matters

When you save a video from TikTok, it comes with a TikTok watermark. TikTok says so on its own download page: "To protect creators' rights, TikTok currently does not support the download of videos without watermarks."

Instagram has been fairly direct about watermarks. In its creator FAQ, under things that can limit your distribution, it says: "Ditch the watermark! The 3rd party watermark on your reel may be impacting its reach." And when Instagram described how it ranks content for new audiences in April 2024, it described eligible content as content that "is original, does not violate our community guidelines, has no visible watermarks and satisfies our recommendation guidelines."

Note the wording: "may be impacting". Instagram doesn't say a watermarked Reel is hidden or banned. It says a watermark can hurt reach. If you post Reels to reach people who don't follow you yet, that's worth avoiding.

The good news is that originality isn't the problem here. It's your video. Instagram's original content guidelines are aimed at accounts reposting content they didn't create, and they tell you to "post content you've created". Posting your own video on a second app is fine. The watermark is the only part that makes it look like a repost.

How to get a copy without the watermark

Option 1: use your original edit. If you edited the video in another app or on your phone before uploading, that export may still be on your device. That's the file you want. It has no watermark.

Option 2: save a copy from TikTok before you post. TikTok's help center recommends downloading your videos before you post. On the Post screen, tap More options and turn on Save to device. You can also tap Save on the side panel while editing. TikTok's help article doesn't say whether that copy has a watermark, so open the saved file and check before you rely on it.

Option 3: re-export it. If the video was made inside TikTok and you didn't save a copy, there isn't an official way to get a watermark-free file afterwards. Third-party "watermark remover" sites exist, but TikTok asks people not to use third-party tools to download videos. For your own content, re-exporting from your original clips is the cleaner fix.

From here on, the habit that solves this is simple: keep the original file of everything you post.

Sounds and music: what carries over

TikTok sounds stay on TikTok. If you picked a sound inside TikTok, the audio is in any file you save from TikTok, but that doesn't mean you can use it elsewhere. If you use a business account, TikTok's Commercial Music Library terms say "Commercial Uses outside of TikTok are not permitted and no rights are granted by TikTok for such uses."

Instagram checks audio in your upload. Instagram says that when it detects licensed audio in a video you uploaded, it changes the attribution from Original Audio to the artist and song. It also warns that licensed tracks can become muted when its agreements with rights holders change.

Business accounts have fewer music options on Instagram too. Instagram's licensed library is for personal, non-commercial use, and certain business accounts don't have access to it. Those accounts can use Meta's Sound Collection, which Instagram describes as royalty free.

The practical approach: export a version of your video without the TikTok sound (your voice and any audio you own is fine), upload that to Instagram, and add a track from Instagram's own library in the Reels editor if you want music. If the sound was the whole point of the video, it may be better as a TikTok-only post.

Adjust the caption and hashtags

• Hashtags. Instagram's help center says you can use up to 5 hashtags on a post. Pick the five most relevant ones.
• Mentions. An @handle on TikTok might be someone else on Instagram. Check each one.
• Length. Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters, according to its publishing API reference.
• Cover. Instagram recommends a cover image of 420 by 654 pixels, and you can't change the cover after you post, so pick it before you share.

Also check the length. Reels can be up to 20 minutes, but Instagram says Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences. If your TikTok is longer, consider a cut-down version for Instagram. The Reels length and size limits post has the full specs.

Post it to Instagram

With a clean file and a new caption, posting is the easy part. In Instagram, open Create, choose your video, trim it and pick a cover, then add the caption and share. If you want it to go out later instead, see how to schedule Instagram Reels.

Next time: post to both from the original file

The real fix is to stop treating Instagram as a second step. If you post to both from the original file at the same time, there's no watermark to deal with.

This is what I built Postminion for. I was re-uploading the same video to five apps every day, and it took about an hour.

With Postminion:

1. Connect your TikTok and an Instagram Business or Creator account.
2. Upload your original video once (up to 3 minutes and 500 MB, and under 300 MB for Instagram, which is the Reels limit in Instagram's publishing API).
3. Write one default caption, then add an Instagram override with fewer hashtags.
4. Fill in TikTok's required settings: who can view it, comments, Duet and Stitch, content disclosure, and TikTok's Music Usage and Branded Content policy consent.
5. Pick a time, or post now.

Both posts come from the same clean file. You can add YouTube Shorts in the same post too, which I cover in how to post one video to TikTok, Reels and Shorts.

What Postminion won't do: it can't copy videos that are already on TikTok, it doesn't remove watermarks, and it can't add TikTok sounds or Instagram's music library. You upload your own file, and it posts it as is. More detail is on the TikTok and Instagram pages.

Try Postminion free for 7 days.

FAQ

Does Instagram penalize TikTok watermarks on Reels?

Instagram says a third-party watermark "may be impacting" a Reel's reach, and it lists "no visible watermarks" among the traits of content it recommends to new audiences. It doesn't say watermarked Reels are removed. Posting without the watermark is the safer choice.

Can you download your own TikTok without the watermark?

Not from a posted video. TikTok says it doesn't support downloading videos without watermarks. Use your original edit, or turn on Save to device under More options before you post, then check the saved file.

Is it OK to post the same video on TikTok and Instagram?

Yes, if it's your own video. Instagram's originality rules target accounts that repost content they didn't create. Posting your own work on both apps is fine; just remove the TikTok watermark.

Will my TikTok sound work on Instagram Reels?

Not reliably. TikTok's Commercial Music Library terms don't allow commercial use outside TikTok, and Instagram may re-attribute or mute licensed music it detects. Upload the video with your own audio and add music from Instagram's library instead.

Can Postminion move my existing TikToks to Instagram?

No. Postminion doesn't copy posts between platforms. It publishes a video file you upload, so the best use is posting new videos to TikTok and Instagram at the same time from the original file.