To share a collection on Instagram, you have to create it as a collaborative collection: tap and hold Save below a post, tap New collection, name it, tap Add people to this collection, pick your friends, and tap Save. Collections you already made as private cannot be shared, so if yours is private, you need to start a new collaborative one.
That second sentence is the part that trips most people up, and it comes straight from Instagram's Help Center. Below are the exact steps, where shared collections show up, the rules worth knowing before you invite anyone, and a workaround for the collection you already built.
How to create a shared (collaborative) collection
There are two ways to start one. Both work in the Instagram app on iPhone and Android.
From a post in your feed
- Find a post you want in the collection and tap and hold Save (the bookmark icon) below it.
- Tap New collection.
- Enter a name, for example "Lisbon, October".
- Tap Add people to this collection.
- Select people from the list or search for their username. You can add up to 250 people.
- Tap Save in the top right.
In some app versions this step appears as a Collaborative toggle instead of an "Add people" button. It does the same thing.
From a chat
You can also start a collaborative collection inside a direct message or group chat. When you see a post in the conversation, tap the save icon next to it and choose to add it to a collaborative collection or create a new one. Starting from a group chat is the easiest way to include everyone on a trip at once, because the whole chat gets access.
How to see a collection someone shared with you
When someone creates a collaborative collection with you, you get a notification in your messages. To find it later:
- Open the chat the collection belongs to.
- Tap the chat name at the top.
- Open the collection from there.
It should also appear in your own Saved area. Go to your profile, tap the Menu (three lines), and tap Saved under How you use Instagram. If you are not sure where Saved is, our guide on how to find saved Reels on Instagram has every device.
Rules worth knowing before you share
These all come from Instagram's Help Center.
- Private collections cannot be shared. A collection you already created as private cannot be shared with others.
- A collaborative collection cannot be made private later. Once it is shared, it stays shared.
- Everyone in it can add and remove posts. Anyone who can view the collection can save new posts to it or take posts out.
- Anyone in it can delete it. A collaborative collection can be deleted at any time by anyone who can view it, not only the person who made it. People in the chat are notified when that happens.
- Chat membership controls access. People added to an existing group chat can see the collections already in that chat. Anyone removed from the chat, or who leaves it, loses access.
- Private accounts stay private. If you add a post from a private account, only people who follow that account can see it. The person who posted it is not notified.
- Deleted posts disappear. If a creator deletes a post, it is removed from the collection for everyone.
Save these places before you forget them
Share a supported TikTok or Instagram link to Dream Trip, check the places it finds, and keep them together on your trip map.
How to share a collection you already made
Because Instagram does not let you share an existing private collection, you have two practical options.
Rebuild it as a collaborative collection. Create a new collaborative collection using the steps above, then open your old collection and save each post into the new one. For a long collection this takes a while, so start with the posts that matter for the trip you are actually planning.
Send the posts in a chat. If you only need to show someone a handful of places, share the individual posts or Reels into a DM or group chat. It is not a collection, but it gets them there in a minute.
Your regular saves stay private either way. Instagram says only you can see the posts you have saved, and creators cannot tell you saved their post.
Managing a shared collection
Instagram lets you move posts between collections, remove posts, rename a collection, change its cover photo, and delete it (Help Center). Open the collection in the app to find those options. Remember that in a collaborative collection, everyone else can do the same.
Planning a group trip from a shared collection
A collaborative collection is a great way to gather ideas from everyone going on the trip. It is less good at the next step. Once there are forty Reels in "Lisbon, October", nobody can tell which places are near each other, which are open on a Monday, or how to fit them into three days.
That is the gap Dream Trip fills. On iPhone, open a Reel or post from the collection, tap the paper plane to share it, and pick Dream Trip from the share sheet. Dream Trip identifies the place, pins it on a map with a link back to the post, and the AI planner turns your saved places into a day-by-day itinerary. Trips are collaborative, so everyone you invite adds to the same plan instead of a separate list.
It works one post at a time, because Instagram does not give other apps access to your collections, and it is iPhone only (iOS 18 or later). Check each place it finds before you plan around it.
Part of the group saving on TikTok instead? Send them our guide to finding saved videos and collections on TikTok. If your group prefers Google Maps, a shared list is a good alternative; here is how to make and share a Google Maps list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you share an existing collection on Instagram?
No. Instagram's Help Center says private collections you have already created cannot be shared. Create a new collaborative collection and save the posts into it, or send the posts in a chat.
How do I make a collaborative collection on Instagram?
Tap and hold Save below a post, tap New collection, enter a name, tap Add people to this collection, choose people, and tap Save. You can also start one from a post inside a chat.
How many people can be in an Instagram collection?
You can add up to 250 people to a collaborative collection, according to Instagram's Help Center.
How do I see a collection someone shared with me?
Open the chat it was shared in and tap the chat name at the top to find the collection. It should also show up in Saved on your profile.
Can a shared Instagram collection be made private again?
No. A collaborative collection cannot be made private after it is created. If you want a private version, make a new private collection and save the posts you want into it.
Can other people see my Instagram collections?
Your private collections and regular saves are visible only to you. A collaborative collection is visible to everyone you added and everyone in the chat it belongs to.
