How to Download Instagram Reels on iPhone, Android, and Desktop

Instagram Reels are TikTok-inspired short videos that have become one of the most popular and engaging types of content on the platform. However, when it comes to downloading them to your phone, the app doesn’t make it particularly easy.

That said, here is how to download Instagram Reels, whether your own or someone else’s.

Can You Download Instagram Reels?

The short answer is — yes, downloading Instagram Reels is possible. However, the way to do it depends on whether you want to download your own or someone else’s Reels.

Instagram makes it easy to download your own Reels to your phone, but you can’t technically download other users’ Reels, as the platform doesn’t have a built-in feature for this.

However, there are a few simple workarounds that can bypass this issue and get the job done.

Note: Instagram Reels are protected by copyright, so once you download a Reel, you cannot share it further without the creator’s permission.

How to Download Instagram Reels on iPhone

You can’t download other users’ Reels to your iPhone using Instagram’s native tools. However, you can still do it using one of the following methods:

1. Record Your Screen

If you are wondering how to download Instagram Reels with audio, one way is to record your iPhone’s screen.

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Control Center, and tap Add next to Screen Recording. That will make the screen record feature easily accessible from your iPhone’s Control Center.
2. Open Control Center.

• On iPhone X or later, swipe down to open the Control Center.
• On iPhone SE, iPhone 8, or earlier, swipe up to open the Control Center.

3. Tap the gray Screen Record button. The screen recorder will start after the three-second countdown.
4. Open Instagram and let the Reel you want to download play in its entirety.
5. When you are ready to stop recording, press the red status bar at the top of your screen and select Stop in the pop-up menu. Alternatively, open Control Center and tap the Record button again to stop recording your screen.
6. This will automatically save the Reel to your camera roll. From there, you can edit the video and trim the unwanted parts out.

image credit: igeeksblog.com

2. Use a Third-Party App

Another way to download a Reel to your iPhone is to use a third-party app. That will allow you to download and save the Reel directly to your phone without the need to record your screen.

There are many third-party apps that allow you to download Reels to your phone, but you should choose carefully, as some may contain in-app ads or require in-app purchases or monthly subscriptions.

For this guide, we chose Instant Save, a free app that lets you download public photos, videos, Reels, and other types of content, directly from Instagram to your iPhone.

1. Download the Instant Save app to your iPhone from the Apple App Store.
2. Launch the Instant Save app.
3. Tap on Open Instagram and log into your Instagram account if needed.

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4. Open the Reel you want to download.
5. Tap the three-dot menu at the top right and select Copy Link in the pop-up menu.
6. Return to the Instant Save app. At this point, the app might show you an ad. Once the ad is done, you should be able to see the Reel you downloaded.
7. Tap the Save option to save the Reel to your camera roll.

image credit: businessinsider.com

How to Download Instagram Reels on Android

When it comes to downloading Reels from Instagram to your Android device, there are two methods you can try.

1. Record Your Screen

Screen recording is one way you can download Reels to your phone. Most Android phones have a built-in screen recorder that also records audio, but if you are using an older version of Android that lacks a screen recording function, your best bet is to move on to the second method.

Follow these steps to record a video of your screen.

1. Swipe down twice from the top of your phone’s screen to open Quick Settings.
2. Tap the Screen Recording button to start the video, and make sure the Mic icon is enabled.

Note: if you can’t find the Screen Recorder icon in the Quick Settings menu, tap the Customization button (usually shaped like a pencil) and drag the Screen Recorder icon from the bottom to the top of your screen to make it visible in Quick Settings.

3. Open Instagram and play the Reel you want to download in its entirety.
4. Tap the status bar displaying the time to stop the recording.
5. You will find the footage in your phone’s default camera roll. There, you can edit and trim it to your preferred length.

2. Use a Third-Party App

Just like on iOS, using a third-party app on an Android device will save you the hassle of trimming your screen recordings and allow you to download and save Reels directly to your phone.

One of the best third-party apps you can try for this purpose is ETM Video Downloader, a free app that lets users batch-download Instagram videos, stories, and reels.

1. Download the ETM Video Downloader from the Google Play Store.
2. Launch the app.
3. Copy the URL of the Reel you want to download and paste it into the app.
4. Tap the Download button to save the Reel to your phone.

If you are not willing to download third-party software onto your device, there are also plenty of websites that will do the job.

How to Download Instagram Reels on Desktop

If you want to edit an Instagram Reel with more robust software or simply watch it on a larger screen, you will need to download it onto your desktop computer. Whether you use a Windows PC or a Mac, you will need a third-party screen recording app like Snagit or OBS Studio to do this.

If you are wondering how to download Instagram Reels on your PC, simply download one of these apps and start recording your screen while playing your preferred Reel. Then, you can cut out the unnecessary parts from the video and save the Reel on your PC.

Snagit is the most feature-rich screen recording app for Windows and Mac, but it has to be paid for. On the other hand, OBS Studio is free and open-source and has some excellent settings for recording you can try.

If you want to know how to download Instagram Reels on your Mac, there is no need to download any third-party software as you can screen record on Mac using QuickTime Player, Mac’s built-in video recorder.

How to Download Instagram Reels via Stories

A simple yet effective way to save a Reel to your phone’s camera roll without using third-party software is to download it via Stories.

Follow these steps to learn how to download Instagram Reels online via Stories:

1. Open the Instagram Reel you want to download and tap the Send icon.
2. Tap on Add reel to your story.
3. If you want to download the video in full-screen mode, pinch and zoom the preview.
4. Then, tap on the three-dot icon in the upper right part and select Save to download it to your smartphone.

image credit: igeeksblog.com

Note: If you regularly post Instagram Stories, you might also find it useful to know how to add music and multiple photos to your story.

How to Download Your Own Instagram Reels

Instagram automatically saves all the photos and videos you share as posts, but that is not the case with Reels. So, if you want to download your own Reels from your account to your phone, you must do it manually.

Luckily, Instagram offers an easy way to download both your published and unpublished Reels.

Here is how to download your Insta Reels to your phone.

1. Open Instagram and go to your account.
2. Navigate to the Reels tab.
3. Find the Reel you want to download and open it.
4. Tap the three dots in the lower right corner of the screen to open the menu.
5. Select the Save to Camera Roll option.

It is as simple as that. Now you have a copy of your published Reel on your phone.

Alternatively, If you want to save an Instagram Reel to your phone before you publish it, simply tap the Download icon at the top of your editing screen. That will ensure you don’t lose the Reel draft before publishing it.

How to Save Reels on Instagram to Watch Later

If you only want to save the Reel for future use but don’t need it on your phone, you can save (bookmark) it on Instagram. This way, you can gather all your favorite Reels in one place and save storage space on your device.

Follow these steps to save an Instagram Reel for later:

1. Open the Instagram Reel you want to save and tap on the three-dot icon in the bottom right.

2. Select Save from the menu that opens.

And that’s all it takes. To access the Reel you just saved, return to your profile page and tap the three-line hamburger icon in the top right corner of the screen. Then, tap Save and head to the Reels tab to find all the Reels you’ve saved or bookmarked.

Bottom Line

Now that you know how to download Instagram Reels, you can easily store them on your device for inspiration or repost them on another platform. Just don’t forget, never share Instagram Reels without the creator’s permission.

If you want to increase your Instagram engagement, check out how the Instagram algorithm works and what is the best time to post.