How to Download Instagram Videos? - Step-by-Step Guide

In this editorial on how to download Instagram videos, we have mentioned all the possible ways to do the task with the most updated steps, you can follow. So read ahead to pick your methodology.

As of now, Instagram is not just another social media app but a behemoth entity, if we talk about its market presence. It has become a YouTube of sorts with possibly every type of content being published. So, if you are among the people who are asking, “How to download Instagram videos?”, worry not, as I had the same question.

However, I couldn’t rest without knowing how I could do the deed of downloading Insta videos. That is where I came across many possible ways of doing it. See, a lot of us are aware of the fact that you can save IG videos on your Instagram handle, in your collection. However, downloading it on your device, well, that is and has been a great challenge.

So, taking this challenge head-on, we tried all possible ways to download content for this one of the best social media apps. So, read on as we have done our research hoping not to disappoint you. Fingers crossed.

How to Download Instagram Videos/Reels? - Different Ways of Doing It on Mobile

There are many ways you can perform Instagram video downloads, and it is not limited to just videos but images as well. So, to help you have plenty of options to experiment with this task, we have shared several ways of doing it.

Note: The first way to download Instagram videos/reels will only work if the download option has been turned on by the publisher. For the remaining videos/reels, go for 2nd and 3rd.

1. Downloading Reels to Phone Directly from Instagram

This is the in-built option provided by Instagram to download your favorite videos/reels if the publisher has allowed it. So, stating this, let’s get ahead with the steps:

• Go to your favorite reel and click on the share button, as highlighted by a red marker.

• Now, click on download (if you can find it), and the reel will be downloaded.

• Once downloaded on my Android, it got downloaded to the “movies/Instagram” folder or you can directly check the Instagram folder in your gallery in the internal storage.

2. Screen Recording

There are no in-built services in particular that let you download videos from Instagram if the user hasn’t turned on the download setting. Yes, the built-in feature mentioned above helps you save any random video but there are no functionalities to download. 

In fact, even if you want to share your own post to other platforms like WhatsApp or Gmail, it will redirect you to the post on Instagram without providing any option to download it.

So, to bypass this situation, many people started to use screen recorders. In fact, my smartphone had this functionality in-built. I tested it and it gave me the option to either record a specific application or the entire screen. Plus, I had the option to record the audio.

This helped me record my favorite reels and memes in a video format. This video was easily shareable to other platforms and delivered great results in terms of visual quality and audio.

Just in case, your phone doesn’t support in-built screen recording, here are some of the dependable screen recorders:

• AZ Screen Recorder (For Android)
• Mobizen Screen Recorder (For Android)
• Screen Recorder for iPhone HD (For iOS)
• Loom (For Android & iOS)

3. Third-Party Apps

There are a ton of third-party apps and websites that provide a proper answer to the question, “How to download Instagram videos?” Some of the Instagram video downloaders are:

• Video Downloader & Story Saver (For Android)
• Video Downloader (InShot Inc.) (For Android)
• Snapinsta (Website for Desktop, Android, and iOS devices)
• FastDL (Website for Desktop, Android, and iOS devices

To give you an objective answer, we tried Video Downloader by Inshot.

Using Video Downloader by InShot Inc.:

Initially, there were many apps that allowed you to download Instagram videos/reels directly from the platform. But, now these apps don't provide that feature even when they had it earlier. 

So, we tried the other route of manually copying the link, and pasting it on the application. This gave us the option to download the video. If you want more, here is the two-pronged approach we took:

Copying Link from Instagram:

• Open the Instagram app
• Now, go to the post that you wish to download. In our case, we found an old Indian movie reel with the guy doing hand waving to tabla.

• After that click on the share button as highlighted with the blue line.

• Once done, you will see the copy link option, as mentioned in the lower navbar of the app, click on it and the link will be copied.

Downloading the Video:

• Once the link is copied, open the application.

• Now, you will see a screen as shown above. Paste the link in the “Search or Type URL” tab.

• Once done, it will take you to the post and show a red color download button.

• Click on the download button, and you will be able to download the post to your smartphone’s camera roll.

4. Sharing to Other Platforms

This was one of the steps to download Instagram videos once. Previously, people used to download private Instagram videos to their camera roll by using Facebook’s built-in feature. In fact, backed by the same company, you get an option on Instagram to directly post your content to your Facebook ID. 

However, as of now, the service only allows you to save it in your collection. So to download IG videos from IG, you need to copy the link and use a third-party IG video downloader to get the post, as discussed above.

How to Save Instagram Videos/Reels Using Built-In Feature?

Instagram itself delivers an in-built feature that allows you to save videos in your Instagram collection. Below, we have provided all the necessary steps to do it:

Note: To watch videos without the ‘Download’ option, you can use this method to save the video for downloading later on.

