How to Download Instagram Videos and Reels
Instagram makes it deliberately difficult to save videos. There is no download button on Reels, no save-to-device option for videos, and screenshots of video content are just blurry single frames. If you want to download Instagram videos and Reels, you need an external tool, and the simplest approach works right in your browser.
How to Download Instagram Reels and Videos
The process works on phones and computers:
- Find the Instagram post or Reel you want to download.
- Copy the link. Tap the three dots (or Share button) on the post and select "Copy Link."
- Open the Instagram downloader on LoveConverts.
- Paste the link and click "Download."
- Save the video. The tool fetches the video and lets you download it directly.
This works for Reels, regular video posts, IGTV videos, and even carousel posts (where it downloads the video slides).
Getting the Link on iPhone vs Android
The link-copying process differs slightly by device:
On iPhone: Open the Instagram app, go to the Reel or video, tap the paper airplane (Share) icon at the bottom, then tap "Copy Link." Switch to Safari and paste it into the downloader.
On Android: Same process, but tap the three dots at the top right of the post, then "Copy Link." Open Chrome and paste into the downloader.
On Desktop: Open Instagram in your browser, click the three dots on the post, select "Copy Link," then paste it into the downloader in another tab.
What You Can and Cannot Download
Some clarifications on what works:
- Public Reels: Yes. Works reliably.
- Public video posts: Yes.
- Public photos: Yes, though you can usually just screenshot these.
- Private account content: No. The downloader cannot access content behind a private profile.
- Live videos: Not while live. Instagram sometimes saves Lives to the profile afterward, and those can be downloaded.
- Disappearing messages: No.
Reducing Video File Size After Download
Instagram videos, especially Reels, can be surprisingly large. A 60-second Reel in full quality might be 40-50MB. If you need to share it via WhatsApp, email, or upload it elsewhere with a size limit, use the video compressor to shrink it.
The compressor can typically reduce an Instagram video by 50-70% without any visible quality loss. A 40MB Reel becomes 12-15MB, which fits comfortably in most messaging apps.
Why Instagram Does Not Have a Download Button
Instagram deliberately omits download functionality to keep content on their platform. When videos stay on Instagram, users spend more time in the app, and Instagram can show more ads. Allowing easy downloads would mean people save content and view it elsewhere.
This is also why Instagram makes it hard to link out to other websites. Everything is designed to keep you scrolling within the app. External download tools simply work around this design decision.
Downloading from Other Platforms
If you are saving content from multiple platforms, LoveConverts has downloaders for TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter/X, and more. Each works the same way: copy the link, paste, download.
