Instagram Threads adds ‘Use media’ feature for resharing photos and videos

Threads is introducing a new way to reshare photos and videos on its social network. Instead of quote-posting the original post and then adding commentary, Threads users will instead be able to click a new option, “Use media,” allowing them to just reshare the photo or video directly to a new post where they can add their own text. The image or video will still be credited to the original poster, however.

The feature was announced on Wednesday by Instagram head Adam Mosseri in a post on Threads. He noted that the new option would be a “quick, easy way to add your creative takes to trending images.”

A post from the Threads account also indicated that the attribution to the original poster would appear on the top left of the image.

To access the option to “Use media,” you can long-press on any media published on Threads or you can tap on the repost button. It will then appear as a new option in the pop-up window below “Repost” and “Quote.”

If you aren’t yet seeing the feature, you should soon; Mosseri’s post says it’s rolling out to the Threads user base. He doesn’t describe the feature as something the company is testing, but says that user feedback is welcome.

Not everyone has responded positively to the introduction, however, with some creators replying to Mosseri’s post to ask if they can turn this setting off. These users noted that not all creators want their images reshared in this way, particularly because it may allow others to capture traffic and attention for their work without putting in any effort.

Threads’ account responded to those queries, noting that users can turn off media reuse in the app’s settings. Users can also use quote-post controls to decide who is able to reuse the media you share, the company said.

Updated after publication with more information on the settings/controls for the feature.