• Open your Instagram account
• Now reach the page from which you want to save a post or you can perform the steps ahead while sliding through reels.

• Now click on the “Bookmark icon” on Instagram at the lower right-hand corner of the post or click on the “three dots” on the upper right-hand corner.

• If you click on the three dots, you will get the “save” option identical to the bookmark logo.

• Now, the moment you click on the “Save” icon, you will see an option for “Save to Collection”. On clicking it, you can name your collection with the name you want, making your archive much more decluttered.

However, if you have a reel that you wish to download to your camera roll, Instagram does have an in-built feature.

How to Download or Save Instagram Stories?

If you want to download Instagram videos on stories randomly then it needs to be done manually by copying the link. Further on, if you want to save IG story while posting it directly using Instagram camera for the story, or want to download an existing story saved in highlights there are ways. So, here are the steps to download stories.

1. Download Story (Any Random Story)

To download any story on your camera roll, one of the simplest ways is to copy the link and paste it into an Instagram video downloader. This will enable it to fetch the URL, and download the content you wish to have on your camera roll. So, here are the steps.

• Open the story that you wish to download as shown in the image above, and click on the “Share button” (the arrow sign).

• Once done, it will open multiple options from which you have to select the “Copy Link” option.

After that simply paste that link to your Instagram video downloader, and it will download that story to your camera roll.

2. Download Story (About to Post) 

This is for the people who have captured a moment on their Instagram app to create a story. Since the post wasn’t captured by the official camera app, the image or video captured won’t be stored on the camera roll. This could be any moment, like your favorite superbike passing by, a flying bird, or an interesting joke made by your friend. 

In this situation, Instagram itself has an in-built feature to download it. So, here are the steps to download Instagram videos or photos from the story you are about to post. 

• The moment you are in your story, look for the three vertical dots at the upper right corner.

• Once you click on it, you will get a plethora of options, choose “Save” from it.

• After you have performed the previous step, you will see a “Photo saved” option which means, it's done.

3. Download Story (Posted Earlier)

Now, this is the step that you need to take for stories that you have saved in your highlights but not in your camera roll. To download private Instagram videos, we have mentioned the steps below

• Once you open the Instagram app, reach your private posts by clicking on your DP (Display Pick) in the lower right corner.

• Once done, you will see highlights from the past. Click on your favorite to download the post.

• After that, click on the three vertical dots in the lower right corner, and it will open the option to copy the link.

• Tap on the copy link and use a third-party Instagram post downloader like Snapinsta to download it on your camera roll.

How to Download Instagram Videos on PC?

Some people prefer downloading their posts to a PC, and well there is a way to do it. It is important to know that this step works both for web and mobile. This is because a third-party Instagram video downloader only needs the URL of the post for it to download. So, below we have covered steps to copy links from the web and used a tool called Snapinsta to download videos.

Steps to Copy Link on Instagram Web:

• Open Instagram by using the URL “https://www.instagram.com”.

• Now go to the post you wish to download to click on the three horizontal dots available.

• Once done, you will see several options, click on “Copy link”.

Now, it is time to use Snapinsta to download the video onto your computer. Let’s begin!

Using Snapinsta:

• Open Snapinsta on your desktop.

• Now as you can see, there is a ‘Paste URL Instagram’ tab. Paste your link post and click on download.

• Once done, you will see the window above, simply click on ‘Download Video’ to download using this IG video downloader.

Using Browser Extension:

Browser extensions are software that gives added functionality to your browsers. These can be used for a variety of tasks including the task to download Instagram videos. So, we did our search and found ‘Ultra.Downloader for Instagram’ which worked for us. These are the steps to use it:

• To use the extension, you need to install it first. To do so, click on the link provided above, and then click on ‘Add to Chrome’. Once done, it will install in your web browser.

• Now simply click on the ‘Extensions’ icon as shown above, and it will show you all the options.
• Now, click on ‘Ultra.Downloader for Instagram’, and it will open the Instagram console. Here when you hover the mouse pointer on your favorite post, it will show a blue download button, click on it to download the post.

Reasons to Save Videos from Instagram

To understand the process of downloading Instagram videos, it's essential to examine the reasons behind why people opt for video downloads in the first place.

Our intent with the section is to tell what the practice means, and in how many ways it can help you in the future. You can be a content creator, a marketer, or someone who simply wants to save videos from Instagram because it is funny. The section below will give you a much clearer picture of why you need it and what you can do with it.

1. Holding on to a Memory

I personally don’t like posting selfies from different places, I travel. However, I do post pictures of different places on my Instagram handle. The perspective is simply to archive whatever I have created or captured. So, whenever I want to resend those images, I can always go back to Instagram instead of the camera roll.

Plus, I am not alone. There are many people who download from Instagram because they use the service as an archive. They use it as a digital scrapbook that helps reconnect with cherished memories. 

