Direct messages
Find the song in a Reel someone sent you
If a friend sent you a Reel in a chat, open it from the chat and copy its link as you would any other Reel. If they sent a screenshot or a screen recording, there is no link to use.
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What to do with a Reel in a chat
- Tap the Reel to open it. In the chat it is a small preview. Tapping opens the full Reel.
- Tap the paper plane, then Copy link. You are copying the Reel’s address, not the chat message.
- Paste it into the box on the home page. You should see
instagram.com/reel/and a short code. If you see/share/, read why a share link is not the Reel.
If you only have a screenshot or a recording
A link is the best input, so ask your friend to send it or find the Reel by searching for the creator’s name on Instagram. If all you have is a screen recording, the box on the home page also takes an audio or video file: use “No link? Upload a screen recording instead”. The steps, and what happens to a large file, are in find the song from a Reel screen recording. A screenshot has no sound, so it cannot be matched. If the Reel is from a private account, see private Reels.
If a Story was sent instead
A Story is not a Reel, and Story links expire. Look at finding a song from a Story for what is possible.
Questions
Can I paste the DM itself?
No. Paste the Reel’s own link. Open the Reel from the chat first, then use Share and Copy link.
My friend sent a screen recording, not a link.
A link is best, so ask them for it or search for the creator on Instagram. If all you have is the recording, use “No link? Upload a screen recording instead” under the box: the audio is matched, and a large recording is shrunk to its first 30 seconds of audio in your browser. See find the song from a Reel screen recording.
The Reel opens but I cannot copy the link.
Some Reels, from private accounts, cannot be shared. If the account is private, the link will not work for the finder either.
Will the person who sent it see that I looked it up?
No. The finder does not contact Instagram users or your chat. It reads a public Reel link you paste.
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