How to Download Instagram Reels on Android, iPhone and PC

Instagram lets you save a Reel, but that only bookmarks it inside the app. The video stays on Instagram's servers, you need a connection to watch it, and it disappears if the creator deletes it. If you want the actual MP4 file on your device, you need to download it. This guide shows the quickest way to do that on every device, and explains what is and isn't possible.

The short version

Open the Reel in Instagram, tap the share icon (the paper plane) and choose Copy link.
Open the Instagram Reel Downloader and paste the link.
Tap Download video. The MP4 is saved to your device with its original sound.

That's the whole process. It takes about ten seconds and you never enter your Instagram username or password.

How to download Reels on Android

In the Instagram app, open the Reel you want.
Tap the share icon on the right side of the screen, then Copy link. If you don't see it, tap the three dots (⋯) and look for Copy link there.
Open Chrome (or any browser) and go to the Reel downloader.
Tap Paste. The download starts automatically once the link is recognised.
Tap Download video.

The file lands in your Downloads folder. You can find it in the Files app, or in your gallery under an album called Download. If you can't see it, read where downloaded videos go on Android and iPhone.

How to download Reels on iPhone

The steps are the same, with one difference at the end:

Copy the Reel's link from the Instagram app (share icon, then Copy link).
Open Safari and go to the Reel downloader. Paste the link.
Tap Download video, then tap Download when Safari asks.
Tap the small download arrow in Safari's address bar to open the file.
To move it into your camera roll, tap the share button and choose Save Video.

Until you do step 5, the video lives in the Files app under Downloads, not in Photos. This is how iOS handles every downloaded file, not something specific to Instagram.

How to download Reels on a PC or Mac

Open the Reel on instagram.com.
Copy the address from your browser's address bar. It looks like instagram.com/reel/Cx1a2B3c4D5/.
Paste it into the Reel downloader and click Download video.

On a computer you can also press Ctrl + V (or Cmd + V) directly in the box. A valid link starts fetching straight away.

Will the downloaded Reel have sound?

Yes. You get the same MP4 that Instagram plays, including its audio track. There are two exceptions:

The Reel itself is silent. Some Reels have no audio at all, or Instagram has muted the original track in your region for licensing reasons. When that happens the downloader tells you the post has no sound, so you know nothing went wrong.
You only want the music. Where Instagram provides a separate audio stream, the downloader offers an Audio option next to the video.

What about carousels and photos?

If a post contains several videos or photos, every item is listed with its own download button, in the same order as on Instagram. Photos are saved at their original size. There is a separate guide for that: how to save Instagram photos in full quality.

What you can't download

Private accounts. If you have to follow someone to see their posts, no website can reach them. A downloader sees exactly what a logged-out visitor sees.
Stories and Highlights. These require a login, so they are not supported.
Reels that have been deleted or removed by Instagram.

Be careful with any site or app that asks for your Instagram password to "unlock" private content. That is how accounts get stolen.

Doesn't Instagram have its own download button?

For some public Reels, yes: tap share and you may see Download. It has three limits. The creator can switch it off, Instagram adds a watermark with the account name, and the audio is sometimes removed. It also isn't available for every account or region. Downloading from the link avoids all three.

Please respect the creator

Downloading a Reel for yourself, to watch offline or keep a copy of your own work, is one thing. Re-uploading someone else's video as your own is another, and it can get your account removed. If you want to reuse a clip, ask the creator first. More on this in is it legal to download videos from social media?