2. Offline Access

Suppose, you were sliding through a variety of reels, and you are a graphic designer. There are many reels that provide great examples of graphic design. If you want to replicate the same style or improve it, doing it simultaneously going between the system and the smartphone can be tough. 

So, you decide to save that post. This will provide you with that content anywhere and anytime without relying on an active internet connection. Also, you can show those examples to your peers to help them improve their work.

Also, this is not new, as many people download videos from IG to take inspiration. There are many creators who generate videos on niche topics and creative concepts. And, archiving them locally to your hard disk or phone storage can be helpful in terms of ideation and making reels of similar ideas.

3. Easy Sharing with Non-Instagram Users

Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users as of early 2024. However, the world population, as of 16th September 2024, has crossed 8.1 billion people, as per Worldometer. This clearly points to the idea that not everyone is on Instagram despite the social media platform giving competition to giants like Facebook and YouTube

Also, there are some people who would like to view Instagram without an account. So, the easiest way to push them to join the platform or simply share the post with them is to download those posts and share them.

4. Educational Purposes

There are multiple educational resources that are available on the platform if you want to save videos from Instagram and share them amongst your friends. It can possibly change the perception of their parents or some professionals who believe Instagram is only for chatting, posting, or entertainment. 

In fact, there are quite a huge number of pages that can help you learn a variety of concepts. So, below we have provided some of the prominent educational pages on Instagram for you to check out:

• First News
• Nat Geo
• Nasa
• Dictionary.com
• The British Library

5. Research and Reference

There are many videos on Instagram that can be used for future reference relating to research on different topics. These could include news clips, demonstrations of products, or research material.

You can even save these videos for school projects and improve your presentations with factual information, along with a reference video. A few pages that help in research and reference on Instagram are:

TED
Science Channel
The Smithsonian
History TV18
Wired

6. Entertainment and Fun

This is actually one of the prime examples of why many people use Instagram and download IG videos. Instagram has actually become a hub for checking out comedy skits, music videos, or funny/dark memes if you like to joke about life and death. 

I have seen many people download video from Instagram and post them on their WhatsApp status. And, when asked why they do it, they answer that it helps them connect better with their peers on similar topics.

Best Practices for Safe and Ethical Instagram Download

Downloading someone else’s property, in any case without permission, can put you in jeopardy, especially if you are using it for your endeavors or even sharing it. For instance, in some cases, users have ended up downloading Instagram video downloader apps that have malware, making their desktops or smartphones infected. 

In other cases, users have been reported for ‘Intellectual Property Violation’. So, essentially, there are multiple things to keep in mind, to stay safe before you download any content from Instagram. Therefore, here are some best practices to follow that can help safeguard yourself:

1. Avoid Using Third-Party Apps 

It is important to know that there are many apps that will help you download or save an IG story or post. However, there are plenty that are unreliable and might steal your ID or password using keyword logging or phishing. 

So, it becomes important that you read the user comments first, check their strength in terms of number, and ensure that you only download either from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Since I was aware, I used a dummy account for this exercise.

Note: There have been instances on Google Play Store where the apps have been published but later on removed because of policy violations. So, choose your tools carefully.

2. Beware of Phishing

As discussed earlier, it is important to stay cautious of apps and websites that ask for your Instagram login credentials. These apps might be phishing scams especially if you are downloading these apps from a third-party store like GetJar, Aptoide, APKMirror, etc.

3. Check for Malware

If you want to use any third-party apps or websites, scan them for malware before you download or install anything. This can potentially save you from viruses and other malicious software that might infect your device.

4. Respect Copyright

It is important for you to respect the copyright of a particular content piece before you download it, as it is not your intellectual property. However, you can gain explicit permission from the creator before you download any of the property or share his/her content for any commercial purposes.

5. Avoid Sharing Privately Shared Content

If you have downloaded content that doesn’t belong to you, avoid sharing it privately without gaining the necessary permissions. This can violate the privacy of the original content.

Other Related Resources - MobileAppDaily

MobileAppDaily is a media and marketing company that covers a plethora of resources to help you solve problems that are related to IT. One of the topics that we have extensively covered in our offering relates to social media marketing and social media apps like Instagram. So, below are some of the other resources you may like, especially if you are a social media marketer, an influencer, or any professional within the industry:

• How to Download YouTube Videos?
• Tools to Boost Instagram Reach
• Private Instagram Viewer Apps
• Instagram Latest Updates
• Best Time to Post on Instagram
• Social Media Management Tools

Conclusion

By now, we hope you may have gotten your answer for “How to download Instagram Videos.” By this editorial, we intended to help you out with possibly every way, one can download content from Instagram. It turned out to be great because it even let me and my team know about some new changes that Instagram has made. 

By the end, we hope that it might resolve your issue, and help you download all the interesting things on Instagram while ensuring that you keep intellectual property rights in your mind.