Instagram Finally Lets Users Download Public Reels

Instagram has finally added the ability for users to download Reels posted by public accounts, allowing them to share the content outside the app. This feature has long been available on rival platform TikTok and has contributed to its widespread recognition and popularity.

Adam Mosseri, Instagram chief, announced on his Instagram broadcast channel that users in the United States can now download Reels to their device's camera roll. To do so, users simply need to tap the Share icon on a reel and select the Download option.

Only Reels from public accounts are eligible for download, and public account holders can also disable the download option in their privacy settings.

While it was not explicitly mentioned whether downloaded Reels will include a watermark, a picture posted by Mosseri suggests that the downloaded videos will display the Instagram logo along with the account name. TikTok uses a similar watermark format on downloaded videos. Notably, Instagram has always allowed users to download their own Reels from drafts without a watermark.