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Some Reels are keepers. In this article, I’ll run through how to download a Reel from Instagram depending on what kind of account you’re downloading from, what device you’re using, and how often you need to do it.
Being able to download is super helpful since you can have Reels on hand for offline viewing and let them inspire you. Most importantly, it also lets you repurpose the content for other platforms and schedule Instagram Reels that you know performed well in the past.
How can you download a Reel from Instagram?
Downloading a Reel from Instagram involves saving a video clip from Instagram Reels to your device for offline viewing or sharing on other platforms. If the Reel is yours or from a public Instagram account that specifically allows it, you can simply download it from the Instagram app. Otherwise, you use a third-party app or your screen recorder.
Steps to download Instagram Reels
I’m going to show you various ways to download Reels and break them down into steps. Your personal Reel archive is just a few taps away. Not counting the download time, all of these methods only take a few seconds.
Download Reels directly within the Instagram App
If the Reel you’re looking to download is your own, go to the Reels tab on your profile. Then simply open it in full-screen mode and tap the three dots icon in the bottom right corner. Choose Save and the video will appear in your camera roll.
If you want to download someone else’s Reel, their Instagram account needs to be public and they need to have Reel download enabled. Find the Reel you want and tap the share icon (bottom left next to the comment button, or bottom right if you have it in full-screen mode). The option to download should appear in the menu and the Reel pops up on your device.
Download Instagram Reels on Android
You can download Reels to your Android device with the help of third-party apps. Search the Play Store for Video Downloader, Reels Saver, or Story Saver, and you’ll get plenty of reliable options that handle Reels plus several other types of posts. Install your chosen app and open it.
Return to your desired Reel and tap the share icon. Choose the ‘Copy link’ option from the menu, then return to the downloader. Paste your URL. Depending on the app you’re using, a Save or Download button will send the Reel to your phone storage.
Download Instagram Reels on iOS
To download Reels to your iPhone, type Story Saver into the App Store search bar and choose one of the many available options. Or go directly for an app like InSaver or InstaDown. If you’re looking for a certain video quality, it’s worth knowing that some apps offer more hi-res versions than others.
Install the app and open it, then go back to Instagram and the Reel you want. Tap the share icon, then ‘Copy link’. Return to your video-saving app and paste the URL. The Reel will download to your Photos app.
Download Instagram Reels via screen recording
You can also save a Reel without third-party apps by using your phone’s screen recording feature. On both Android and iOS, you’ll see it by swiping down from the top of your screen.
If you can’t find the recorder right away on an iPhone, check that it’s enabled (go to Settings, then Control Center, look at Included Controls, and add Screen Recording).
Once the feature is on, return to Instagram and the Reel you want. Tap record and play it.
Once it’s done, you’ll find the video in your camera roll or the device’s Photos app, respectively.
You may also catch a few seconds of non-Reel content at the beginning and the end, but you can easily edit that out with a video trimming tool. Find the video, click edit, then drag the trim handles on the bottom to include just the frames you want. If you’re looking for more in-depth editing features, try an app like InShot.
Download Instagram Reels using online tools
If you want to save Instagram Reels from your desktop, use an online tool like Kapwing. It works from your browser or as a downloaded app. If you enjoy using it, it’ll do the same job as an app on your phone (Android and iOS), or from your mobile browser.
Kapwing works just like the apps above, by pasting in the copied Reel link and saving the video. You’ll need to create an account for this one, but it does bring plenty of features that make it worth your while: dubbing, subtitles, resizing, text-to-speech, and, most importantly, the Repurpose Studio.
How to repurpose a downloaded Instagram Reel
Your Reels ideas deserve to shine and be seen by as many people as possible. Repurposing them should be a priority in your content creation or marketing strategy. You’ll save time, boost SEO, and provide content consistency in a way that builds a compelling brand universe.
Crucially, the time you save will free you up for more ideation. And since video content tends to take more resources to produce, you can simply focus more on production values and capitalize on that enhanced quality via multiple social media platforms. All in all, you’ll make better and better content.
