Instagram Reels Download Guide: Save Videos to Watch Later

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, introduced Reels on Instagram in 2020 to rival the popular short-video platform TikTok. Instagram Reels allows users to craft videos up to 60 seconds long, featured prominently on the Instagram Explore Page.

This TikTok-inspired content format has rapidly become Meta's fastest-growing medium, enabling creators to earn ad revenue.

Now, Instagram offers the option to download Reels shared by others via Stories, allowing users to enjoy them later or share them beyond the app.

Here's how you can download Instagram Reels on Android or iPhone.

How to Download an Instagram Reel Downloading Instagram Reels through Stories is a convenient technique that requires no third-party apps or software.

1. Open the Instagram app on your Android or iOS smartphone.

2. Find the Reel you want to save and click on the Share icon.

3. Add the Reels to your story.

4. Zoom in on the preview, then click on the three-dot menu at the top and select Save.

5. Discard the story.

You can access the downloaded Reel from your camera roll. Notably, the downloaded video lacks the Instagram watermark and displays the account username.

Currently, Reels from public accounts are eligible for download, while those shared from private Instagram accounts cannot be downloaded.

Public account users can disable the ability to download Reels in the app settings if they wish.

Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, announced in June that users in the US would be able to download Reels from public accounts to their camera rolls.

Before this, users could only directly share Reels from public accounts to their Stories or through chat by tapping on the share icon and selecting the Download option. In the image shared by Mosseri, the Download option appears in the bottom menu alongside Add to Story, Share, and Copy Link.