How to save Instagram Reels to your iPhone camera roll

Step by step

1. Step 1: Copy the Reel's link

   Tap the paper-plane icon under the Reel, then Copy link.

2. Step 2: Open Download Instagram Reels in Safari

   Go to download.fan/download-instagram-reels and paste the link.

3. Step 3: Tap Download

   Choose the highest resolution. When Safari asks, tap Download.

4. Step 4: Move it to Photos

   Open Files → Downloads, press and hold the video, then tap Share → Save Video.

Why Instagram's own Save button isn't enough

Instagram's bookmark only saves the Reel inside the app. It disappears if the creator deletes or archives it, you can't watch it offline, and you can't open it in another app. Instagram's Download option, where the creator allows it, adds a watermark with the creator's username and isn't available on every Reel.

Downloading gives you a real MP4 file in your camera roll that you keep, play offline and can edit, share in Messages or AirDrop to a Mac.

Use Safari, not the Instagram in-app browser

If you open our page from a link inside Instagram, it loads in Instagram's built-in browser, which can't save files. Tap the ••• menu and choose Open in Safari first. The same goes for links opened in WhatsApp, Facebook or other apps: they all have their own built-in browsers.

Chrome and Firefox for iPhone can also download files, but Safari is the simplest, because its downloads go straight to the Files app.

Step by step, with what you'll see

After you tap Download on our page, Safari shows a small sheet asking “Do you want to download …mp4?”. Tap Download. A blue arrow appears in Safari's address bar; tap it to see progress. A 30-second Reel usually takes a second or two on Wi-Fi.

Then open the Files app (the blue folder icon), tap Browse, then Downloads. You'll see the MP4 there. Press and hold it, tap Share, and choose Save Video. The Reel is now in Photos, in your Recents album, with its sound.

Saving several Reels quickly

If you're saving a lot of Reels, skip moving them one by one. Download them all, then in Files → Downloads tap Select, pick every video, tap Share and choose Save Videos. They go to Photos together.

You can also set Safari to save downloads straight to iCloud Drive or another folder in Settings → Apps → Safari → Downloads, which is handy if you want them on your Mac too.

If the video has no sound or won't play

A downloaded Reel has the same audio as the Reel in Instagram. If it's silent in Photos, check the ring/silent switch or Action button on your iPhone: Photos follows silent mode, unlike Instagram. If Instagram muted the Reel's music for copyright reasons, the download will be silent too, because that's the file Instagram has.

If a file won't play at all, it probably didn't finish downloading. Delete it from Downloads and download it again on a stable connection.

Running out of iPhone storage

Reels are usually 5 to 20 MB each, which adds up. If space is tight, choose a lower resolution on our page, or after saving, open Settings → General → iPhone Storage to see what's using space. Files in Downloads stay there even after you save them to Photos, so delete the copies in Files once they're in your camera roll.

Reels from private accounts

We can only see what a logged-out visitor sees, so Reels from private accounts can't be downloaded, even if you follow the account. We will never ask for your Instagram password, and you shouldn't give it to any downloader: it's the most common way Instagram accounts get stolen.

On iPad

Everything works the same on iPad. Because iPad Safari asks for desktop websites by default, Instagram may open its full website instead of the app when you tap a link; copying the Reel's link from the address bar there works just as well.

On Android instead?

The steps are shorter on Android. Copy the Reel's link, open Download Instagram Reels in Chrome, paste and tap Download. Chrome saves the MP4 to the Downloads folder, and it shows up in Google Photos or your Gallery app right away, usually in a Downloads album. There's no Files step, because Android galleries show downloaded videos automatically.

Editing the Reel after saving

Once the Reel is in Photos, tap Edit to trim it, crop it or adjust the colours without another app. For a GIF of the best moment, use Video to GIF; to send a long Reel by email, shrink it with Video Compressor. Both run in Safari.