How to download Instagram Reels on any device
A step-by-step guide to saving public Instagram Reels on iPhone, Android, and desktop — straight from the share link.
Instagram has a Save button, but it only bookmarks a Reel inside the app — the file never lands on your device, and it disappears if the creator deletes the post. To get an actual video file you need the share link. Here’s the full walkthrough.
Step 1 — Copy the Reel link
In the app: open the Reel, tap the paper-plane share icon, then choose Copy link.
On the web: open the Reel at instagram.com/reel/… and copy the address from the URL bar.
Either format works. A Reel link looks like this:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx1AbCdEfGh/Feed videos use /p/ instead of /reel/, and older IGTV uploads use /tv/. All three are handled the same way.
Step 2 — Paste it into the downloader
Open the InDownloader box, paste the link, and press Download. On mobile you can tap Paste to pull the link straight from your clipboard instead of long-pressing the field.
The tool reads the post’s public metadata and comes back with a preview card: thumbnail, caption, creator handle, and duration.
Step 3 — Pick a quality and save
Every MP4 variant Instagram exposes gets its own row, sorted highest-first and tagged HD at 720p and above. Pick one and tap Download.
Where the file lands depends on your platform:
| Platform | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| iPhone / iPad | Files app, then Save to Photos if you want it in your camera roll |
| Android | The Downloads folder; most galleries pick it up automatically |
| Windows / macOS | Your default Downloads folder |
Choosing the right quality
The top row is almost always what you want — it’s the highest resolution the post actually contains. A few cases where you might pick lower:
- On mobile data. A 60-second 1080p Reel can run 15–25 MB. The 480p row is a fraction of that.
- For re-uploading elsewhere. If the destination platform re-compresses anyway, the smaller file saves you time with no visible loss.
- For archiving many posts. Storage adds up faster than you’d expect.
One thing to know: Instagram compresses on upload. If a creator posted a soft-looking Reel, no downloader can recover detail that was never there. You get the best available file, not a better-than-original one.
What about audio?
Reels carry their audio track inside the MP4, so it comes along automatically. There’s no separate audio-only export — if you only want the sound, download the video and pull the track out with a converter.
Worth remembering that trending audio is usually licensed music. Saving it for personal use is one thing; republishing it is a different question entirely.
Common problems
“Couldn’t process that link.” The account is private, the post was deleted, or you copied a profile URL instead of a post URL. Check that the link contains /reel/, /p/, or /tv/.
The download opens in a browser tab instead of saving. On iOS Safari this happens occasionally. Long-press the download button and choose Download Linked File.
Only one slide came back from a carousel. Make sure you’re using the post link and not a link to a single slide. Carousels should list every slide separately — if they don’t, the post may be a single video after all.
Do this responsibly
Reels belong to the people who made them. Downloading one for personal reference, offline viewing, or research is reasonable. Reposting it as your own is not — and on Instagram it’s a fast way to get a copyright strike.
Ask first, credit clearly, and stick to Instagram’s Terms of Use.
Ready to save an Instagram Reel?
Paste a link and download in seconds — free.