I had someone post a Story of the two of us dancing at a festival. It got a lot of engagement, which was cool, until I realized he hadn’t tagged me in it.
I didn’t want to make it a thing, but part of me wanted the tag. Still, asking someone to delete and repost a Story over a tag? Felt a little dramatic. Still, I brought it up. He didn’t make a big deal out of it. Said he could add the tag and moved on like it was nothing. Then I got that usual DM from Instagram letting me know I’d been tagged in a Story. But it was the same one. That’s when I realized something I probably should’ve known already. You can actually tag someone on Instagram after posting a Story.
You know how you can add a collaborator to a post after it’s already live? Turns out Stories kind of work the same way. I had no clue. Or maybe I’m just not much of a poster. Anyway, I figured it out, so now let’s show you how to do it.
How to Tag Someone on Instagram After Posting a Story: Guide
Instagram doesn’t let you edit a Story the way you’d edit a feed post. So no, you can’t open the Story and just tap “Tag People.” But there is a way to tag someone after the Story’s already live.
Here’s how to tag someone on Instagram after posting a Story:
- Go to your active Story and tap the three dots in the bottom right
- Tap Add Mentions
- Type the username of the person you want to tag
- Tap Add That’s it. They’ll get a DM with your Story in it
If you’ve ever tried tagging someone and their name didn’t show up—or you think you’ve been mentioned but didn’t get notified—check out how to see hidden mentions on Instagram Stories
What Happens When You Tag Someone After Posting
Once you figure out how to tag someone on Instagram after posting a Story, your first thought might be, “Okay cool, but what actually changes?” Honestly, not much—and that’s kind of the point.
This part matters because if you’re expecting some public-facing result, you’ll probably think the feature is broken. It’s not. It just works differently than mentioning before you post.
What They Get:
- A direct message from Instagram with your Story in it
- A notification letting them know they were tagged
- The ability to reshare it to their own Story, just like if they’d been tagged originally
If you’re tagging someone after the fact, that Story probably already has some momentum. But if it doesn’t, or if you want to make sure it actually gets seen before it expires, you can always give it a boost. Something like buying Instagram Story views helps push it in front of more eyes while keeping everything else organic.
Why Can’t I Tag Who I Want To?
Figuring out how to tag someone on Instagram after posting is one thing. Getting it to actually work? That’s another story. In most cases, the Add Mentions tool does what it’s supposed to. But if you’ve tried it and nothing happened or the person never got the tag, here’s what might be going on:
- The Story already expired. You only get 24 hours. After that, tagging is no longer an option.
- You mistyped the username. Instagram won’t auto-correct it, and it won’t tell you it’s wrong.
- The person has restricted who can mention them in their privacy settings.
- You’re blocked or restricted by the person you’re trying to tag.
If none of these apply and it still won’t work, you can always send them the Story directly or mention them in a follow-up post. Not ideal, but better than letting it slide. Stories can get a lot of engagement fast. If you want to make sure you’re actually getting the most out of your Stories beyond just tagging, this Instagram Stories guide by Later breaks down what works right now.
Tag vs Mention: What’s the Difference
After you figure out how to tag someone on Instagram after posting a Story, it’s easy to assume all tags work the same. But Instagram has a few ways to mention someone, and they don’t all do the same thing.
If you’re tagging someone to get more visibility or make sure they see your content, this breakdown matters.
| Method | Visible on Story | Sends Notification | Is it Clickable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add Mentions | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| @mention Sticker | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Conclusion
So yeah, you can tag someone on Instagram after posting a Story. It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t update the Story for the public, but it gets the job done.
Just open the Story, use Add Mentions, and they’ll get the tag in their DMs. If they want to reshare it, they can. No reposting needed. No drama.
It’s one of those Instagram features that quietly works without making a big deal about it. And honestly, I’m glad it exists because asking someone to delete and repost a good Story just to tag you? That’s a lot. And if you’re trying to boost reach once the tag is fixed, you can also give your page a push by buying Instagram Likes.
Now you know. Next time you forget the tag, fix it without the panic.
I kicked off my blogging journey back in my university days as a marketing student and totally fell in love with writing. Now, I’m freelancing for several websites, including RedSocial. If you ever want to chat, give feedback, or collaborate, don’t hesitate to reach out!