There are literally dozens of ways to repurpose, but look at them as categories:
- Posting the same video or a snippet as a Facebook Reel or YouTube Short
- Extracting one element like a still that becomes a static post or an audio snippet used in a podcast
- Integrating your Reel into a more in-depth format, like a newsletter or a blog post
Using Reels tools will up your game, save you time, and automate the most boring, admin-style parts of your process. Planable lets you schedule Facebook Reels, as well as all other types of social media posts for all the major platforms (TikTok, Twitter, Google My Business, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Threads, plus obviously, Facebook and Instagram).
Tips for better Reel management with Planable
Your downloaded Instagram Reels can be put to good use with Planable, one of the friendliest social media management tools for agencies and creators. Here’s how:
- You can plan, create, collaborate on, approve, and schedule content for 9 social media platforms.
- You can edit videos natively: trim, add a cover, add text, filters, or decorations.
Image and video editor in Planable
- The media library keeps all your photo and video files cozy in a single place.
Media library in Planable
- Planable’s content calendar does much more than organization and scheduling. It also makes it easy to reschedule or recycle posts.
Content calendar interface in Planable
- If you create long-form content like blogs, newsletters, and press releases, you can manage them from the very same calendar as your social media posts.
- You can collaborate seamlessly thanks to features like real-time comments, annotations, and text suggestions.
Approval and feedback in Planable
- You can set up custom approval workflows in a couple of minutes.
Planable also has heaps of platform-specific features, including the ability to plan a gorgeous Instagram grid and schedule the first comment, Reel, or story.
Instagram grid view in Planable
It’s also super easy to use, so you won’t spend a ton of time onboarding people. If you manage accounts for multiple clients, you’ll enjoy the separate workspaces that come with their own media libraries. Working with Planable puts the fun back into creating for social media, so before long, you’ll be making someone’s favorite content.
Get a good Reel workflow going with the tools that suit you
How to download a Reel from Instagram, you ask? It depends on whose it is and how often you do it, but all the options are pretty simple. If the Reel is yours or posted publicly, the Instagram app will do you fine. If not, but you only do this once in a while, go for the screen recording feature on your phone. If downloading Instagram Reels is part of your everyday process, you’re best off using a third-party app.
To make the most of your Instagram Reel videos, organize them with Planable. It’s an efficient content management and collaboration platform that brings together all your social media posts, all your platforms, and all your collaborators.
FAQs
How do I download Instagram Reels to the gallery?
If the Reel belongs to you, you just need to tap the three dots icon and then Save. If it’s posted by a public account that doesn’t have Reel downloading disabled, you’ll find the download option in the share menu. For all other situations, you use a third-party app where you paste the Reel link. Another reliable method for all of the above is to simply use screen recording on your device.
How do I save a Reel from Instagram to my camera roll?
For your own Reels, open the menu with the three dots icon and tap the Save option. For other people’s, go to the paper plane share icon and choose download (only works if their account is public and they didn’t disable Reel downloading).
If you download Instagram Reels often, it’s best to use third-party apps that let you save them by pasting in the URLs. Some of them come with extra features that let you edit and enhance videos. If you don’t feel like using an Instagram Reels downloader, screen recording is always an option.
How do I download a video from Instagram?
Short answer: screen recording. Works in any situation. Long answer: it depends on what account posted the Reel.
Download your own with the Save option; you’ll find it when you open the three dots menu on any of your Reels. Download Instagram Reels from other people (if they’re public) via the download icon. It’s right next to the other options in the share menu.
For all other cases, third-party apps are your friends. You just paste in the Reel link and you’re good to go!
Irina is a freelance senior copywriter & content writer with an advertising agency background. If she’s not rummaging for good synonyms, she’s probably watching a sitcom or listening to radio dramas with plucky amateur detectives. She loves collage, doing crosswords on paper and shazamming the birds outside her window.